Enterprise structure configurator

• US 9,704,162 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2008
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Bhatia, Akash, Dubois, Timothy, King, Nigel, Ramsay, Neil
• Primary Examiner(s): Santos-Diaz, Maria C
• Application Number:
  US12/192,418
• Publication Number:
  US 20090063549A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,252 Days
• Field of Search: 705 11
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce

Abstract

Tools for configuring an enterprise applications. In one aspect, the tools provide a user interface to allow an implementer describe, based on an interview with executives of the organization, an enterprise structure of an organization, and a data structure generator to configure the enterprise application to reflect this enterprise structure. In one aspect, these tools can allow a general case to guide the default assignment of intersections of legal and managerial reporting structures to a business unit, allowing the minimum number of business units to fulfill both the external and managerial responsibilities. The tools may implement a pivot table approach to provide an interface for the user to provide such input.

Claims

1. A method for configuring an enterprise software application for an organization, the method comprising:

receiving, with one or more processors associated with one or more computer systems, first input specifying a structural hierarchy of the organization using a first software application, the structural hierarchy including a first dimension that corresponds to a first sub-hierarchy and a second dimension that corresponds to a second sub-hierarchy, the first sub-hierarchy being associated with a first part of the organization and the second sub-hierarchy being associated to with a second part of the organization;

generating, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, a spreadsheet file having a multidimensional pivot table using the structural hierarchy of the organization, the first software application being configured to facilitate an interaction with a second software application to enable the first software application to detect modifications made to the spreadsheet file and made using the second software application, the second software application operating independently of the first software application;

receiving, using the first software application at the one or more computer systems, a modified version of the spreadsheet file that includes added text at a position of the multidimensional pivot table, the added text having been received by the second software application in response to a second input;

determining, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems and using the first software application, a relationship between a first business unit represented in the first sub-hierarchy in the organization and one or more dimensions of the multidimensional pivot table representing a part of the second sub-hierarchy of the structural hierarchy of the organization, the determination being based on the added text having been received by the second software application; and

customizing, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, the enterprise software application using the first software application to account for the relationship determined between the first business unit represented in the first sub-hierarchy and the one or more dimensions representing the part of the second sub-hierarchy of the structural hierarchy of the organization;

wherein customizing the enterprise software application comprises;

defining a data structure;

wherein the data structure is configured to be used during execution of the enterprise software application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein defining the data structure comprises creating one or more tables in a database used by the enterprise software application.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein defining the data structure comprises adding data to one or more tables in a database used by the enterprise software application, a table of the one or more tables corresponding to at least part of the first sub-hierarchy or at least part of the second sub-hierarchy.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the data represents the relationship between the first business unit and a second business unit associated with the one or more dimensions.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the data structure used by the enterprise software application comprises one or more database tables, and wherein the method further comprises storing the one or more database tables on a computer readable storage medium.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the relationship between the first business unit in the organization and the one or more dimensions of the multidimensional pivot table comprises determining that the first business unit is associated with one or more business units represented in the second sub-hierarchy.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a default structural hierarchy for the organization, and

wherein determining the relationship between the first business unit in the organization and the one or more dimensions of the multidimensional pivot table comprises determining the relationship using default values, the default values reflecting information about the default structural hierarchy for the organization.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

generating the spreadsheet file using the default values of the default structural hierarchy.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the added text includes text modifying previous text at the position of the multidimensional pivot table.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the added text includes an identification of the first business unit.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein a first axis of the multidimensional pivot table is configured to be displayed horizontally on a display screen for a user, and wherein a second axis of the multidimensional pivot table is configured to be displayed vertically on the display screen.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the spreadsheet file having the multidimensional pivot table comprises:

configuring a first axis to display rows categorized by the first sub-hierarchy in one or more sets of rows, each of the one or more sets of rows representing at least one entity of the first sub-hierarchy;

configuring the second axis to display columns categorized by the second sub-hierarchy in one or more first sets of columns, each of the one or more first sets of columns representing at least one entity of the second sub-hierarchy; and

within each set of the one or more first sets of columns, configuring columns categorized by a third sub-hierarchy in one or more second sets of columns, each of the one or more second sets of columns representing at least one entity of the third sub-hierarchy.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein generating spreadsheet file having the multidimensional pivot table comprises:

configuring a first axis to display rows categorized by a legal structure of the organization in one or more sets of rows, each of the one or more sets of rows representing at least one of one or more legal entities of the legal structure;

configuring a second axis to display columns categorized by a functional structure of the organization in one or more sets of columns, each of the one or more sets of columns representing at least one of one or more functional entities of the functional structure; and

configuring the second axis to display, within each set of the one or more sets of columns, one or more columns, each of the one or more columns representing at least one of one or more business entities of a business structure of the organization,

wherein the first sub-hierarchy corresponds to one of the legal structure, functional structure and the business structure and the second sub-hierarchy corresponds to another of the legal structure, functional structure and the business structure.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving, via the user interface, a command to reorganize the second axis according to a third structure in the structural hierarchy of the organization; and

in response to the command, configuring the second axis of the multidimensional pivot table to display columns categorized by the third structure of the organization.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a selection of a subset of legal entities to be displayed by the multidimensional pivot table, a selection of a subset of business units to be displayed by the multidimensional pivot table, and a selection of a subset of functional units to be displayed by the multidimensional pivot table; and

redisplaying the multidimensional pivot table based in the selection.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising, displaying, for a user, a representation of a structural hierarchy, the representation of the structural hierarchy including a representation of the first sub-hierarchy and a representation of the second sub-hierarchy, wherein the second input is received subsequent to the display of the representation of the structural hierarchy, and wherein the display is updated in response to the second input.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the first input specifying the structural hierarchy of the organization using the first software application comprises receiving data from a web browser.

18. A computer system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media in communication with the one or more processors, the one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media having stored thereon computer program comprising a set of instructions which when execute by the one or more processors configure the one or more processors to;

receive first input specifying a structural hierarchy of the organization using a first software application, the structural hierarchy including a first dimension that corresponds to a first sub-hierarchy and a second dimension that corresponds to a second sub-hierarchy, the first sub-hierarchy being associated with a first part of the organization and the second sub-hierarchy being associated with to a second part of the organization;

generate a spreadsheet file having a multidimensional pivot table using the structural hierarchy of the organization, the first software application being configured to facilitate an interaction with a second software application to enable the first software application to detect modifications made to the spreadsheet file and made using the second software application, the second software application operating independently of the first software application;

receiving, using the first software application at the one or more computer systems, a modified version of the spreadsheet file that includes added text at a position of the multidimensional pivot table, the added text having been received by the second software application in response to a second input;

determine, using the first software application, a relationship between a first business unit represented in the first sub-hierarchy in the organization and one or more dimensions of the multidimensional pivot table representing a part of the second sub-hierarchy of the structural hierarchy of the organization, the determination being based on the added text having been received by the second software application; and

configure the enterprise software application using the first software application to account for the relationship determined between the first business unit represented in the first sub-hierarchy and the one or more dimensions representing the part of the second sub-hierarchy of the structural hierarchy of the organization;

wherein configure the enterprise software application comprises;

defining a data structure;

wherein the data structure is configured to be used during execution of the enterprise software application.

19. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the enterprise software application comprises the computer program.

20. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the computer system comprises a first computer having a first storage medium on which the enterprise software application is stored, and a second computer having a second storage medium on which the computer program is stored.

21. The computer system of claim 18, wherein defining the data structure comprises creating or modifying one or more tables in a database.

22. A method of deploying an enterprise software application, the method comprising:

generating, with one or more processors associated with one or more computer systems, information configured to display a user interface, the user interface comprising one or more user interfaces elements that define a structural hierarchy of an organization comprising one or more business units;

receiving, at the one or more computer system, information specified via the user interface about the organization, the information comprising an identification of each of one or more entities in each hierarchy in a plurality of hierarchies of the organization, each hierarchy in the plurality of hierarchies having a different type of organizational hierarchy;

generating for the user interface, using a first software application and the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, a multidimensional pivot table with a first axis and a second axis, the first axis comprising a first hierarchy in the plurality of hierarchies of the organization, the first hierarchy comprising a first type of organizational hierarchy, the second axis comprising a plurality of columns representing business units in a second hierarchy in the plurality of hierarchies of the organization;

the second hierarchy comprising a second type of organizational hierarchy, the multidimensional pivot table further comprising one or more user input elements at each intersection of a row of the multidimensional pivot table corresponding to the first axis and a column of the plurality of columns corresponding to the second axis to input a business unit from the second hierarchy, the multidimensional pivot table being configured to be displayed using a second software application, the first software application being configured to facilitate an interaction with the second software application to enable the first software application to detect modifications made to the multidimensional pivot table using the second software application, the second software application operating independently of the first software application;

receiving, using the first software application a modified version of the multidimensional pivot table including, added text at the one or more input elements of the multidimensional pivot table, the added text having been received by the second software application in response to an input specified via the or more input elements of the multidimensional pivot table;

determining, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems and using the first software application, one or more relationships between the first hierarchy and the second hierarchy of the organization using the multidimensional pivot table and the added text received at the or more input elements of the multidimensional pivot table; and

customizing the enterprise software application to account for the one or more relationships determined between the first structural hierarchy and the second structural hierarchy of the organization;

wherein customizing the enterprise software application comprises;

defining a data structure;

wherein the data structure is configured to be used during execution of the enterprise software application.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

providing a default structural hierarchy for the organization.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the added text corresponds to a modification of the default structural hierarchy.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the default structural hierarchy is defined, at least in part, based on other input received using the first software application.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the first hierarchy and the second hierarchy in the plurality of hierarchies of the organization are selected from a group consisting of a functional structure, a business structure and a legal structure.

27. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

displaying, for a user and using the second software application, the multidimensional pivot table.

28. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having encoded thereon a first software application comprising a set of instructions executable by a computer system to configure an enterprise software application, the set of instructions comprising:

instructions for generating information configured to display a user interface, the user interface comprising one or more user interfaces elements that define a structural hierarchy of an organization comprising one or more business units;

instructions for receiving information specified via the user interface about the organization, the information comprising an identification of each of one or more entities in each hierarchy in a plurality of hierarchies of the organization, each hierarchy in the plurality of hierarchies having a different type of organization hierarchy;

instructions for generating for the user interface a multidimensional pivot table with a first axis and a second axis, the first axis comprising a first hierarchy in the plurality of hierarchies of the organization, the first hierarchy comprising a first type of organizational hierarchy, the second axis comprising a plurality of columns representing business units in a second hierarchy in the plurality of hierarchies of the organization;

the second hierarchy comprising a second type of organizational hierarchy, the multidimensional pivot table further comprising one or more user input elements at each intersection of a row of the multidimensional pivot table corresponding to the first axis and a column of the plurality of columns corresponding to the second axis to input a business unit from the second hierarchy, the multidimensional pivot table being configured to be displayed using a second software application, the first software application being configured to facilitate an interaction with the second software application to enable the first software application to detect modifications made to the multidimensional pivot table using the second software application, the second software application operating independently of the first software application;

instructions for receiving added text at the one or more input elements of the multidimensional pivot table, the added text having been identified by the second software application in response to an input specified via the multidimensional pivot table of the user interface;

instructions for determining one or more relationships between the first hierarchy and the second hierarchy of the organization using the multidimensional pivot table and the added text received at the or more input elements of the multidimensional pivot table; and

instructions for customizing the enterprise software application to account for the one or more relationships determined between the first hierarchy and the second hierarchy of the organization and the text received at the or more input elements of the multidimensional pivot table;

wherein customizing the enterprise software application comprises;

defining a data structure;

wherein the data structure is configured to be used during execution of the enterprise software application.

29. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, including instructions configured to cause one or more data processors to perform actions including:

receiving first input specifying a structural hierarchy of the organization using a first software application, the structural hierarchy including a first dimension that corresponds to a first sub-hierarchy and a second dimension that corresponds to a second sub-hierarchy, the first sub-hierarchy being associated with a first part of the organization and the second sub-hierarchy being associated with a second part of the organization;

generating a spreadsheet file having a multidimensional pivot table using the structural hierarchy of the organization, the first software application being configured to facilitate an interaction with a second software application to enable the first software application to detect modifications made to the spreadsheet file and made using the second software application, the second software application operating independently of the first software application;

receiving, using the first software application, a modified version of the spreadsheet file that includes added text at a position of the multidimensional pivot table, the added text having been received by the second software application in response to a second input;

determining, using the first software application, a relationship between a first business unit represented in the first sub-hierarchy in the organization and one or more dimensions of the multidimensional pivot table representing the second part of the second sub-hierarchy of the structural hierarchy of the organization, the determination being based on the added text having been received by the second software application; and

customizing an enterprise software application using the first software application to account for the relationship determined between the first business unit represented in the first sub-hierarchy and the one or more dimensions representing the second part of the second sub-hierarchy of the structural hierarchy of the organization;

wherein customizing the enterprise software application comprises;

defining a data structure;

wherein the data structure is configured to be used during execution of the enterprise software application.

30. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein defining the data structure comprises creating one or more tables in a database used by the enterprise software application.

31. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein defining the data structure comprises adding data to one or more tables in a database used by the enterprise software application, a table of the one or more tables corresponding to at least part of the first sub-hierarchy or at least part of the second sub-hierarchy.

32. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein determining the relationship between the first business unit in the organization and the one or more dimensions of the multidimensional pivot table comprises determining that the first business unit is associated with one or more business units represented in the second sub-hierarchy.

33. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein a first axis of the multidimensional pivot table is configured to be displayed horizontally on a display screen for a user, and wherein a second axis of the multidimensional pivot table is configured to be displayed vertically on the display screen.

34. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein generating the spreadsheet file having the multidimensional pivot table comprises:

configuring a first axis to display rows categorized by the first sub-hierarchy in one or more sets of rows, each of the one or more sets of rows representing at least one entity of the first sub-hierarchy;

configuring a second axis to display columns categorized by the second sub-hierarchy in one or more first sets of columns, each of the one or more first sets of columns representing at least one entity of the second sub-hierarchy; and

within each set of the one or more first sets of columns, configuring columns categorized by a third sub-hierarchy in one or more second sets of columns, each of the one or more second sets of columns representing at least one entity of the third sub-hierarchy.