Critical parameter/requirements management process and environment

• US 8,326,870 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2011
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Rizzolo, Charles D., Stokes, Ronald E., LaVallee, Louis F., Gardiner, Charles M., Smith, William R., Cupo, Kathy, Pagano, Richard S., Cornell, Joel S., Mandel, Barry P., Simpson, Ralph E., Potter, John T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ruiz, Angelica
• Application Number:
  US13/008,705
• Publication Number:
  US 20110112886A1
• Time in Patent Office: 686 Days
• Field of Search: 707600-831, 707/899, 707999001-999206
• US Class Current: 707/781
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0635 Risk analysis of enterprise or organisation activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products

Abstract

A critical parameter/requirements management process model for managing a development program for a product and an associated product structure-driven critical parameter/requirements management tool and environment is provided. In one embodiment, the process includes a product structure classification scheme, a parameter/requirements classification scheme, a parameter/requirements process and maturity model, and in-process and requirements conformance views. In one embodiment, the tool includes a user interface layer, a business layer, a data layer, and a database. The user interface layer may include a product structure feature group, an add/edit/link feature group, a manage maturity feature group, and a manage conformance feature group. The tool may be implemented as a web server accessible to user workstations operating as thin clients. The tool may be integrated with one or more other product development tools, such as a document-driven requirements management, configuration management, manufacturing/production control system, problem management, and phased product delivery process tools.

Claims

1. A method of managing a development program or a product, including:

a) designating a product-level user with rights to access and manage a hierarchical product structure of product objects that define at least one configuration of the product;

b) building and managing the product objects of the hierarchical product structure;

c) associating a first group of attributes with each product object to facilitate display of views of the hierarchical product structure or portions thereof arranged by one or more of product structure, product object, attribute, and attribute group;

d) designating one or more object-level users, wherein each object-level user is granted rights to access and manage one or more product objects and corresponding subordinate levels in the hierarchical product structure; and

e) defining the rights to access and manage the one or more product objects of the hierarchical product structure such that the rights to access and manage each product object are individually defined for each object-level user and each attribute associated with the corresponding product object with respect to the object-level user'"'"'s access to the attribute and the ability of the object-level user to manage the attribute;

wherein the product objects include one or more virtual integration objects and a plurality of material objects;

the method further including;

f) adding rights to access and manage a virtual integration object structure comprised of the one or more virtual integration objects and associated with the at least one configuration of the product to the product-level user'"'"'s rights defined in a).

2. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein the product structure-driven requirements management tool is integrated with a configuration management tool such that the configuration management tool is used as a master source to build and manage the hierarchical product structure.

3. The method set forth in claim 2 wherein the hierarchical product structure accessed via the product structure-driven requirements management tool is based on the hierarchical product structure built and managed via the configuration management tool.

4. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein the product structure-driven requirements management tool is implemented via a networked computer architecture.

5. The method set forth in claim 4 wherein the networked computer architecture includes one or more servers and one or more user workstations and the product structure-driven requirements management tool is operable from the one or more user workstations via a user interface.

6. The method set forth in claim 5 wherein the one or more servers include a web server, wherein the product structure-driven requirements management tool includes a web application installed on the web server, and wherein each user workstation is a thin client to the web application.

7. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein the individually-defined rights to access and manage one or more attributes of product objects facilitates optimal alignment of parameters and requirements for product objects to corresponding value chain roles and responsibilities for the development program.

8. The method set forth in claim 1, further including:

f) selecting and tagging one or more groups of one or more related product objects of the product structure to define corresponding requirement interface boundaries and create corresponding partitioned elements of the product structure, wherein each partitioned element is comprised of a group of the one or more groups of one or more related product objects.

9. The method set forth in claim 8, further including:

g) associating a second group of attributes with each partitioned element to facilitate display of views of the product structure or portions thereof arranged by partitioned element in addition to the views identified in c);

h) designating one or more object-level users, wherein each product object-level user is granted rights to access and manage one or more partitioned elements and the corresponding one or more related product objects; and

i) defining the rights to access and manage the one or more partitioned elements such that the rights to access and manage each partitioned element is individually defined for each object-level user and each attribute associated with the corresponding partitioned element with respect to the object-level user'"'"'s access to the attribute and the ability of the object-level user to manage the attribute.

10. The method set forth in claim 8 wherein the partitioned element facilitates development of the one or more related product objects as a higher level object and integration of the higher level object with other product objects of the product structure.

11. The method set forth in claim 1, further including:

g) building and managing the virtual integration object structure by associating multiple material objects with each virtual integration object, wherein the multiple material objects together are expected to achieve one or more related requirements associated with the corresponding virtual integration object.

12. The method set forth in claim 11, further including:

h) associating a second group of attributes with each virtual integration object to facilitate display of views of the virtual integration object structure or portions thereof arranged by virtual integration object in addition to the views identified in c);

i) designating one or more object-level users, wherein each object-level user is granted rights to access and manage one or more virtual integration objects and the corresponding associated material objects; and

j) defining the rights to access and manage the one or more virtual integration objects such that the rights to access and manage each virtual integration object is individually defined for each object-level user and each attribute associated with the corresponding virtual integration object with respect to the object-level user'"'"'s access to the attribute and the ability of the object-level user to manage the attribute.

13. The method set forth in claim 11 wherein each virtual integration object facilitates management of the corresponding one or more related requirements by a systems engineer or an integrator associated with the development program.

14. The method set forth in claim 1, further including:

f) selecting and tagging one or more groups of one or more related product objects of the product structure to define corresponding requirement interface boundaries and create corresponding platform elements of the product structure, wherein each platform element is comprised of a group of the one or more groups of one or more related product objects.

15. The method set forth in claim 14, further including:

g) associating a second group of attributes with each platform element to facilitate display of views of the product structure or portions thereof arranged by platform element in addition to the views identified in c), h) designating one or more object-level users, wherein each object-level user is granted rights to access and manage one or more platform elements and corresponding one or more related product objects; and

i) defining the rights to access and manage the one or more platform elements such that the rights to access and manage each platform element is individually defined for each object-level user and each attribute associated with the corresponding platform element with respect to the object-level user'"'"'s access to the attribute and the ability of the object-level user to manage the attribute.

16. The method set forth in claim 14 wherein the platform element facilitates reuse of the one or more related product objects in another configuration of the product or in another product.

17. A method of managing a development program for a product, including:

a) designating a product-level user with rights to access and manage a hierarchical product structure of product objects that define at least one configuration of the product;

b) building and managing the product objects of the hierarchical product structure;

c) associating a first group of attributes with each product object to facilitate display of views of the product structure or portions thereof arranged by one or more of product structure, product object, attribute, and attribute group;

d) designating one or more object-level users, wherein each object-level user is granted rights to access and manage one or more product objects and corresponding subordinate levels in the hierarchical product structure;

e) defining the rights to access and manage the one or more product objects such that the rights to access and manage each product object are individually defined for each object-level user and each attribute associated with the corresponding product object with respect to the object-level user'"'"'s access to the attribute and the ability of the object-level user to manage the attribute;

f) adding rights to access and manage a virtual integration object structure comprised of the one or more virtual integration objects and associated with the at least one configuration of the product to the product-level user'"'"'s rights defined in a), wherein the product objects include one or more virtual integration objects and a plurality of material objects; and

g) building and managing the virtual integration object structure by associating multiple material objects with each virtual integration object, wherein the multiple material objects together are expected to achieve one or more related requirements associated with the corresponding virtual integration object.

18. The method set forth in claim 17, further including:

h) associating a second group of attributes with each virtual integration object to facilitate display of views of the virtual integration object structure or portions thereof arranged by virtual integration object in addition to the views identified in c);

i) designating one or more object-level users, wherein each object-level user is granted rights to access and manage one or more virtual integration objects and the corresponding associated material objects; and

j) defining the rights to access and manage the one or more virtual integration objects such that the rights to access and manage each virtual integration object is individually defined for each object-level user and each attribute associated with the corresponding virtual integration object with respect to the object-level user'"'"'s access to the attribute and the ability of the object-level user to manage the attribute.

19. The method set forth in claim 17 wherein each virtual integration object facilitates management of the corresponding one or more related requirements by a systems engineer or an integrator associated with the development program.

20. The method set forth in claim 17 wherein the individually-defined rights to access and manage one or more attributes of product objects facilitates optimal alignment of parameters and requirements for product objects to corresponding value chain roles and responsibilities for the development program.

21. The method set forth in claim 17, further including:

h) selecting and tagging one or more groups of one or more related product objects of the product structure to define corresponding requirement interface boundaries and create corresponding partitioned elements of the product structure, wherein each partitioned element is comprised of a group of the one or more groups of one or more related product objects.

22. A method of managing a development program for a product, including:

a) designating a product-level user with rights to access and manage a hierarchical product structure of product objects that define at least one configuration of the product;

b) building and managing the product objects of the hierarchical product structure;

c) associating a first group of attributes with each product object to facilitate display of views of the product structure or portions thereof arranged by one or more of product structure, product object, attribute, and attribute group;

d) designating one or more object-level users, wherein each object-level user is granted rights to access and manage one or more product objects and corresponding subordinate levels in the hierarchical product structure;

e) defining the rights to access and manage the one or more product objects such that the rights to access and manage each product object are individually defined for each object-level user and each attribute associated with the corresponding product object with respect to the object-level user'"'"'s access to the attribute and the ability of the object-level user to manage the attribute;

f) selecting and tagging one or more groups of one or more related product objects of the product structure to define corresponding requirement interface boundaries and create corresponding platform elements of the product structure, wherein each platform element is comprised of a group of the one or more groups of one or more related product objects;

g) associating a second group of attributes with each platform element to facilitate display of views of the product structure or portions thereof arranged by platform element in addition to the views identified in c),

h) designating one or more object-level users, wherein each object-level user is granted rights to access and manage one or more platform elements and corresponding one or more related product objects; and

i) defining the rights to access and manage the one or more platform elements such that the rights to access and manage each platform element is individually defined for each object-level user and each attribute associated with the corresponding platform element with respect to the object-level user'"'"'s access to the attribute and the ability of the object-level user to manage the attribute.

23. The method set forth in claim 22 wherein the platform element facilitates reuse of the one or more related product objects in another configuration of the product or in another product.

24. The method set forth in claim 22 wherein the individually-defined rights to access and manage one or more attributes of product objects facilitates optimal alignment of parameters and requirements for product objects to corresponding value chain roles and responsibilities for the development program.