System and method for inferring and visualizing correlations of different business aspects for business transformation

• US 8,175,911 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2008
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cao, Rong Zeng, Ding, Wei, Jiang, Shun, Lee, Juhnyoung, Tian, Chun Hua
• Primary Examiner(s): Jasmin, Lynda
• Assistant Examiner(s): Miller, Alan S
• Application Number:
  US12/243,851
• Publication Number:
  US 20100082696A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,315 Days
• Field of Search: 705 711- 728, 705 736- 738, 705/348, 717100-105
• US Class Current: 705/7.36
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• 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 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/067 Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A system and method for inferring and visualizing correlations of different business aspects for business transformation are provided. Business models, for instance, that may include business component model, business process model, value drivers and metrics model, application model, organization model, and solutions model are organized into a model topology data schema, and qualitative relationships and quantitative relationships may be configured among the entities or components of the business models. Correlations are inferred and visualized based on those relationships.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for inferring and visualizing correlations of different business aspects for business transformation, comprising:

loading into memory a plurality of business models, said a plurality of business models including at least business component model, business process model, value drivers and metrics model, application model, organization model, and solutions model;

selecting a model topology, the model topology representing data schema for connecting said a plurality of business models;

configuring one or more qualitative relationships between one or more entities in said business models;

configuring one or more quantitative properties of said one or more entities in said business models based on said configured one or more qualitative relationships;

inferring, by a processor, one or more qualitative correlations from the said qualitative relationships among said one or more entities in said business models, the step of inferring utilizing one or more logical rules;

determining quantitative correlations from said quantitative properties of said one or more entities, said determining utilizing statistics, data mining, mathematical models, simulations, or optimizations, or combinations thereof, said quantitative correlations including distance, intensity determined from a formula that incorporates values of said one or more entities that are correlated, and direction representing forward or backward inferring, said quantitative correlations including coefficient measure between the elements of said entities in said business models, said coefficient measure providing pattern of relationship between the elements of said entities in said business models; and

generating visualization of said qualitative correlations and quantitative correlations.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said model topology includes star topology, loop topology, line topology, or tree topology.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said logical rules include transitivity, ontology, or semantics or combinations thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said logical rules include user defined rules.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said visualization includes color coding said qualitative correlations and quantitative correlations, using different intensities of color to represent said qualitative correlations and quantitative correlations, using different colors to show positive or negative correlations, or using same or different colors to show direction of correlations, or combinations thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of selecting a model topology includes receiving a user selected model topology.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of configuring one or more qualitative relationships includes receiving user mapping of entities in said business models.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of configuring one or more qualitative relationships includes receiving user mappings between entities in a source business model and a target business model.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of configuring one or more qualitative relationships includes receiving user mappings between entities in a source business model and a target business model, wherein the target business model includes the business process model.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of configuring one or more qualitative relationships includes receiving user mappings between entities in a user selected source business model and a target business model.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of configuring one or more qualitative relationships includes receiving user mappings between entities in a user selected source business model and a target business model, the target business model being the business process model.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of inferring includes forward inferring.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of inferring includes backward inferring.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of inferring includes inferring direct and indirect relationships between said one or more entities in said business models.

15. The method of claim 1, further including generating a report based on said qualitative correlations and said quantitative correlations.

16. A method for inferring and visualizing correlations of different business aspects for business transformation, comprising:

providing a computer-implemented module operable to load into memory a plurality of business models, said plurality of business models including at least business component model, business process model, value drivers and metrics model, application model, organization model, and solutions model, the plurality of business models structured using a model topology, the model topology representing data schema for connecting said plurality of business models;

providing a computer-implemented user-interface module operable to configure one or more qualitative relationships between one or more entities in said business models, the user-interface module further operable to configure one or more quantitative properties of said one or more entities in said business models based on said configured one or more qualitative relationships;

providing a computer-implemented inference engine, executing on a processor, operable to infer one or more qualitative correlations from the said qualitative relationships among said one or more entities in said business models, the inference engine utilizing one or more logical rules;

providing a computer-implemented module operable to determine quantitative correlations from said quantitative properties of said one or more entities, utilizing statistics, data mining, mathematical models, simulations, or optimizations, or combinations thereof, said quantitative correlations including distance, intensity determined from a formula that incorporates values of said one or more entities that are correlated, and direction representing forward or backward inferring, said quantitative correlations including coefficient measure between the elements of said entities in said business models, said coefficient measure providing pattern of relationship between the elements of said entities in said business models; and

providing a computer-implemented visualization module operable to generate visualization of said qualitative correlations and quantitative correlations.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the user-interface module allows a user to create, edit, or remove the qualitative relationships.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the inference engine is further operable to infer backwards or forwards or combinations thereof.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the inference engine is further operable to infer indirect relationships.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the logical rules include transitivity, ontology, or semantics or combinations thereof.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the logical rules include user defined rules.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the user-interface module allows a user to select the model topology.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the model topology includes star topology, loop topology, line topology, or tree topology.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein the user-interface module allows a user to map one or more entities in said business models.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein the user-interface module allows a user to map one or more entities between a source business model and a target business model, wherein the target business model includes the business process model.

26. The method of claim 16, wherein the visualization module further generates one or more reports based on the qualitative correlations and quantitative correlations.

27. A system for inferring and visualizing correlations of different business aspects for business transformation, comprising:

a processor;

a memory module operable to store a plurality of business models, said plurality of business models including at least business component model, business process model, value drivers and metrics model, application model, organization model, and solutions model, the plurality of business models structured using a model topology, the model topology representing data schema for connecting said plurality of business models;

a computer-implemented user-interface module operable to configure one or more qualitative relationships between one or more entities in said business models, the user-interface module further operable to configure one or more quantitative properties of said one or more entities in said business models based on said configured one or more qualitative relationships;

a computer-implemented inference engine, executing on the processor, operable to infer one or more qualitative correlations from the said qualitative relationships among said one or more entities in said business models, the inference engine utilizing one or more logical rules;

a computer-implemented module operable to determine quantitative correlations from said quantitative properties of said one or more entities, utilizing statistics, data mining, mathematical models, simulations, or optimizations, or combinations thereof, said quantitative correlations including distance, intensity determined from a formula that incorporates values of said one or more entities that are correlated, and direction representing forward or backward inferring, said quantitative correlations including coefficient measure between the elements of said entities in said business models, said coefficient measure providing pattern of relationship between the elements of said entities in said business models; and

a computer-implemented visualization module operable to generate visualization of said qualitative correlations and quantitative correlations.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the visualization module is further operable to generate one or more reports based on said qualitative correlations and quantitative correlations.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the user-interface module allows a user to map one or more entities between a source business model and a target business model, wherein the target business model includes the business process model.

30. The system of claim 27, wherein the user-interface module allows a user to create, edit, or remove the qualitative relationships.

31. The system of claim 27, wherein the inference engine is further operable to infer backwards or forwards or combinations thereof.

32. The system of claim 27, wherein the inference engine is further operable to infer indirect relationships.

33. The system of claim 27, wherein the logical rules include transitivity, ontology, or semantics, or user defined rules or combinations thereof.

34. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method of inferring and visualizing correlations of different business aspects for business transformation, comprising:

loading into memory a plurality of business models, said plurality of business models including at least business component model, business process model, value drivers and metrics model, application model, organization model, and solutions model;

selecting a model topology, the model topology representing data schema for connecting said a plurality of business models;

configuring one or more qualitative relationships between one or more entities in said business models;

configuring one or more quantitative properties of said one or more entities in said business models based on said configured one or more qualitative relationships;

inferring one or more qualitative correlations from the said qualitative relationships among said one or more entities in said business models, the step of inferring utilizing one or more logical rules;

determining quantitative correlations from said quantitative properties of said one or more entities, said determining utilizing statistics, data mining, mathematical models, simulations, or optimizations, or combinations thereof, said quantitative correlations including distance, intensity determined from a formula that incorporates values of said one or more entities that are correlated, and direction representing forward or backward inferring, said quantitative correlations including coefficient measure between the elements of said entities in said business models, said coefficient measure providing pattern of relationship between the elements of said entities in said business models; and

generating visualization of said qualitative correlations and quantitative correlations.

35. The program storage device of claim 34, wherein the inference engine is further operable to infer backwards or forwards or combinations thereof.