Enterprise software development process for outsourced developers

• US 7,849,438 B1
• Filed: 05/27/2004
• Issued: 12/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Hindman, L. Shannon, Hemmat, Merzad, Kather, George R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Khatri; Anil
• Application Number:
  US10/857,287
• Time in Patent Office: 2,385 Days
• Field of Search: 717100-103, 717120-121, 717102-108
• US Class Current: 717/102
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

An enterprise development process for outsourced software development is provided. The process includes generating, by a business unit of an entity or organization, a concept requiring one or more computer applications, such as a project. An information technology unit of the entity may then create an integrated architecture blueprint including a design of at least a portion of the one or more computer applications. One or more outsourced suppliers of the entity, design at least a portion of the application according to the integrated architecture blueprint. The information technology unit integrates the application into a computing production environment of the entity.

Claims

1. An enterprise development process for outsourced software development, comprising:

generating, by using an enterprise project development system stored in a memory and executing on a computer, a concept requiring a computer application;

creating an integrated architecture blueprint including a design for at least a portion of the application using the enterprise project development system, wherein at least a portion of the application design is an integration portion of the application;

assembling one or more outsourced supplier subcontracts using the enterprise project development, wherein the one or more outsourced supplier subcontracts comprise a scope, a cost estimate, and a schedule;

verifying the one or more outsourced supplier subcontracts using the enterprise project development system;

designing at least a portion of the application according to the integrated architecture blueprint based on the one or more outsourced supplier subcontracts;

performing integration testing on the application in a computer test environment, wherein integration testing comprises at least one of creating an integration test plan, setting up the computer test environment, creating test data, performing an inter-application connectivity test, performing an end-to-end test, and performing a production readiness test; and

migrating the application to a computer production environment.

2. The enterprise development process of claim 1, further comprising obtaining, by at least one enterprise employee, business requirements from a business unit for the application.

3. The enterprise development process of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an information technology group cost estimate using the enterprise project development system; and

aggregating the information technology group cost estimate and the cost estimates of the outsourced supplier subcontracts to provide a total cost to a business unit of the enterprise for the application using the enterprise project development system.

4. The enterprise development process of claim 1, wherein the application is further defined as a single application.

5. The enterprise development process of claim 1, further comprising:

capturing functional requirements to implement the concept through interaction with end-users of the potentially impacted business processes, the functional requirements captured using the enterprise project development system;

after completion of capturing the functional requirements, capturing system requirements for potential automation and software systems supporting the impacted business processes through interaction with systems development analysts for the potentially impacted automation and software systems supporting the impacted business processes, the functional requirements captured using the enterprise project development system, wherein every captured system requirement is mapped to at least one captured functional requirement; and

generating the architecture blueprint, by an information technology group, including a design for at least a portion of the software systems for supporting the impacted business processes, the architecture blueprint generated using the enterprise project development system.

6. The enterprise development process of claim 1, wherein

Creating the integrated architecture blueprint is performed by at least one enterprise employee using the enterprise development system,

assembling one or more outsourced supplier subcontracts is performed by an outsourced supplier employee using the enterprise project development system,

verifying the one or more outsourced supplier subcontracts is performed by an enterprise employee using the enterprise project development system,

designing at least a portion of the application according to the integrated architecture blueprint based on the one or more outsourced supplier subcontracts is performed by one or more outsourced suppliers of the enterprise,

integration testing on the application is performed by an information technology group of the enterprise, and

migrating the application to a computer production environment is performed by the information technology group.

7. A method for developing a response to a business need which has been initially documented as a concept and approved for additional development after an initial estimate comprising:

identifying a set of business requirements with respect to the approved concept;

capturing functional requirements to implement the defined concept through interaction with end-users of the potentially impacted business processes, the functional requirements captured using an enterprise project development system stored in a memory and executing on a computer, wherein every captured functional requirement is mapped to at least one identified business requirement;

after completion of capturing the functional requirements, determining system requirements to implement the defined concept using the enterprise project development system by modeling and reviewing system workflows, capturing system requirements, mapping system requirements to functional requirements, and validating requirements against architecture;

verifying the system requirements using the enterprise project development system;

generating an architecture blueprint using the enterprise project development system, the architecture blueprint including a design for at least a portion of the software systems for supporting the impacted business processes, the architecture blueprint generated using the enterprise project development system and based at least in part on the system requirements;

developing the at least the portion of the software systems according to the architecture blueprint; and

performing integration testing on the software systems in a computer test environment, wherein integration testing comprises at least one of creating an integration test plan, setting up the computer test environment, creating test data, performing an inter-application connectivity test, performing an end-to-end test, and performing a production readiness test.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein every captured functional requirement is mapped to only one identified business requirement.

9. A method for enterprise development of projects, comprising:

providing an enterprise project development system, wherein the enterprise project development system is stored in a memory and executed on a computer;

defining a business concept associated with a business intent of a business via the enterprise project development system;

discovering the functional and system requirements related to the business concept defining the project via the enterprise project development system;

creating an integration portion of a design specification for the project via the enterprise project development;

creating an application architecture blueprint using the enterprise project development system;

verifying the application architecture blueprint using the enterprise project development system;

developing a project software based on the design specification and based on the application architecture blueprint;

performing application testing of the project software in a computer test environment the application testing including planning of test activities;

performing integration testing on the project software in a computer test environment wherein integration testing comprises at least one of creating an integration test plan, setting up the computer test environment, creating test data, performing an inter-application connectivity test, performing an end-to-end test, and performing a production readiness test; and

deploying the project software in a computing production environment, including planning the deployment and implementation activities via the enterprise project development system,

wherein the project software is further defined as one of a single software application and an integrated software application.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein defining the business concept further comprises:

determining an estimated cost of the project; and

determining an estimated time of the project.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein discovering the functional and system requirements further comprises:

determining a second estimated cost of the project; and

determining a second estimated time of the project.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein a portion of the design specification for the application is provided by support from outsourced developers.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

obtaining, by an information technology group, a contract including an outsourced development cost estimate for the development of the application by outsourced developers;

determining an information technology group cost estimate; and

aggregating the information technology group cost estimate and the outsourced development cost estimate to provide a total cost for the application.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein an outsourced developer develops only single applications and wherein multiple integrated applications are developed by an information technology group.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein an outsourced developer designs a portion of the design specification and wherein an information technology group validates the design specification.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the project software is further defined as a plurality of software applications, wherein one of a plurality of outsourced developers develops one of the plurality of software applications, and wherein an information technology group performs the integration testing on the plurality of software applications of the project software.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein

creating an integration portion of a design specification for the project via the enterprise project development system is performed by an information technology group of the enterprise,

creating an application architecture blueprint using the enterprise project development system is performed by outsourced developers of the business,

verifying the application architecture blueprint using the enterprise project development system is performed by the information technology group;

developing the project software is performed by the outsourced developers,

application testing of the project software is performed by the outsourced developers,

integration testing on the project software is performed by the information technology group, and

deploying the project software in a computing production environment is performed by the information technology group.