Work packet enabled active project management schedule

• US 8,671,007 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2013
• Issued: 03/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chaar, Jarir K., Huchel, Joseph P., Jobson, Thomas A. Jr., Oppenheim, Daniel V., Ratakonda, Krishna C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunham, Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): MISIASZEK, AMBER ALTSCHUL
• Application Number:
  US13/785,780
• Publication Number:
  US 20130185693A1
• Time in Patent Office: 371 Days
• Field of Search: 705 711- 742
• US Class Current: 705/7.12
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/70 Software maintenance or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 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: Y02P 90/80 Management or planning

Abstract

A method for managing projects in a software factory is presented. A project management tool includes an end-to-end project plan for a project to create a software product by using a software factory in a global delivery network. A status block is appended to a work packet that is utilized when executing the project. After initiating the project, an alert is automatically triggered whenever the execution status of the work packet changes. The alert is transmitted to the project management tool to update a project schedule for the project, such that a completion status of the end-to-end project plan reflects a status of a project schedule for the project described by the end-to-end project plan.

Claims

1. A method of managing projects in a software factory, the method comprising:

launching, by one or more processors, a project management tool, wherein the project management tool comprises an end-to-end project plan for at least one project, and wherein said at least one project creates at least one software product by utilizing at least one software factory in a global delivery network;

appending, by one or more processors, a status block to a work packet that is utilized when executing said at least one project within said at least one software factory, wherein the work packet is a self-contained work unit that is assembled within said at least one software factory, wherein each work packet constitutes a contractual agreement that governs a relationship among a design center, a software factory governance board, a software factory operations unit, and an assembly line in the software factory, wherein the design center breaks a software project into major functional areas, wherein the software factory governance board determines whether or not to allow the software factory to accept the software project, wherein the software factory operations unit dispatches the software project to the assembly line, and wherein the assembly line receives and executes work packets that are specified by the design center to create a customized deliverable unit of software;

initiating, by one or more processors, execution of said at least one project within said at least one software factory;

automatically triggering, by one or more processors, an alert from said at least one software factory whenever an execution status of the work packet changes; and

transmitting, by one or more processors, the alert to the project management tool to update a completion status and project schedule for said at least one project, wherein the completion status of the end-to-end project plan reflects a status of the project schedule for a project described by the end-to-end project plan.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the work packet further comprises a header, wherein the header comprises a unique identification number, a description of the work packet, a type description of the work packet, and an identifier of a parent object from which the work packet has inheritance, and wherein the work packet includes governance procedures, standards, reused assets, work packet instructions, an integration strategy, schedules, exit criteria and artifact checklist templates for Input/Output routines, wherein the exit criteria is a checklist for returning the work packet and the customized deliverable unit of software to the software factory, and wherein the status block defines an execution status of the work packet.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the status of the project schedule is a wait status, wherein the wait status indicates that the work packet is waiting for a prerequisite event to occur before executing the work packet.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the status of the project schedule is an executing status, wherein the executing status indicates that the work packet is being executed.