Transition phase trouble detection in services delivery management

• US 8,694,354 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2010
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bagheri, Saeed, Ratakonda, Krishna C., Williams, Rose M., Bunch, Douglas C., Ell, Theresa E., Reffett, Katrina M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pats, Justin M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Goldberg, Ivan R
• Application Number:
  US12/955,475
• Publication Number:
  US 20120136694A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,226 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7.23, 705/301, 705/7.39, 705/7.41, 705/7.28
• US Class Current: 705/7.23
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06313 Resource planning in a project environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0635 Risk analysis of enterprise or organisation activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06393 Score-carding, benchmarking or key performance indicator [KPI] analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06395 Quality analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management

Abstract

A method, system, and/or computer program product predicts trouble during a transition phase of a current project. Past operational data and past trouble data for past healthy projects and past troubled projects before transition phases is collected. A trouble correlation between the past operational data and the past trouble data is then determined. A set of key metrics that describes a current health of a current project before transitioning from a current phase to a future phase is defined, and values of the set of key metrics for the current project are identified. Identified values of the set of key metrics for the current project are compared to the past operational data for past healthy and troubled projects in order to generate a pattern comparison. This pattern comparison, along with the trouble correlation, is used to generate a predicted quality of transition for the current project.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of predicting trouble during a transition phase of a current project, the computer implemented method comprising:

a processor determining a trouble correlation between past operational data and past trouble data, wherein the past operational data is associated with past healthy projects and past troubled projects before transition phases that take a project from a first phase to a second phase, wherein a transition of a current project from the first phase to the second phase makes resources, which were not available during the first phase, available to the current project, and wherein the past trouble data is collected for the past healthy projects and the past troubled projects after the transition phases;

defining a set of key metrics that describe a current health of the current project before the current project'"'"'s transition from the first phase to the second phase, wherein the first phase is a current phase of the current project and the second phase is a future phase of the current project;

the processor identifying values of the set of key metrics for the current project;

the processor comparing identified values of the set of key metrics for the current project to the past operational data for past healthy and troubled projects in order to generate a pattern comparison;

the processor generating a predicted quality of transition for the current project'"'"'s transition from the current phase to the future phase based on the pattern comparison and the trouble correlation, and further according to;

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the predicted quality of transition describes a speed, cost, and level of customer satisfaction for transitioning from the current phase to the second phase of the current project.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the current project is for a specific customer, the computer implemented method further comprising:

adjusting a frequency of generated pattern comparisons based on a past profitability history with the specific customer.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the transition to the second phase in the current project is from a small-scale pilot program to a large-scale program, wherein the large-scale program is larger than the small-scale pilot program, wherein the small-scale pilot program is designed to operate for a predetermined limited length of time before being replaced by the large-scale program, wherein the large-scale program has more activities than the small-scale pilot program, and wherein activities in the small-scale pilot program and the large-scale program overlap.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the activities in the current phase and the second phase of the current project are different and independent.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the current project is a maintenance project.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the past trouble data describes unexpected delays and costs associated with transitioning from the first phase to the second phase of the project.

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

the processor associating a particular service location with transition troubles for the current project; and

the processor determining the trouble correlation between the past operational data and the past trouble data based on an association of the current project with the particular service location.

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

the processor associating a particular type of business with transition troubles for the current project; and

the processor determining the trouble correlation between the past operational data and the past trouble data based on an association of the current project with the particular type of business.

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

the processor associating a particular type of hardware with transition troubles for the current project; and

the processor determining the trouble correlation between the past operational data and the past trouble data based on an association of the current project with the particular type of hardware.

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

the processor associating a particular customer with transition troubles for the current project; and

the processor determining the trouble correlation between the past operational data and the past trouble data based on an association of the current project with the particular customer.

8. A computer program product for predicting trouble during a transition phase of a current project, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage media;

first program instructions to determine a trouble correlation between past operational data and past trouble data, wherein the past operational data is associated with past healthy projects and past troubled projects before transition phases that take a project from a first phase to a second phase, and wherein the past trouble data is collected for the past healthy projects and the past troubled projects after the transition phases;

second program instructions to define a set of key metrics that describe a current health of a current project before a current project'"'"'s transition from the first phase to the second phase, wherein the first phase is a current phase of a current project and the second phase is a future phase of the current project;

third program instructions to identify values of the set of key metrics for the current project;

fourth program instructions to compare identified values of the set of key metrics for the current project to the past operational data for past healthy and troubled projects in order to generate a pattern comparison;

fifth program instructions to generate a predicted quality of transition for the current project'"'"'s transition from the current phase to the future phase based on the pattern comparison and the trouble correlation, and further according to;

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the predicted quality of transition describes a speed, cost, and level of customer satisfaction for transitioning from the current phase to the second phase of the current project.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the current project is for a specific customer, the computer program product further comprising:

seventh program instructions to adjust a frequency of generated pattern comparisons based on a past profitability history with the specific customer; and

wherein the seventh program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the transition to the second phase in the current project is from a small-scale pilot program to a large-scale program, wherein the large-scale program is larger than the small-scale pilot program, wherein the small-scale pilot program is designed to operate for a predetermined limited length of time before being replaced by the large-scale program, wherein the large-scale program has more activities than the small-scale pilot program, and wherein activities in the small-scale pilot program and the large-scale program overlap.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the activities in the current phase and the second phase of the current project are different and independent.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the past trouble data describes unexpected delays and costs associated with transitioning from the first phase to the second phase of the project.

14. A computer system comprising:

a central processing unit (CPU), a computer readable memory, and a computer readable storage media;

first program instructions to determine a trouble correlation between past operational data and past trouble data, wherein the past operational data is associated with past healthy projects and past troubled projects before transition phases that take a project from a first phase to a second phase, and wherein the past trouble data is collected for the past healthy projects and the past troubled projects after the transition phases;

second program instructions to define a set of key metrics that describe a current health of a current project before a current project'"'"'s transition from the first phase to the second phase, wherein the first phase is a current phase of a current project and the second phase is a future phase of the current project;

third program instructions to identify values of the set of key metrics for the current project;

fourth program instructions to compare identified values of the set of key metrics for the current project to the past operational data for past healthy and troubled projects in order to generate a pattern comparison;

fifth program instructions to generate a predicted quality of transition for the current project'"'"'s transition from the current phase to the future phase based on the pattern comparison and the trouble correlation, and further according to;

15. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the predicted quality of transition describes a speed, cost, and level of customer satisfaction for transitioning from the current phase to the second phase of the current project.