Application diagram tool

• US 9,274,753 B1
• Filed: 12/23/2007
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Floyd, Carter Wayne Jr., Carroll, Roberta Marie
• Primary Examiner(s): Bodden, Evral
• Application Number:
  US11/963,832
• Time in Patent Office: 2,991 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/10 Requirements analysis; Specification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A system for an application diagram is provided. The system includes a technology roadmap database, an application database, a project database, a processor, an analysis module, and a user interface. The technology roadmap database contains technology roadmap information defining a technology roadmap. The application database contains configuration information about applications. The configuration information identifies the technology resources allocated to each application. The project database contains project information, which identifies any project impact on each application. The processor executes the analysis module to analyze the technology roadmap information, the configuration information, and the project information and to create the application diagram for a selected project. The application diagram organizes applications within enterprise functional areas and presents any changes planned for the selected project. The user interface, responsive to user input, promotes selection of projects and displays the application diagram for selected projects.

Claims

1. A system for creating an application diagram, comprising:

a processor;

a technology roadmap database comprising technology roadmap information defining a technology roadmap, wherein the technology roadmap identifies at least one of an approved operating system version, an approved computer model, an approved data store system, or an approved computer program execution framework;

an application database comprising configuration information about a plurality of applications, the configuration information identifying the technology resources allocated to each application, wherein the configuration information comprises whether an interface between applications of the plurality of applications communicates data in real time or by batching, and the data communication rate for the interface;

a project database-comprising project information about a plurality of projects, the project information identifying any project impact on each application, wherein each project of the plurality of projects comprises at least one of modifying or creating at least one application of the plurality of applications;

an analysis module that, when executed by the processor, is configured to analyze the technology roadmap information, the configuration information, and the project information and to create the application diagram for a selected project, wherein the application diagram organizes applications to be modified by the selected project and applications that interface with those modified applications into functional areas of an enterprise that are based on an enhanced telecom operations map (eTOM) and presents any changes planned for the selected project, and wherein the application diagram comprises an indicator pointing between applications to be modified by the selected project and the applications that interface with those modified applications; and

a user interface that, responsive to user input, receives a selection of projects and displays the application diagram comprising the applications to be modified by the selected project and the applications that interface with those modified applications into the functional areas of the enterprise, wherein the application diagram presents the applications to be modified by the selected project and the applications that interface with those modified applications into the functional areas of the enterprise in a single display.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the functional areas comprise billing, provisioning, network service assurance, care enablement, network resource management, security/privacy, and data warehouse/business intelligence.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the project information identifies applications that are provided by third party vendors and wherein the application diagram depicts applications that are provided by third party vendors.

4. The system of claim 1, further including a report module in communication with the analysis module and configured to generate reports based on the analysis provided by the analysis module, wherein the reports are viewable by selection from the user interface.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the configuration information comprises information associated with a plurality of interfaces between applications.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the project information comprises a schedule for project milestone completion.

7. A computer implemented method for project management, comprising:

analyzing information about a plurality of projects, a technology roadmap, and application configurations, wherein the technology roadmap identifies at least one of an approved operating system version, an approved computer model, an approved data store system, or an approved computer program execution framework, wherein each project of the plurality of projects comprises at least one of modifying or creating at least one application of a first plurality of applications;

creating a first application diagram associated with a first selected time and a first selected project, based at least in part on analyzing the information, wherein the project is a payment project, wherein the first application diagram organizes the first plurality of applications to be modified by the first selected project and a second plurality of applications that interface with those modified applications in a context of functional areas of an enterprise that are based on an enhanced telecom operations map (eTOM), wherein the first plurality of applications comprise two or more of a retail analysis application, a payment plus application, and a collections application, and wherein the modification of the payment project requires the modification of the two or more of the retail analysis application, the payment plus application, and the collections application;

creating a second application diagram associated with a second selected time and a second selected project, based at least in part on analyzing the information, wherein the second application diagram organizes a third plurality of applications to be modified by the second selected project and a fourth plurality of applications that interface with those modified applications in the context of functional areas of the enterprise;

displaying the first application diagram with the second application diagram for comparison, wherein the first application diagram comprises the first plurality of applications to be modified by the first selected project and the second plurality of applications that interface with those modified applications into the functional areas of the enterprise, and wherein the second application diagram comprises the third plurality of applications to be modified by the second selected project and the fourth plurality of applications that interface with those modified applications into the functional areas of the enterprise;

identifying, by at least one of the first application diagram, the second application diagram, or the report, an impact of a first project on at least one other project;

modifying, based on the identification of the impact, at least one of the first project or the at least one other project; and

identifying a management action based on the comparison.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 7, further including generating a report based on analyzing the information.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 8, wherein the report comprises a technology report that specifies technology impact on selected applications.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 7, further comprising filtering the report based on the information.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein the management action comprises prioritizing among accomplishing a plurality of project deliverables.

17. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein the payment plus application interfaces with at least one of the collections application and a service scope application, wherein the collections application interfaces with at least one of an invoicing application or a third party vendor tax application, wherein a treasury application interfaces with the invoicing application and the third party vendor tax application, and wherein at least one of the invoicing application and the third party vendor tax application is impacted by modifications to the collections application.

12. A system for creating an application diagram, comprising a processor;

a memory that comprises application information for each of a plurality of applications, technology roadmap information for each of a plurality of technologies, and project information for each of a plurality of projects, wherein the technology roadmap identifies at least one of an approved operating system version, an approved computer model, an approved data store system, or an approved computer program execution framework, and wherein each project of the plurality of projects comprises one of modifying or creating at least one application of the plurality of applications;

a database manager executed by the processor to;

analyze the application information, the technology roadmap information, and the project information,

create the application diagram for a selected project, wherein application information for each application is associated with technology roadmap information for at least one of the plurality of technologies and application information for each application is associated with project information for at least one of the plurality of projects, and wherein the application diagram organizes applications to be modified by the selected project and applications that interface with those modified applications into functional areas of an enterprise that are based on an enhanced telecom operations map (eTOM),

identify, from at least one of the project information and the technology roadmap information, a conflict, and

modify, based on the conflict identified, a plan; and

a user interface that, responsive to user input, displays the application diagram comprising the applications to be modified by the selected project and the applications that interface with those modified applications into the functional areas of the enterprise, and that displays further information that enables a user to identify a management action responsive to further user input.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the further information comprises at least one of information associated with a run location, a backup location, an application software type, an application software code, a database, an operating system, a computer, a budget, or a date.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the management action comprises modifying a plan based on a dependency identified from a project information date.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the management action comprises modifying a plan based on a synergy identified from a technology roadmap information date.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the management action comprises modifying a plan based on a risk identified from a technology roadmap information date.