Development architecture framework

• US 7,139,999 B2
• Filed: 08/31/1999
• Issued: 11/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture LLP (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Bowman-Amuah, Michel K.
• Primary Examiner(s): INGBERG, TODD D
• Application Number:
  US09/387,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20010052108A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,639 Days
• Field of Search: 717/101, 717/100
• US Class Current: 717/101
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A development architecture framework manages information that supports a project being carried out by a development architecture framework. Security requirements are defined and the framework is audited to ensure requirements are met. Quality is ensured by obtaining and statistically analyzing measurements relating to predetermined criterion Personnel are trained to improve the quality of the project. The project is managed by generating a plan, scheduling a timeline, tracking the plan, and reporting information uncovered during tracking. A development environment is also managed. Component delivery is coordinated and delivery problems are rectified during the delivery.

Claims

1. A method for designing, implementing, and maintaining a development architecture framework comprising the steps of:

(a) managing information that supports a project being carried out by a development architecture framework;

(b) handling security of the development architecture framework by defining security requirements and auditing the development architecture framework to ensure that the security requirements are met;

(c) ensuring quality of the project being carried out by the development architecture framework by obtaining measurements relating to predetermined criterion of the project, statistically analyzing the measurements, and training personnel based on the statistical analysis in order to improve the quality of the project;

(d) managing the project being carried out by the development architecture framework by generating a plan to carry out the project, scheduling a timeline for executing the plan, tracking the execution of the plan, and reporting information uncovered during tracking;

(e) governing an environment in which the project is carried out by the development architecture framework;

(f) coordinating the delivery of components of the project in a selected order;

(g) rectifying problems that occur during the delivery of the components of the project; and

(h) maintaining updated support information during the delivery of the components of the project.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, and further comprising the step of:

providing productivity tools to create documents, spreadsheets, and graphics.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1, and further comprising the step of:

providing collaboration tools for allowing communication among the personnel.

4. The method as set forth in claim 3, wherein the collaboration tools are selected from the group of collaboration tools including audio/video conferencing, electronic mail, group scheduling, shared workspaces, and shared databases.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1, and further comprising the step of:

managing a process of completing the project by integrating parts of the process and assigning the parts of the process to the personnel.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the step of managing the information includes at least one of repository management, folder management, object management, and media content management.

7. The method as set forth in claim 1, and further including the step of:

providing system building tools selected from the group of system building tools including analysis and design tools, reverse engineering tools, component integration tools, construction tools, and test tools.

8. The computer program as set forth in claim 1, and further including a code segment that provides system building tools selected from the group of system building tools including analysis and design tools, reverse engineering tools, component integration tools, construction tools, and test tools.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein managing the information includes allowing a first user to access information input by other users working on a task.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein governing the environment includes at least one of:

specifying a role, the task, and relationships of individuals;

specifying a workflow, routing cases, exception handling, assignment of cases to roles, assignment of cases to individuals, and assignment based on priority.

11. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein handling security of the development architecture framework includes:

alerting an administrator of an unauthorized intrusion attempt into a network, informing the user of the unauthorized intrusion attempt into the network upon detection, preventing access to the network;

confirming identities of credit card users during transactions conducted utilizing the network, overseeing the transmission of information content, preventing the transmission of the information if the content does not meet with established standards, and encrypting electronic mail prior to the transmission utilizing the network.

12. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein managing the information includes standards and procedures that specify at least on of:

tasks, expected and maximum duration of each task, decision points, how the tasks fit together to form a workflow, routing of work depending on the issue, roles, roles associated with tasks, individual roles, and priority of cases.

13. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for designing, implementing, and maintaining a development architecture framework comprising:

(a) a code segment that manages information that supports a project being carried out by a development architecture framework;

(b) a code segment that handles security of the development architecture framework by defining security requirements and auditing the development architecture framework to ensure that the security requirements are met;

(c) a code segment that ensures quality of the project being carried out by the development architecture framework by obtaining measurements relating to predetermined criterion of the project, statistically analyzing the measurements, and training personnel based on the statistical analysis in order to improve the quality of the project;

(d) a code segment that manages the project being carried out by the development architecture framework by generating a plan to carry out the project, scheduling a timeline for executing the plan, tracking the execution of the plan, and reporting information uncovered during tracking;

(e) a code segment that governs an environment in which the project is carried out by the development architecture framework;

(f) a code segment that coordinates the delivery of components of the project in a selected order;

(g) a code segment that rectifies problems that occur during the delivery of the components of the project; and

(h) a code segment that maintains updated support information during the delivery of the components of the project.

14. The computer program as set forth in claim 13, and further comprising a code segment that provides productivity tools to create documents, spreadsheets, and graphics.

15. The computer program as set forth in claim 13, and further comprising a code segment that provides collaboration tools for allowing communication among the personnel.

16. The computer program as set forth in claim 15, wherein the collaboration tools are selected from the group of collaboration tools including audio/video conferencing, electronic mail, group scheduling, shared workspaces, and shared databases.

17. The computer program as set forth in claim 13, and further comprising a code segment that manages a process of completing the project by integrating parts of the process and assigning the parts of the process to the personnel.

18. The computer program as set forth in claim 13, wherein the code segment that manages the information includes at least one of repository management, folder management, object management, and media content management.

19. A system for designing, implementing, and maintaining a development architecture framework comprising:

(a) logic for managing information that supports a project being carried out by a development architecture framework;

(b) logic for handling security of the development architecture framework by defining security requirements and auditing the development architecture framework to ensure that the security requirements are met;

(c) logic for ensuring quality of the project being carried out by the development architecture framework by obtaining measurements relating to predetermined criterion of the project, statistically analyzing the measurements, and training personnel based on the statistical analysis in order to improve the quality of the project;

(d) logic for managing the project being carried out by the development architecture framework by generating a plan to carry out the project, scheduling a timeline for executing the plan, tracking the execution of the plan, and reporting information uncovered during tracking;

(e) logic for governing an environment in which the project is carried out by the development architecture framework;

(f) logic for coordinating the delivery of components of the project in a selected order;

(g) logic for rectifying problems that occur during the delivery of the components of the project; and

(h) logic for maintaining updated support information during the delivery of the components of the project.

20. A method for designing, implementing, and maintaining a development architecture framework comprising the steps of:

(a) managing information that supports a project being carried out by a development architecture framework, wherein managing information includes;

allowing common information that is used by a plurality of components of a system to be accessed in a single, shared repository, storing unique information that is unique to the components of the system in corresponding designated folders, and managing media content communicated in the system based on metadata thereof;

(b) handling security of the development architecture framework by defining security requirements and auditing the development architecture framework to ensure that the security requirements are met, wherein handling security includes;

detecting unauthorized attempts to access a network, notifying a user upon detection of at least one of the unauthorized attempts to access the network, restricting access from the network to a separate wide area network, verifying identities of users of credit cards during transactions carried out over the network, monitoring content of information transmittal, preventing transmittal of information if the content does not adhere to standards, and encrypting the electronic mail before transmission utilizing a network;

(c) ensuring quality of the project being carried out by the development architecture framework, wherein ensuring quality includes;

defining a plurality of metrics for providing an objective standard of rating quality of a system, employing statistics to analyze the rating of the quality of the system, implementing continuous improvement of the system based on the analysis of the rating, and providing training to facilitate the continuous improvement of the system;

(d) managing the project being carried out by the development architecture framework by generating a plan to carry out the project, scheduling a timeline for executing the plan, tracking the execution of the plan, and reporting information uncovered during tracking;

(e) governing an environment in which the project is carried out by the development architecture framework, wherein governing the environment includes;

managing service of a system based on at least one of service level agreements and operations level agreements, performing a plurality of system management operations selected from the group of system management operations consisting of start-up and shut-down operations, back-up and restore operations, archiving operations, security operations, and performance monitoring operations, and planning service in order to anticipate and implement changes in the system;

(f) coordinating the delivery of components of the project in a selected order;

(g) rectifying problems that occur during the delivery of the components of the project, wherein rectifying problems includes;

receiving incidents from users, informing users of known work-around where possible, ensuring that support personnel are working on an incident, keeping users informed of incident resolution progress, ensuring that incidents do not get lost as they are passed around support teams, and informing users when incidents have been resolved, and ensuring resolution is complete; and

(h) maintaining updated support information during the delivery of the components of the project.