EDP portal cross-process integrated view

• US 7,930,201 B1
• Filed: 08/19/2003
• Issued: 04/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Issa, Philip, Branch, Bill G. Jr., Roof, Dale, Baker, Larry E., Adams, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): LOFTIS, JOHNNA RONEE
• Application Number:
  US10/643,417
• Time in Patent Office: 2,800 Days
• Field of Search: 705/8, 705/9
• 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 10/063114 Status monitoring or status determination for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06313 Resource planning in a project environment

Abstract

A method for project development within an enterprise. The method can consist of gathering project related information from different sources and using the information to create reports. The reports can include information from more than one source. The information and the reports can be displayed for assessment in a graphical user interface providing access to a set of sub-graphical user interfaces. The displayed information and reports can be analyzed to monitor the progress of the project through the project development process. An end of a phase of the project development process can be determined and, upon the completion of a previous phase, an individual with responsibility for a next phase can be notified by automatically sending a message to the individual, informing the individual that the next phase can begin.

Claims

1. A method for project development within an enterprise, comprising:

gathering project related information from different sources within the enterprise, wherein the sources from which project related information is gathered include a plurality of;

a human resources data system;

a billing system;

a fiscal information system;

a financial time reporting system;

a knowledge/document management system;

a project management information system;

a requirements management system;

a process modeling tool; and

a tactical project planning and management tool;

using the gathered information to create a plurality of reports, at least one of the reports including a portion of the project related information from a first source and a portion of the project related information from a second source;

displaying, in a graphical user interface providing access to a plurality of sub-graphical user interfaces, the gathered information and the reports for assessment;

analyzing the displayed information and reports to monitor the progress of the project through the project development process;

determining an end of a phase of the project development process wherein the phase comprises a segment of the project development process that includes multiple tasks that are grouped together as related functional processes;

notifying at least one individual with responsibility for a next phase of the project development process, upon the completion of the previous phase within the project development process, by automatically sending a message to the at least one of the individuals with responsibility for the next phase in the project development process, the message informing the at least one individual that the next phase can begin;

automatically determining a start date and an end date for the next phase in the project development process; and

automatically updating a schedule of the project development process with the start date and the end date for the next phase.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the reports include one or more reports selected from a group of reports consisting of:

the actual costs of a project;

the actual time spent on a project; and

quality metrics related to the actual costs and time of a project compared to the estimated costs and time.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the reports include all of:

the actual costs of a project;

the actual time spent on a project; and

quality metrics related to the actual costs and time of a project compared to the estimated costs and time.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein further steps in the monitoring of the progress of the project are performed through interaction with a graphical user interface and include one or more steps selected from a group of steps consisting of:

approving the concept to move from one phase of the project development process to the next phase;

providing an estimate of the cost of a change to the scope of a project;

viewing the status of a project;

viewing a timeline of the work done on a project;

viewing a timeline of the work remaining on a project;

viewing the human resources assigned to a project;

viewing the large-scale initiatives to which the project is related;

automatically updating a schedule when project-related events occur; and

calculating a score reflecting the worthiness of a project-related concept.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein further steps in the monitoring of the progress of the project are performed through interaction with a graphical user interface and include all of:

approving the concept to move from one phase of the project development process to the next phase;

providing an estimate of the cost of a change to the scope of a project;

viewing the status of a project;

viewing a timeline of the work done on a project;

viewing a timeline of the work remaining on a project;

viewing the human resources assigned to a project;

viewing the large-scale initiatives to which the project is related;

automatically updating a schedule when project-related events occur; and

calculating a score reflecting the worthiness of a project-related concept.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the start date and the end date for the next phase in the project development process is determined based at least in part on typical lengths of time for transitions to occur.

2. A method for project development within an enterprise, comprising:

gathering project related information from different sources within the enterprise, wherein the sources from which project related information is gathered include all of;

a human resources data system;

a billing system;

a fiscal information system;

a financial time reporting system;

a knowledge/document management system;

a project management information system;

a requirements management system;

a process modeling tool; and

a tactical project planning and management tool;

using the gathered information to create a plurality of reports, at least one of the reports including a portion of the project related information from a first source and a portion of the project related information from a second source;

displaying, in a graphical user interface providing access to a plurality of sub-graphical user interfaces, the gathered information and the reports for assessment;

analyzing the displayed information and reports to monitor the progress of the project through the project development process;

determining an end of a phase of the project development process wherein the phase comprises a segment of the project development process that includes multiple tasks that are grouped together as related functional processes;

notifying at least one individual with responsibility for a next phase of the project development process, upon the completion of the previous phase within the project development process, by automatically sending a message to the at least one of the individuals with responsibility for the next phase in the project development process, the message informing the at least one individual that the next phase can begin;

automatically determining a start date and an end date for the next phase in the project development process; and

automatically updating a schedule of the project development process with the start date and the end date for the next phase.

7. A method for managing a project development process comprising:

characterizing the type of work to be done within a project;

categorizing the type of work based on the characterization;

routing the work to an appropriate organization based on the categorization;

displaying steps in the project development process in a set of computer-based graphical user interfaces all of which can be accessed, via one or more electronic links, from a single graphical user interface;

performing actions in the project development process through interactions with the graphical user interfaces;

upon the completion of a phase within the project development process, automatically sending a message to at least one individual with responsibility for the next phase in the project development process informing the at least one individual that the next phase can begin, wherein the phase comprises a segment of the project development process that includes multiple tasks that are grouped together as related functional processes;

automatically determining a start date and an end date for the next phase in the project development process; and

automatically updating a schedule of the project development process with the start date and the end date for the next phase.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the actions include one or more actions selected from a group of actions comprising:

approving the concept to move from one phase of the project development process to the next phase;

providing an estimate of the cost of a change to the scope of a project;

viewing the status of a project;

viewing a timeline of the work done on a project;

viewing a timeline of the work remaining on a project;

viewing the human resources assigned to a project;

viewing the large-scale initiatives to which the project is related;

calculating a score reflecting the worthiness of a project-related concept;

creating reports related to the project development process; and

viewing the reports.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

upon the completion of a phase within the project development process, automatically sending a message to at least one individual with responsibility for the next phase in the project development process informing the individual that the next phase can begin; and

automatically updating a schedule when project-related events occur.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the actions comprise all of:

approving the concept to move from one phase of the project development process to the next phase;

providing an estimate of the cost of a change to the scope of a project;

viewing the status of a project;

viewing a timeline of the work done on a project;

viewing a timeline of the work remaining on a project;

viewing the human resources assigned to a project;

viewing the large-scale initiatives to which the project is related;

calculating a score reflecting the worthiness of a project-related concept;

creating reports related to the project development process; and

viewing the reports.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

upon the completion of a phase within the project development process, automatically sending a message to at least one individual with responsibility for the next phase in the project development process informing the individual that the next phase can begin; and

automatically updating a schedule when project-related events occur.

18. The method of claim 7 wherein the start date and the end date for the next phase in the project development process is determined based at least in part on typical lengths of time for transitions to occur.

12. A system for managing a project development process comprising:

a set of computer-based graphical user interfaces all of which can be accessed, via one or more electronic links, from a single graphical user interface, each of which displays project-related information and each of which allows actions in the management of the progress of a project to be performed through interaction with the graphical user interfaces, wherein upon the completion of a phase within the project development process, an action in the management of the progress of the project automatically sends a message to at least one individual with responsibility for the next phase in the project development process informing the at least one individual that the next phase can begin, a second action in the management of the progress of the project automatically determines a start date and an end date for the next phase in the project development process, and a third action in the management of the progress of the project automatically updates a schedule of the project development process with the start date and the end date for the next phase, wherein the phase comprises a segment of the project development process that includes multiple tasks that are grouped together as related functional processes.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the actions include one or more actions selected from a group of actions consisting of:

approving the concept to move from one phase of the project development process to the next phase;

providing an estimate of the cost of a change to the scope of a project;

viewing the status of a project;

viewing a timeline of the work done on a project;

viewing a timeline of the work remaining on a project;

viewing the human resources assigned to a project;

viewing the large-scale initiatives to which the project is related;

calculating a score reflecting the worthiness of a project-related concept;

creating reports related to the project development process; and

viewing the reports.

14. The system of claim 13 further comprising:

upon the completion of a phase within the project development process, automatically sending a message to at least one individual with responsibility for the next phase in the project development process informing the individual that the next phase can begin; and

automatically updating a schedule when project-related events occur.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein the actions include each action of a group of actions consisting of:

approving the concept to move from one phase of the project development process to the next phase;

providing an estimate of the cost of a change to the scope of a project;

viewing the status of a project;

viewing a timeline of the work done on a project;

viewing a timeline of the work remaining on a project;

viewing the human resources assigned to a project;

viewing the large-scale initiatives to which the project is related;

calculating a score reflecting the worthiness of a project-related concept;

creating reports related to the project development process; and

viewing the reports.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprising:

upon the completion of a phase within the project development process, automatically sending a message to at least one individual with responsibility for the next phase in the project development process informing the individual that the next phase can begin; and

automatically updating a schedule when project-related events occur.

19. The system of claim 12 wherein the start date and the end date for the next phase in the project development process is determined based at least in part on typical lengths of time for transitions to occur.