Enterprise project management system and method therefor

• US 8,306,841 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2005
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 4Sight Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: 4Sight Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Clarke, Herman J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Singh, Gurkanwaljit
• Application Number:
  US11/267,698
• Publication Number:
  US 20060053043A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,559 Days
• Field of Search: 705/8
• US Class Current: 705/7.23
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063118 Staff planning in a project environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06313 Resource planning in a project environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06314 Calendaring for a resource
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1097 Task assignment
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 Management or planning

Abstract

A project management system uses a work breakdown structure to define the project tasks. The work breakdown structure is organized as set of hierarchical related project tasks. The work breakdown structure can be loaded in part from a template. A calendar breakdown structure defines events associated with project resources. The calendar breakdown structure is defined on departmental basis. A resource breakdown structure defines available resources. The resource breakdown structure includes personnel and tools. The allocation of available resources to the project tasks is optimized within the constraints of the work breakdown structure and calendar breakdown structure. A histogram of project demand versus available resources is generated. The histogram of project demand versus available resources is used to optimize resource allocation.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of project management, comprising:

retrieving project tasks from a database using a distributed computer network, each project task having a cost center, account number, job identification (ID), description, type, work duration, start time, and priority, each project task describing an activity to be performed by available resources, the available resources including personnel, equipment, parts and tools;

displaying the project tasks using a user interface, the user interface allowing a user to create a work breakdown structure of dependencies between the project tasks by defining dependency chains between related project tasks and wherein the work breakdown structure is organized as a set of hierarchical related project tasks using the user interface;

providing a resource breakdown structure of the available resources, the resource breakdown structure being stored in the database and describing the personnel, equipment, parts and tools, each personnel entry in the resource breakdown structure describing a cost center, account number, resource type, ID, description and skill number;

providing a calendar breakdown structure of availability of the resources;

optimizing allocation of the resources to the project tasks within constraints of the resources in accordance with the work breakdown structure and calendar breakdown structure using an earned value of each of the personnel, equipment, parts and tools of the resource breakdown structure to correlate an efficiency of each of the available resources, the earned value of the personnel being dependent upon the skill number of the personnel;

scheduling the resources to complete the project tasks by;

sorting the project tasks by priority in accordance with any defined dependency chains, and

allocating resources to each of the project tasks in accordance with the earned value of each of the personnel, equipment, parts and tools of the resource breakdown structure; and

displaying a resource schedule using the user interface for assignment of tasks to one or more resources by the user.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the step of optimizing allocation of available resources involves creation of a matrix for each resource defining tasks to be completed by the respective resource over time.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2, further including combining the matrices of each resource into a composite resource matrix.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 3, further including scheduling the project tasks based on the composite resource matrix.

5. A method of managing project execution, comprising:

retrieving task objects from a database stored on a computer, each task object being configurable to describe an activity to be performed by available resources, the available resources including personnel, equipment, parts and tools;

displaying the task objects using a user interface, the user interface allowing a user to create a set of hierarchical related task objects by defining dependency chains between related task objects;

generating a plurality of calendars for project resources;

identifying a set of resources for performing the task objects, the set of resources being retrieved from the database and describing personnel, equipment, parts and tools, each personnel entry in the resource breakdown structure identifying a skill number;

allocating the set of resources to perform the task objects using an earned value of each of the personnel, equipment, parts and tools of the set of resources to correlate an efficiency of each of the resources, the earned value of the personnel being dependent upon the skill number of the personnel;

optimizing the resource allocation to the task objects; and

displaying an optimized resource allocation using the user interface for assignment of task objects to available resources.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of optimizing the resource allocation involves creation of a matrix for each resource defining tasks to be completed by the respective resource over time.

7. The method of claim 6, further including combining the matrices of each resource into a composite resource matrix.

8. The method of claim 7, further including scheduling the project tasks based on the composite resource matrix.

9. The method of claim 5, further including loading the task objects from a template.

10. A computer system, comprising:

means for retrieving project tasks from a database stored on a computer, each project task describing an activity to be performed by available resources;

means for displaying the project tasks, the means for displaying allowing a user to create a work breakdown structure of dependencies between project tasks;

means for providing a resource breakdown structure of available resources;

means for providing a calendar breakdown structure of availability of the resources;

means for optimizing allocation of the resources to the project tasks within constraints of the resources in accordance with the work breakdown structure and calendar breakdown structure using an earned value of each of the available resources of the resource breakdown structure to correlate an efficiency of each of the available resources;

means for scheduling the resources to complete the project tasks; and

means for displaying a resource schedule for assignment of tasks to one or more resources by the user.

11. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the means for optimizing allocation of available resources is configured to create a matrix for each resource defining tasks to be completed by the respective resource over time.

12. The computer system of claim 11, further including means for combining the matrices of each resource into a composite resource matrix.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the project tasks are scheduled based on the composite resource matrix.

14. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the work breakdown structure is organized as a set of hierarchical related project tasks.

15. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the resource breakdown structure includes personnel, tools and parts.

16. A computer program product, comprising computer executable instructions, which, when executed by a processor of a computer, cause the computer to:

retrieve project tasks from a database stored on a computer, each project task describing an activity to be performed by available resources;

display the project tasks using a user interface, the user interface allowing a user to create a work breakdown structure of dependencies between project tasks;

provide a resource breakdown structure of available resources;

provide a calendar breakdown structure of availability of the resources;

optimize allocation of the resources to the project tasks within constraints of the resources in accordance with the work breakdown structure and calendar breakdown structure using an earned value of each of the available resources of the resource breakdown structure to correlate an efficiency of each of the available resources;

schedule the resources to complete the project tasks; and

display a resource schedule using the user interface for assignment of tasks to one or more resources by the user.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the optimizing allocation of available resources involves creation of a matrix for each resource defining tasks to be completed by the respective resource over time.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, further including executable instructions or software, which, when executed by a processor of a computer, cause the computer to combines the matrices of each resource into a composite resource matrix.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the project tasks are scheduled based on the composite resource matrix.