Hierarchical projects in a computer-enabled project management method and system

• US 7,734,491 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2004
• Issued: 06/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Kayahara, Roy, Viton, Nichol C., Iyer, Raju
• Primary Examiner(s): Jarrett; Scott L
• Application Number:
  US10/868,661
• Publication Number:
  US 20050278209A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,184 Days
• Field of Search: 705/8
• US Class Current: 705/7.23
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06313 Resource planning in a project environment

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for establishing a hierarchical relationship between a parent or master project schedule and sub-project schedules including tasks and phases required for completion of the parent or master project. When changes are made to data contained in a given parent or master project schedule or to a hierarchically related sub-project schedule, an automatic notification is passed to the owners/managers of affected project schedules so that those parties may accept the proposed change, reject the proposed change, or respond to the submitting party with a counter change proposal.

Claims

1. A system for communicating scheduling changes in a project management schedule, the system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory having computer-executable instructions stored thereon, wherein the computer-executable instructions are configured for;

publishing an electronic master project schedule, prepared in accordance with a project software application, to a project server;

setting a target date within the electronic master project schedule;

passing the target date to a subproject owner;

publishing at least one independently managed electronic subproject schedule, prepared by the subproject owner, to the project server, wherein the at least one electronic subproject schedule includes the target date within the master project schedule, wherein the subproject represents phases of the master project schedule;

on the project server, establishing an electronic hierarchical relationship that links, at a summary task level, the electronic master project schedule, the at least one electronic subproject schedule and any other electronic subproject schedules that include the target date, wherein the at least one electronic subproject schedule is stored on the project server as a hierarchical child of the master project schedule;

on the project server, receiving an electronic submission from the subproject owner of the at least one electronic subproject schedule for a proposed change to the at least one electronic subproject schedule;

automatically determining by the project server whether the proposed change to the at least one electronic subproject schedule causes a change to the target date in the at least one electronic subproject schedule that is contingent upon the electronic master project schedule;

when the proposed change does not cause a change to the target date that is contingent upon the electronic master project schedule, permitting electronic persistence, on the project server, of the proposed change within the at least one electronic subproject schedule without causing the sending of a proposed electronic change notification from the project server to the owner of the electronic master project schedule; and

when the electronic proposed change causes a change to the target date that is contingent upon the electronic master project schedule,

holding electronic persistence, on the project server, of the electronic proposed change to the target date that is contingent upon the electronic master project schedule,

automatically sending an electronic proposed change notification from the project server to the master project owner, wherein the proposed change notification indicates the proposed change to the target date that is contingent upon the electronic master project schedule,

when an electronic rejection to the electronic proposed change is received on the project server, sending an electronic rejected change notification and an electronic proposed counter change notification from the project server to the subproject owner,

when an electronic acceptance to the proposed electronic counter change is received on the project server, automatically causing, on the project server, electronic persistence of the proposed electronic counter change on the electronic master project schedule and the at least one electronic subproject schedule and automatically sending an electronic subsequent counter change notification to any other owners of the any other electronic subproject schedules that are stored as a hierarchical child of the master project schedule, and

when an electronic acceptance to the electronic proposed change is received on the project server, automatically causing, on the project server, the electronic persistence of the electronic proposed change to the electronic master project schedule and the at least one electronic subproject schedule.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic rejected change notification is an electronic counter change notification that includes an electronic proposed counter change sent from the project server to the subproject owner.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein when an electronic acceptance to the proposed electronic counter change is received on the project server, automatically causing, on the project server, electronic persistence of the proposed electronic counter change on the electronic master project schedule and the at least one electronic subproject schedule and automatically sending an electronic subsequent counter change notification to any other owners of the any other electronic subproject schedules that are stored as a hierarchical child of the master project schedule.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein when an electronic rejection to the proposed electronic counter change is received on the project server sending an electronic rejected counter change notification from the project server to the master project owner.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein when an electronic rejection to the proposed electronic change is received on the project server from any owner of the any other electronic subproject schedules, sending an electronic rejected subsequent change notification from the project server to the master project owner.

6. A computer-readable storage medium having computer executable instructions for communicating scheduling changes in a project management schedule, the instructions comprising:

publishing an electronic master project schedule, prepared in accordance with a project software application, to a project server;

setting a target date within the electronic master project schedule;

passing the target date to a subproject owner;

publishing at least one independently managed electronic subproject schedule, prepared by the subproject owner, to the project server, wherein the at least one electronic subproject schedule includes the target date within the master project schedule, wherein the subproject represents phases of the master project schedule;

on the project server, establishing an electronic hierarchical relationship that links, at a summary task level, the electronic master project schedule, the at least one electronic subproject schedule and any other electronic subproject schedules that include the target date, wherein the at least one electronic subproject schedule is stored on the project server as a hierarchical child of the master project schedule;

on the project server, receiving an electronic submission from the subproject owner of the at least one electronic subproject schedule for a proposed change to the at least one electronic subproject schedule;

automatically determining by the project server whether the proposed change to the at least one electronic subproject schedule causes a change to the target date in the at least one electronic subproject schedule that is contingent upon the electronic master project schedule;

when the proposed change does not cause a change to the target date that is contingent upon the electronic master project schedule, permitting electronic persistence, on the project server, of the proposed change within the at least one electronic subproject schedule without causing the sending of a proposed electronic change notification from the project server to the owner of the electronic master project schedule; and

when the electronic proposed change causes a change to the target date that is contingent upon the electronic master project schedule,

holding electronic persistence, on the project server, of the electronic proposed change to the target date that is contingent upon the electronic master project schedule,

automatically sending an electronic proposed change notification from the project server to the master project owner, wherein the proposed change notification indicates the proposed change to the target date that is contingent upon the electronic master project schedule,

when an electronic rejection to the electronic proposed change is received on the project server, sending an electronic rejected change notification and an electronic proposed counter change notification from the project server to the subproject owner,

when an electronic acceptance to the proposed electronic counter change is received on the project server, automatically causing, on the project server, electronic persistence of the proposed electronic counter change on the electronic master project schedule and the at least one electronic subproject schedule and automatically sending an electronic subsequent counter change notification to any other owners of the any other electronic subproject schedules that are stored as a hierarchical child of the master project schedule, and

when an electronic acceptance to the electronic proposed change is received on the project server, automatically causing, on the project server, the electronic persistence of the electronic proposed change to the electronic master project schedule and the at least one electronic subproject schedule.

7. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the electronic rejected change notification is an electronic counter change notification that includes an electronic proposed counter change sent from the project server to the subproject owner.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein when an electronic acceptance to the proposed electronic counter change is received on the project server, automatically causing, on the project server, electronic persistence of the proposed electronic counter change on the electronic master project schedule and the at least one electronic subproject schedule and automatically sending an electronic subsequent counter change notification to any other owners of the any other electronic subproject schedules that are stored as a hierarchical child of the master project schedule.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein when an electronic rejection to the proposed electronic counter change is received on the project server sending an electronic rejected counter change notification from the project server to the master project owner.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein when an electronic rejection to the proposed electronic change is received on the project server from any owner of the any other electronic subproject schedules, sending an electronic rejected subsequent change notification from the project server to the master project owner.

11. A computer-implemented method for communicating scheduling changes in a project management schedule, the method comprising:

publishing an electronic master project schedule, prepared in accordance with a project software application, to a project server;

setting a target date within the electronic master project schedule;

passing the target date to a subproject owner;

publishing at least one independently managed electronic subproject schedule, prepared by the subproject owner, to the project server, wherein the at least one electronic subproject schedule includes the target date within the master project schedule, wherein the subproject represents phases of the master project schedule;

on the project server, establishing an electronic hierarchical relationship that links, at a summary task level, the electronic master project schedule, the at least one electronic subproject schedule and any other electronic subproject schedules that include the target date, wherein the at least one electronic subproject schedule is stored on the project server as a hierarchical child of the master project schedule;

on the project server, receiving an electronic submission from the subproject owner of the at least one electronic subproject schedule for a proposed change to the at least one electronic subproject schedule;

automatically determining by the project server whether the proposed change to the at least one electronic subproject schedule causes a change to the target date in the at least one electronic subproject schedule that is contingent upon the electronic master project schedule;

when the proposed change does not cause a change to the target date that is contingent upon the electronic master project schedule, permitting electronic persistence, on the project server, of the proposed change within the at least one electronic subproject schedule without causing the sending of a proposed electronic change notification from the project server to the owner of the electronic master project schedule; and

when the electronic proposed change causes a change to the target date that is contingent upon the electronic master project schedule,

holding electronic persistence, on the project server, of the electronic proposed change to the target date that is contingent upon the electronic master project schedule,

automatically sending an electronic proposed change notification from the project server to the master project owner, wherein the proposed change notification indicates the proposed change to the target date that is contingent upon the electronic master project schedule,

when an electronic rejection to the electronic proposed change is received on the project server, sending an electronic rejected change notification and an electronic proposed counter change notification from the project server to the subproject owner,

when an electronic acceptance to the proposed electronic counter change is received on the project server, automatically causing, on the project server, electronic persistence of the proposed electronic counter change on the electronic master project schedule and the at least one electronic subproject schedule and automatically sending an electronic subsequent counter change notification to any other owners of the any other electronic subproject schedules that are stored as a hierarchical child of the master project schedule, and

when an electronic acceptance to the electronic proposed change is received on the project server, automatically causing, on the project server, the electronic persistence of the electronic proposed change to the electronic master project schedule and the at least one electronic subproject schedule.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the electronic rejected change notification is an electronic counter change notification that includes an electronic proposed counter change sent from the project server to the subproject owner.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein when an electronic acceptance to the proposed electronic counter change is received on the project server, automatically causing, on the project server, electronic persistence of the proposed electronic counter change on the electronic master project schedule and the at least one electronic subproject schedule and automatically sending an electronic subsequent counter change notification to any other owners of the any other electronic subproject schedules that are stored as a hierarchical child of the master project schedule.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein when an electronic rejection to the proposed electronic counter change is received on the project server sending an electronic rejected counter change notification from the project server to the master project owner.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein when an electronic rejection to the proposed electronic change is received on the project server from any owner of the any other electronic subproject schedules, sending an electronic rejected subsequent change notification from the project server to the master project owner.