Mechanism for facilitating dynamic management of assets in an on-demand services environment

• US 8,996,588 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2012
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Ko, John Dao-Ming, Bruno, Michael F., Riley, Paul Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): LU, KUEN S
• Application Number:
  US13/552,518
• Publication Number:
  US 20130204906A1
• Time in Patent Office: 986 Days
• Field of Search: 707/803
• US Class Current: 707/803
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation

Abstract

In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for facilitating dynamic management of assets in an on-demand services environment. In one embodiment and by way of example, a method includes receiving, in real-time, a request for performance of one or more tasks relating to management of assets. The management of assets may include management of data relating to the assets, where the assets may include hardware assets or software assets, wherein the request is received at a first computing system. The method may further include performing, in real-time, the one or more tasks. The one or more tasks may include dynamically customizing, according to the request, data relating to the assets.

Claims

1. A database system-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by and incorporating into database system, an input representative of, a customization request for remotely customizing, via a mobile platform associated with the database system, management of one or more assets, wherein the one or more assets include hardware assets or software assets, wherein the input is received, in run-time, at a first computing system and from a second computing system, over a network including a cloud network, wherein the input includes scanned data relating to one or more life cycles of the one or more assets, wherein the scanned data is obtained by real-time scanning, via a mobile scanning application supported by the mobile platform, of one or more barcodes relating to the one or more life cycles of the one or more assets; and

remotely customizing, in real-time, by the database system, the management of the one or more assets, wherein remotely customizing comprises modifying, based on the scanned data, existing management data relating to the one or more assets, wherein the existing management data includes one or more of user preferences relating to adding a new asset to the one or more assets or deleting or updating an existing asset of the one or more assets.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is placed, via a user interface at the second computing device, by a user associated with an organization, wherein the one or more customization tasks are performed to dynamically manage the assets in accordance with the customization request placed by the user such that the assets are specifically managed to be suited to changing needs of the organization.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the customization request includes reference data relating to the one or more assets that are to be remotely managed, wherein the scanned data to assist in performance of the one or more customization tasks and is obtained using one or more scanners coupled with the second computing device,

wherein the one or more life cycles include one or more of a birth-life stage, a mid-life stage, and an end-life stage,

wherein the scanned data relates to one or more of an asset type, an asset manufacturer, an asset programmer, an asset model, an asset weight, an asset dimension, an asset category, an asset price, an asset rent cost, an asset location, and an asset make or expiration date.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the reference data further comprises one or more of lookup data regarding asset objects relating to the one or more assets, manifest data regarding fetching, parsing, and displaying of asset management processes and their fields relating to the one or more assets, wherein the lookup data and manifest data are stored and cached locally at the second computing device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

authenticating, by the database system, the customization request or the second computing device prior to remotely customizing the management of the one or more assets; and

generating, by the database system, a response message relating to the customization request upon completing the one or more customization tasks; and

sending, by the database system, the response message to the second computing device, wherein the response message includes notification of the completion of the one or more customization tasks.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the customization request is based on service calls received at the organization from one or more customers of the organization, wherein the remote customization of the management of the one or more assets is requested and facilitated in response to the service calls.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein remotely customizing the management of the one or more assets further comprises modifying, at the database system, description relating to the one or more assets, viewing or altering queuing relating to the one or more assets, troubleshooting errors relating to the one or more assets, setting customized notifications or warnings relating to the one or more assets, auditing or generating audit reports relating to the one or more assets, and comparing the one or more assets with each other or other assets, and upgrading the one or more assets,

wherein the remote customization of the management of the one or more assets is performed at one or more of the plurality of lifecycle stages.

8. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory having stored one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform one or more operations comprising;

receiving an input representative of a customization request for remotely customizing, via a mobile platform associated with the database system, management of one or more assets, wherein the one or more assets include hardware assets or software assets, wherein the input is received, in run-time, at a first computing system and from a second computing system, over a network including a cloud network, wherein the input includes scanned data relating to one or more life cycles of the one or more assets, wherein the scanned data is obtained by real-time scanning, via a mobile scanning application supported by the mobile platform, of one or more barcodes relating to the one or more life cycles of the one or more assets; and

remotely customizing, in real-time the management of the one or more assets, wherein remotely customizing comprises modifying, based on the scanned data, existing management data relating to the one or more assets, wherein the existing management data includes one or more of user preferences relating to adding a new asset to the one or more assets or deleting or updating an existing asset of the one or more assets.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the request is placed, via a user interface at the second computing device, by a user associated with an organization, wherein the one or more customization tasks are performed to dynamically manage the assets in accordance with the customization request placed by the user such that the assets are specifically managed to be suited to changing needs of the organization, wherein the network includes a cloud network.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the customization request includes reference data relating to the one or more assets that are to be remotely managed, wherein the scanned data to assist in performance of the one or more customization tasks and obtained using one or more scanners coupled with the second computing device,

wherein the one or more life cycles include one or more of a birth-life stage, a mid-life stage, and an end-life stage,

wherein the scanned data relates to one or more of an asset type, an asset manufacturer, an asset programmer, an asset model, an asset weight, an asset dimension, an asset category, an asset price, an asset rent cost, an asset location, and an asset make or expiration date.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the reference data further comprises one or more of lookup data regarding asset objects relating to the one or more assets, manifest data regarding fetching, parsing, and displaying of asset management processes and their fields relating to the one or more assets, wherein the lookup data and manifest data are stored and cached locally at the second computing device.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more operations further comprise:

authenticating the customization request or the second computing device prior to remotely customizing the management of the one or more assets; and

generating a response message relating to the customization request upon completing the one or more customization tasks; and

sending the response message to the second computing device, wherein the response message includes notification of the completion of the one or more customization tasks.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the customization request is based on service calls received at the organization from one or more customers of the organization, wherein the remote customization of the management of the one or more assets is requested and facilitated in response to the service calls.

21. The system of claim 8, wherein remotely customizing the management of the one or more assets further comprises modifying description relating to the one or more assets, viewing or altering queuing relating to the one or more assets, troubleshooting errors relating to the one or more assets, setting customized notifications or warnings relating to the one or more assets, auditing or generating audit reports relating to the one or more assets, and comparing the one or more assets with each other or other assets, and upgrading the one or more assets,

wherein the remote customization of the management of the one or more assets is performed at one or more of the plurality of lifecycle stages.

14. A non-transitory machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform one or more operations comprising:

receiving an input representative of a customization request for remotely customizing,

via a mobile platform associated with the database system, management of one or more assets,

wherein the one or more assets include hardware assets or software assets,

wherein the input is received, in run-time, at a first computing system and from a second computing system, over a network including a cloud network,

wherein the input includes scanned data relating to one or more life cycles of the one or more assets,

wherein the scanned data is obtained by real-time scanning, via a mobile scanning application supported by the mobile platform, of one or more barcodes relating to the one or more life cycles of the one or more assets; and

remotely customizing the management of the one or more assets,

wherein remotely customizing comprises modifying, based on the scanned data, existing management data relating to the one or more assets,

wherein the existing management data includes one or more of user preferences relating to adding a new asset to the one or more assets or deleting or updating an existing asset of the one or more assets.

15. The machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the request is placed, via a user interface at the second computing device, by a user associated with an organization, wherein the one or more customization tasks are performed to dynamically manage the assets in accordance with the customization request placed by the user such that the assets are specifically managed to be suited to changing needs of the organization.

16. The machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the customization request includes reference data relating to the one or more assets that are to be remotely managed, wherein the scanned data to assist in performance of the one or more customization tasks and obtained using one or more scanners coupled with the second computing device,

wherein the one or more life cycles include one or more of a birth-life stage, a mid-life stage, and an end-life stage,

wherein the scanned data relates to one or more of an asset type, an asset manufacturer, an asset programmer, an asset model, an asset weight, an asset dimension, an asset category, an asset price, an asset rent cost, an asset location, and an asset make or expiration date.

17. The machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the reference data further comprises one or more of lookup data regarding asset objects relating to the one or more assets, manifest data regarding fetching, parsing, and displaying of asset management processes and their fields relating to the one or more assets, wherein the lookup data and manifest data are stored and cached locally at the second computing device.

18. The machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the one or more operations further comprise:

authenticating the customization request or the second computing device prior to remotely customizing the management of the one or more assets; and

generating a response message relating to the customization request upon completing the one or more customization tasks; and

sending the response message to the second computing device, wherein the response message includes notification of the completion of the one or more customization tasks.

19. The machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the customization request is based on service calls received at the organization from one or more customers of the organization, wherein the remote customization of the management of the one or more assets is requested and facilitated in response to the service calls.

20. The machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein remotely customizing the management of the one or more assets further comprises modifying description relating to the one or more assets, viewing or altering queuing relating to the one or more assets, troubleshooting errors relating to the one or more assets, setting customized notifications or warnings relating to the one or more assets, auditing or generating audit reports relating to the one or more assets, and comparing the one or more assets with each other or other assets, and upgrading the one or more assets,

wherein the remote customization of the management of the one or more assets is performed at one or more of the plurality of lifecycle stages.