System and method for network-based project management

• US 7,058,660 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2002
• Issued: 06/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: Bank One Corporation (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Inventors: Scott, Kelly W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): AL HASHEMI, SANA A
• Application Number:
  US10/262,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20040068517A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,343 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/100, 707/104.1, 719/204, 719/219, 717100-101
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A system for managing a project and its associated information over a network is presented. The system includes a project information database associated with the network and a project information management tool. The project information database stores information associated with a project being carried out by a corporate entity having at least one sub-entity. The project information management tool includes a project information module to manage the information associated with the project, and at least one cross-sub-entity project-component module. The cross-sub-entity project module manages and tracks overall information and sub-entity specific information, of the information associated with the project, related to the project-component.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for managing a project comprising the steps of:

storing project information for a first project, with associations to at least one project component so that all of the project information related to each project component is accessible by a user on a network when the at least one project component is retrieved, the project information including project information related to at least one sub-unit of an entity performing the project;

generating at least one project component record based on the associations to the at least one project component for managing the project;

generating a project component display, customized to a project component and based on the at least one project component record, when the at least one project component is accessed by a user, the project component display having links to project component related documents and project component related reports and available to at least one user system over the network;

checking a status identifier of a user, wherein the step of generating the at least one project component record comprises a step of generating a project component record based on the user'"'"'s status and a step of generating the project component display comprises a step of generating the project component display based on the user'"'"'s status;

determining the user'"'"'s status based on predetermined formula;

presenting the user with reader intended project management sub-units if the user has a reader status;

presenting the user with editor intended project management sub-units if the user has an editor status;

presenting the user with a coordinator intended project management sub-units if the user has a coordinator status; and

presenting the user with a central administrator status if the user has a central administrator status.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating the project component display comprises a step of generating a project component web page.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one project component comprises at least one or more of a home page module, a project information module, a milestones module, a issues module, a change controls module, a documents module, a project status reports module, a team member status reports module, a contacts module, a management decisions module, a meetings module, an action items module, a financials module, a new items module, a search module, an archive module, a project management system coordinator module and a central project management system administrator module.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the at least one project component record comprises automatically creating the at least one project component record if a link to the project related record is selected by a user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating the at least one project component record comprises a step of creating the at least one project component record based on user input.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of receiving the project information from a user connected to the network.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of assigning a reader status to a user if the user does not have an associated status and the user is a first type user;

and assigning a no access status to a user if the user does not have an associated status and the user is a second type user.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of creating at least one project related report.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein a first type user comprises an employee of the entity performing the project and a second type user comprises at least one of a vendor and a contractor of the entity performing the project.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of creating the at least one project related report comprises a step of automatically creating the at least one project related report if a link to the project related report is selected by a user.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of creating the at least one project related report comprises a step of creating the at least one project related report based on user input.

12. A computer implemented system for managing a project comprising:

means for storing project information, for a first project, with associations to at least one project component so that all of the project information related to each project component is accessible by a user on a network when the project component is retrieved, the project information including project information related to at least one sub-unit of an entity performing the project;

means for generating at least one project component record based on the associations to the at least one project component for managing the project; and

means for generating a project component display, customized to a project component and based on the at least one project component record, when the project component is accessed by a user, the project component display having links to project component related documents and project component related reports and available to at least one user system over the network;

means for checking a status identifier of a user, wherein the means for generating the project component display comprises means for generating a project component display based on the user'"'"'s status and the means for generating the at least one project component record comprises means for generating the project component record based on the user'"'"'s status;

means for determining the user'"'"'s status based on predetermined formula;

means for presenting the user with reader intended project management sub-units if the user has a reader status;

means for presenting the user with editor intended project management sub-units if the user has an editor status;

means for presenting the user with a coordinator intended project management sub-units if the user has a coordinator status; and

means for presenting the user with a central administrator status if the user has a central administrator status.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the means for generating the project component display comprises means for generating a project component web page.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one project component comprises at least one or more of a home module, a project information module, a milestones module, a issues module, a change controls module, a documents module, a project status reports module, a team member status reports module, a contacts module, a management decisions module, a meetings module, an action items module, a financials module, a new items module, a search module, an archive module, a project management system coordinator module and a central project management system administrator module.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the means for generating the at least one project component record comprises means for automatically creating the at least one project component record if a link to the project related record is selected by a user.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the means for generating the at least one project component record comprises means for creating the at least one project component record based on user input.

17. The system of claim 12, further comprising means for receiving the project information from a user connected to the network.

18. The system of claim 12, further comprising means for assigning a reader status to a user if the user does not have an associated status and the user is a first type user, and means for assigning a no access status to a user if the user does not have an associated status and the user is a second type user.

19. The system of claim 12, further comprising means for creating at least one project related report.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein a first type user comprises an employee of the entity performing the project and a second type user comprises at least one of a vendor and a contractor of the entity performing the project.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the means for creating the at least one project related report comprises automatically means for creating the at least one project related report if a link to the project related report is selected by a user.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the means for creating the at least one project related report comprises means for creating the at least one project related report based on user input.