Systems and methods for managing enterprise IT support planning

• US 7,814,030 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2005
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alphabet AG, Software AG
• Original Assignee: alfabet AG (Software AG)
• Inventors: Masing, Erik, Kovrigin, Oleg
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson; Greta L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Uddin; MD. I
• Application Number:
  US11/270,331
• Publication Number:
  US 20070106642A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,798 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/10, 707/736, 707/726, 705/1, 705/7, 705/301, 705/342, 705/348, 717/102
• US Class Current: 705/348
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/067 Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services

Abstract

An integrated enterprise IT architecture planning system and method of planning the IT support of the enterprise business architecture that is based on a central database of record. Within this database of record, the current status of the IT support is documented, the desired target status of the IT support is defined and maintained, and operational plans for future IT support are created, reviewed, and consolidated. Based on the information captured in the database of record, full transparency is achieved, mutual consistency across the current, planned, and target status of the IT support can be analyzed, and target plans can be effectively enforced. Business support maps are directly generated from the central database of record, and are the central mechanism for presentation and input of information throughout the method. Any changes performed on such maps feed directly back into the database of record, updating the underlying information.

Claims

1. A system to manage enterprise Information Technology (IT) support planning, comprising;

a central database of record; and

an IT support planning system in communication with the central database of record and including at least one processor configured to execute computer-executable instructions to;

receive business information items on an enterprise business architecture of an enterprise, and documenting the business information items in the central database of record, and mutually relating the received business information items, wherein the enterprise business architecture provides information about at least two of business units, business processes, or business products of the enterprise;

receive IT application information items on a plurality of individual IT applications and documenting the IT application information items in the central database of record;

receive IT support information items on an IT support provided by the plurality of IT applications to the enterprise business architecture, documenting the IT support information items in the central database of record, and relating the plurality of IT applications to the enterprise business architecture according to the received IT support information items; and

receive as-is IT support information items on an as-is status of the IT support provided by the plurality of IT applications to the enterprise business architecture, documenting the as-is IT support information items in the central database of record, and relating the plurality of IT applications to the enterprise business architecture according to the received as-is IT support information items;

receive to-be IT support information items on a to-be status of the IT support provided by at least a portion of the plurality of IT applications to the enterprise business architecture, documenting the to-be IT support information items in the central database of record, and relating the plurality of IT applications to the enterprise business architecture according to the received to-be IT support information items;

receive target IT support information items on a long-term target status of the IT support provided by at least a portion of the plurality of IT applications to the enterprise business architecture, documenting the target IT support information items in the central database of record, and relating the plurality of IT applications to the enterprise business architecture according to the received target IT support information items;

receive a request for a business IT support map;

in response to the request for the business IT support map, dynamically generate the business IT support map based on at least a portion of the received business information items, IT application information items, or IT support information items, wherein the generated business IT support map is interactive, wherein the business IT support map comprises a matrix representation of cells, wherein said cells schematically show the enterprise business architecture and the plurality of IT applications providing support to the enterprise business architecture, and wherein the cells provide linkage to the underlying business information items, IT application information items, or IT support information items; and

provide the business IT support map according to the request.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the enterprise business architecture includes at least one of business units or business processes, and wherein the IT planning support system further is configured to relate the plurality of IT applications to at least one of the business units or business processes according to the received IT support information items.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one IT planning support system processor is further configured to execute computer executable instructions to:

receive change information items; and

change the relation of the plurality of IT applications to the enterprise business architecture in the central database of record according to the change information items.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the at least one IT planning support system processor is further configured to execute computer executable instructions to:

update the business IT support map based at least in part on the change information items.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the at least one business IT support map is a first business IT support map, and wherein the at least one IT planning support system processor is further configured to execute computer executable instructions to:

update a second business IT support map based at least in part on the change information items, wherein the second business IT support map is related to the first business IT support map.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one IT planning support system processor is further configured to execute computer executable instructions to:

receive IT information items on planned new IT support, and verifying compliance of the planned new IT support with at least one of the as-is status of the IT support, the long-term target status of the IT support, or the to-be status of the IT support.

7. A method for managing enterprise IT support planning, comprising:

receiving business information items on an enterprise business architecture of an enterprise, documenting the business information items in the central database of record, and mutually relating the received business information items, wherein the enterprise business architecture provides information about at least two of business units, business processes, or business products of the enterprise;

receiving IT application information items on a plurality of individual IT applications and documenting the IT application information items in the central database of record;

receiving IT support information items on an IT support provided by the plurality of IT applications to the enterprise business architecture, documenting the IT support information items in the central database of record, and relating the plurality of IT applications to the enterprise business architecture according to the received IT support information items; and

receiving as-is IT support information items on an as-is status of the IT support provided by the plurality of IT applications to the enterprise business architecture, documenting the as-is IT support information items in the central database of record, and relating the plurality of IT applications to the enterprise business architecture according to the received as-is IT support information items;

receiving to-be IT support information items on a to-be status of the IT support provided by at least a portion of the plurality of IT applications to the enterprise business architecture, documenting the to-be IT support information items in the central database of record, and relating the plurality of IT applications to the enterprise business architecture according to the received to-be IT support information items;

receiving target IT support information items on a long-term target status of the IT support provided by at least a portion of the plurality of IT applications to the enterprise business architecture, documenting the target IT support information items in the central database of record, and relating the plurality of IT applications to the enterprise business architecture according to the received target IT support information items;

receiving a request for a business IT support map;

in response to the request for the business IT support map, dynamically generate the business IT support map based on at least a portion of the received business information items, IT application information items, or IT support information items, wherein the generated business IT support map is interactive, wherein the business IT support map comprises a matrix representation of cells, wherein said cells schematically showing the enterprise business architecture and the plurality of IT applications providing support to the enterprise business architecture, and wherein the cells provide linkage to the underlying business information items, IT application information items, or IT support information items; and

providing the business IT support map according to the request;

wherein the prior operations are performed by one or more IT support planning system computers.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the enterprise business architecture of the receiving business information items step includes at least one of the business units or business processes, and further comprising, relating the plurality of IT applications to at least one of the business units or business processes according to the received IT support information items.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising receiving change information items and changing the relation of the plurality of IT applications to the enterprise business architecture in the central database of record according to the change information items.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

updating the business IT support map based at least in part on the change information items.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one business IT support map is a first business IT support map, further comprising:

updating a second business IT support map based at least in part on the change information items, wherein the second business IT support map is related to the first business IT support map.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising receiving IT information items on planned new IT support and verifying compliance of the planned new IT support with at least one of the as-is status of the IT support, the long-term target status of the IT support, or the to-be status of the IT support.