Method and system to assess, track and implement capital projects by municipalities

• US 7,853,463 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2005
• Issued: 12/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Capital Projects Software LLC
• Original Assignee: Capital Projects Software LLC
• Inventors: Orifici, Micah Justin, Beni, Vincent, Dygert, Randall, Orifici, Matthew Jared, Fabrice, William Von, Hare, Dudley Jr., Orifici, Joseph Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Jeanty; Romain
• Application Number:
  US11/107,363
• Publication Number:
  US 20050251433A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,068 Days
• Field of Search: 705/9
• US Class Current: 705/7.17
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063118 Staff planning in a project environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06312 Adjustment or analysis of established resource schedule, e.g. resource or task levelling, or dynamic rescheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06313 Resource planning in a project environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0635 Risk analysis of enterprise or organisation activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0637 Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06375 Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06398 Performance of employee with respect to a job function
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0205 Location or geographical consideration

Abstract

A computer-based organizing, planning, implementing and tracking system is provided, the system is more particularly directed to a tracking method and system to assist municipal clients in organizing planning, implementing and tracking events and expenditures of capital projects.

Claims

1. A system for project tracking of municipal capital projects comprising:

a networked computer system;

an input module receiving information;

a Capital Projects Planning and Reporting Tool (“

CPPRT”

) having

a practice module;

a risk management module and;

a financial management module;

a Capital Asset Reporting Tool (“

CART”

) including

a building inventory module storing and tracking space utilization data, building population data, building assessments, five year capital projects plan, and building floor plans;

a Fixed Asset Planning Reporting Tool (“

FAPRT”

) including a fixed asset module tracking an inventory of all furniture, fixtures and equipment and replacement cost valuation of same;

a Technology Asset Planning and Reporting Tool (“

TAPRT”

), including

a planning and reporting module tracking an inventory of all data systems, computers, software licenses, hardware equipment, cabling and switching for LAN and replacement cost valuation of same;

Security Asset, Planning, Reporting Tool (“

SAPRT”

), including a security asset module tracking an inventory of all security systems, hardware equipment, cabling and monitoring devices and replacement cost valuation of same; and

a report generating module;

wherein said modules are implemented by software on a networked computer system and wherein said modules are configured to define several stages for implementing each project including a definition stage; and

wherein during the definition stage the modules are configured for

updating the system with all project scope definitions, selected cost budgets, and the district'"'"'s preliminary approval information;

collecting preliminary budget and scope information from said input module; and

forwarding the same to a core planning team including a fiscal advisor, bond counsel, architect, and construction manager who determine a budge and scope data for the project;

authorizing the project to proceed subject to checks and controls as identified by an official approval checklist;

forwarding the final version of the scope documentation for verification of compliance with all checklist requirements; and

establishing a capital projects implementation schedule.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each project includes a plurality of phases and said input module receives specific inputs from various government agencies and wherein at each phase predetermined inputs are required by said modules from respective agencies before the phase can proceed.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein at least some of the phases include generation of a financial report authorizing predetermined financial actions and wherein said modules cooperate to generate each financial report in accordance with preset rules associated with respective municipal risk management financial policies received through said input module.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein each project includes a project Inception phase with an initiation stage and a definition stage;

a preliminary and final plans phase having compile, organize, review and revise steps;

a construction period phase including implementation steps, revision and change control steps a closing project and use request phase, including performance management steps; and

a final building approval phase, including compile steps, and submit steps, said modules being configured to obtain respective data and generate respective reports for each of said steps including indications of whether a next step is authorized to proceed after a previous step.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the modules are configured to compile, organize and verify a standard set of forms to cover subjects selected from the group consisting essentially of:

(1) Code Compliance, (2) Building Evaluation, (3) Preliminary Final Approval and 4. Final Approval, providing a final approval preparation package, entering procurement policies into the system, and obtaining a building permit.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein during the construction period phase the modules are configured to provide formal bid request documentation, to receive documentation from vendors and to select at least one approved vendor based upon criteria selected from the group consisting essentially of:

(1) expiration dates related to work completion, (2) performance standards, (3) early termination, (4) service agreements, (5) payment distribution for contracted services, and (6) vendor history.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein during the construction period phase at least one of said modules provides project histories of related expenses in a central repository.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said modules are further configured to generate final reports of project financial data including site inspection, activity code compliance assurance information sub-contractor completion final reports, compilation final reports, and submission capital project closeout reports.

9. The system of claim 4, wherein said modules are configured during the closing project and use request phase to examine a vendor history of revisions and changes, information regarding inspections of the finished project facility, and to generate reports for obtaining a certificate of occupancy (CO) package, a report for posting a subcontractor completion document, and compiling a final report package.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein each project includes a project inception phase, wherein during said project inception phase said modules cooperate to review planning documentation received by said input module, including a School District'"'"'s projected educational and physical plant requirements, socio/economic demographics and an active Five Year-Plan, said modules being configured to a select a corresponding capital project.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein each project includes an initiation stage during which said input module receives legal, insurance, financial impact and project team requirements, wherein said modules use predetermined rules to analyze said requirements and generate reports indicating whether the project can proceed.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein each project includes an initiation stage and a construction phase, during which said modules cooperate to generate preliminary and final plans phase, create reports defining performance documents regarding legal, insurance and project team needs, and a start report authorizing the construction phase.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said modules cooperate to include in said reports information related to said documents, said modules being configured for collection and compiling into an information package (IPKG) of key district planning documents selected from the group consisting essentially of a 5 Year-Plan, consulting requirements, available vendors, project definitions.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein during the definition stage said modules are further configured to establish a project Construction Implementation Schedule and develop a Cash Flow Schedule for the project.