Waste determinants identification and elimination process model within a software factory operating environment

• US 8,332,807 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2007
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Finlayson, Ronald D., Mitsumori, Naomi M., Reddington, Francis X.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kang, Insun
• Application Number:
  US11/836,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20090043622A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,950 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/101
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06312 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 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations

Abstract

Within the context of a software factory, process sensors detect time consuming activities that extend beyond an estimated predetermined completion timeline for a project. These process sensors also detect wait states that are caused by processes and activities of tasks that are not critical to completing the project. A process analysis is used to determine if defined added value processes and activities identified in a value stream analysis are interdependent to a critical path for executing the project. If the defined added value processes and activities identified in the value stream analysis are determined to not be interdependent to the critical path for executing the project, then a determination is made that performance of the defined added value processes and activities identified in the value stream analysis is wasteful and such processes and activities are eliminated from the process.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for identifying and eliminating wasteful activities in a deliverable software that is generated by a software factory to execute a project, the computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, at the software factory, a work packet in the software factory, wherein the software factory comprises;

a software factory governance section that evaluates a project proposal for acceptance by the software factory,

a design center composed of a requirements analysis team and an architecture team, wherein the design center sections the project proposal into major functional areas that are to be handled by the requirements analysis team and the architecture team, and wherein the design center creates work packets, and

an assembly line that receives and executes the work packets to create a deliverable software;

evaluating process sensors in the deliverable software that is generated in the software factory, wherein the process sensors detect time consuming activities that extend beyond an estimated predetermined completion timeline for a project, and wherein the process sensors also detect wait states that are caused by processes and activities of tasks that are not critical to a successful completion of essential tasks necessary to complete requirements fulfillment and successful exit criteria of an agreed work contract for the project;

determining, via a process analysis, if defined added value processes and activities identified in a value stream analysis are interdependent to a critical path for executing the project;

in response to determining that the defined added value processes and activities identified in the value stream analysis are not interdependent to the critical path for executing the project, determining that performance of the defined added value processes and activities identified in the value stream analysis is wasteful; and

eliminating, from the project, the defined added value processes and activities identified in the value stream analysis that have been determined to be wasteful.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a description of software needs from a customer;

creating, in the software factory, a project proposal that meets performance criteria found in the description of software needs;

inducting the project proposal into the software factory, wherein inducting the project proposal initially evaluates the project proposal'"'"'s compatibility with a capacity of the software factory;

parsing the project proposal into major functional areas;

retrieving work packets that are appropriate for the project proposal, wherein the work packets include pre-stored, reusable, self-contained, discrete units of software code;

assembling the work packets into the deliverable software;

testing the deliverable software; and

delivering the deliverable software to the customer.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the assembly line further comprises:

a published set of services and a published set of requirements for the assembly line, wherein the published set of services and the published set of requirements for the assembly line are published to the design center, and wherein the published set of services describes what assembly services for assembling work packets are offered by the assembly line, and wherein the published set of requirements describes what execution environment must be used by work packets that are provided by the design center for assembly in the assembly line.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the work packets include governance procedures, standards, reused assets, work packet instructions, integration strategy, schedules, exit criteria and artifact checklist templates for Input/Output routines.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the assembly line includes software that automatically recognizes a project type for the project proposal, and wherein the assembly line assembles the work packets into the deliverable software in accordance with the project type that is recognized by the assembly line.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the assembly line conducts an integration test, a system test, a system integration test and a performance test of the deliverable software, wherein the integration test tests the deliverable software for compatibility with a client'"'"'s system, the system test checks the client'"'"'s system to ensure that the client'"'"'s system is operating properly, the system integration test tests for bugs that may arise when the deliverable software is integrated into the client'"'"'s system, and the performance test tests the deliverable software for defects as it is executing in the client'"'"'s system.

7. A system comprising:

a processor;

a data bus coupled to the processor;

a memory coupled to the data bus; and

a computer-usable medium embodying computer program code, the computer program code comprising instructions executable by the processor and configured for identifying and eliminating wasteful activities in a deliverable software that is generated by a software factory by causing the system to;

receive, at the software factory, a work packet in the software factory, wherein the software factory comprises;

a software factory governance section that evaluates a project proposal for acceptance by the software factory,

a design center composed of a requirements analysis team and an architecture team, wherein the design center sections the project proposal into major functional areas that are to be handled by the requirements analysis team and the architecture team, and wherein the design center creates work packets, and

an assembly line that receives and executes the work packets to create the deliverable software;

evaluate process sensors in a deliverable software that is generated in the software factory, wherein the process sensors detect time consuming activities that extend beyond an estimated predetermined completion timeline for a project, and wherein the process sensors also detect wait states that are caused by processes and activities of tasks that are not critical to a successful completion of essential tasks necessary to complete requirements fulfillment and successful exit criteria of an agreed work contract for the project;

determine, via a process analysis, if defined added value processes and activities identified in a value stream analysis are interdependent to a critical path for executing the project;

in response to determining that the defined added value processes and activities identified in the value stream analysis are not interdependent to the critical path for executing the project, determine that performance of the defined added value processes and activities identified in the value stream analysis is wasteful; and

eliminate, from the project, the defined added value processes and activities identified in the value stream analysis that have been determined to be wasteful.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the instructions further comprise executable instructions that cause the system to:

receive a description of software needs from a customer;

create, in the software factory, a project proposal that meets performance criteria found in the description of software needs;

induct the project proposal into the software factory, wherein inducting the project proposal initially evaluates the project proposal'"'"'s compatibility with a capacity of the software factory;

parse the project proposal into major functional areas;

retrieve work packets that are appropriate for the project proposal, wherein the work packets include pre-stored, reusable, self-contained, discrete units of software code;

assemble the work packets into a deliverable software;

test the deliverable software; and

deliver the deliverable software to the customer.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the design center further comprises:

a requirements analysis team, wherein the requirements analysis team is responsible for determining system requirements for executing the deliverable software on a customer'"'"'s system; and

an architectural team, wherein the architectural team models the project proposal in accordance with customer constraints, and wherein the architectural team bundles the customer constraints together with the work packets for execution in the assembly line.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the work packets include governance procedures, standards, reused assets, work packet instructions, integration strategy, schedules, exit criteria and artifact checklist templates for Input/Output routines.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the assembly line includes software that automatically recognizes a project type for the project proposal, and wherein the assembly line assembles the work packets into the deliverable software in accordance with the project type that is recognized by the assembly line.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the assembly line conducts an integration test, a system test, a system integration test and a performance test of the deliverable software, wherein the integration test tests the deliverable software for compatibility with a client'"'"'s system, the system test checks the client'"'"'s system to ensure that the client'"'"'s system is operating properly, the system integration test tests for bugs that may arise when the deliverable software is integrated into the client'"'"'s system, and the performance test tests the deliverable software for defects as it is executing in the client'"'"'s system.

13. A non-transitory tangible signal bearing medium encoded with a computer program, the computer program comprising computer executable instructions configured for:

receiving, at the software factory, a work packet in the software factory, wherein the software factory comprises;

a software factory governance section that evaluates a project proposal for acceptance by the software factory,

a design center composed of a requirements analysis team and an architecture team, wherein the design center sections the project proposal into major functional areas that are to be handled by the requirements analysis team and the architecture team, and wherein the design center creates work packets, and

an assembly line that receives and executes the work packets to create the deliverable software;

evaluating process sensors in a deliverable software that is generated in the software factory, wherein the process sensors detect time consuming activities that extend beyond an estimated predetermined completion timeline for a project, and wherein the process sensors also detect wait states that are caused by processes and activities of tasks that are not critical to a successful completion of essential tasks necessary to complete requirements fulfillment and successful exit criteria of an agreed work contract for the project;

determining, via a process analysis, if defined added value processes and activities identified in a value stream analysis are interdependent to a critical path for executing the project;

in response to determining that the defined added value processes and activities identified in the value stream analysis are not interdependent to the critical path for executing the project, determining that performance of the defined added value processes and activities identified in the value stream analysis is wasteful; and

eliminating, from the project, the defined added value processes and activities identified in the value stream analysis that have been determined to be wasteful.

14. The non-transitory tangible signal bearing medium of claim 13, wherein the computer executable instructions further comprise executable instructions for:

receiving a description of software needs from a customer;

creating, in the software factory, a project proposal that meets performance criteria found in the description of software needs;

inducting the project proposal into the software factory, wherein inducting the project proposal initially evaluates the project proposal'"'"'s compatibility with a capacity of the software factory;

parsing the project proposal into major functional areas;

retrieving work packets that are appropriate for the project proposal, wherein the work packets include pre-stored, reusable, self-contained, discrete units of software code;

assembling the work packets into a deliverable software;

testing the deliverable software; and

delivering the deliverable software to the customer.

15. The non-transitory tangible signal bearing medium of claim 14, wherein the design center further comprises:

a requirements analysis team, wherein the requirements analysis team is responsible for determining system requirements for executing the deliverable software on the customer'"'"'s system; and

an architectural team, wherein the architectural team models the project proposal in accordance with customer constraints, and wherein the architectural team bundles the customer constraints together with the work packets for execution in the assembly line.

16. The non-transitory tangible signal bearing medium of claim 15, wherein the work packets include governance procedures, standards, reused assets, work packet instructions, integration strategy, schedules, exit criteria and artifact checklist templates for Input/Output routines.

17. The non-transitory tangible signal bearing medium of claim 14, wherein the assembly line includes software that automatically recognizes a project type for the project proposal, and wherein the assembly line assembles the work packets into the deliverable software in accordance with the project type that is recognized by the assembly line.

18. The non-transitory tangible signal bearing medium of claim 14, wherein the assembly line conducts an integration test, a system test, a system integration test and a performance test of the deliverable software, wherein the integration test tests the deliverable software for compatibility with a client'"'"'s system, the system test checks the client'"'"'s system to ensure that the client'"'"'s system is operating properly, the system integration test tests for bugs that may arise when the deliverable software is integrated into the client'"'"'s system, and the performance test tests the deliverable software for defects as it is executing in the client'"'"'s system.

19. The non-transitory tangible signal bearing medium of claim 13, wherein the computer-usable medium is a component of a remote server, and wherein the computer executable instructions are deployable to a supervisory computer from the remote server.

20. The non-transitory tangible signal bearing medium of claim 13, wherein the computer executable instructions are capable of being provided by a service provider to a customer on an on-demand basis.