System and method linking use case documents to business process documents

• US 9,811,793 B1
• Filed: 05/07/2014
• Issued: 11/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: O'Kane, Patrick M., Saripalli, Hanumantha R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Boswell, Beth V
• Assistant Examiner(s): Waesco, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US14/272,221
• Time in Patent Office: 1,280 Days
• Field of Search: 705 715
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work

Abstract

A system for information technology (IT) process management. The system comprises a processor, one or more memory storage devices coupled to the processor, and a document composer tool comprising a plurality of enterprise use case documents to locate an enterprise use case document relevant to an IT project based on input keywords and to link an enterprise use case document to at least one relevant enterprise business process document when an enterprise use case document is updated, wherein an enterprise use case document comprises a link referring to at least one enterprise business process document. The system further comprises an enterprise business process repository stored in at least one of the memory storage devices comprising a plurality of enterprise business process documents, wherein an enterprise business process document comprises a set of steps to accomplish a specific organizational goal.

Claims

1. A system for information technology (IT) process management on a network, the system comprising:

a server that is communicatively coupled to the network, the server comprising;

a processor;

one or more memory storage devices coupled to the processor, the one or more memory storage devices comprising;

a plurality of enterprise use case documents and an enterprise business process repository that comprises a plurality of enterprise business documents that each comprise a set of steps to accomplish a specific organizational goal;

a document composer tool stored in the one or more memory storage devices such that upon execution by at least the processor, the server;

locates an enterprise use case document from the one or more storage devices relevant to an IT project based on input keywords, and

links the located enterprise use case document to at least one relevant enterprise business process document in the enterprise business process repository in response to the enterprise use case document being updated, wherein the enterprise use case document comprises a link referring to at least one enterprise business process document in the enterprise business process repository;

a portfolio management component stored in at least one of the memory storage devices such that upon execution by at least the processor, the server;

locates the at least one enterprise business process document through the link in the enterprise use case document,

extracts business process data from the at least one enterprise business process document based on the link,

in response to the extraction of business process data, sends the business process data from the document composer tool and the enterprise business process repository to a partner pipeline management component executing on the server,

automatically identifies process change tasks with an assigned owner or group for each task, wherein the process change tasks are defined in the at least one enterprise business process document,

automatically sends notification to stakeholders and groups impacted by the IT project about the IT project and about meetings for the IT project, wherein the impacted stakeholders and groups are defined in the at least one enterprise business process document,

tracks status of tasks undertaken by the impacted groups, and

automatically sends notification to relevant stakeholders for approval of completed tasks after completed tasks are uploaded by the impacted groups; and

the partner pipeline management component stored in at least one of the memory storage devices such that upon execution by at least the processor, the server;

identifies, based on the business process data from the document composer tool and the enterprise business process repository by way of the link in the enterprise use case document, IT project bandwidth constraints on the network before execution of an IT project via the network, wherein an IT project bandwidth is the total resource capacity supporting IT projects including hardware and software resources, and wherein an IT project bandwidth constraint occurs when the same hardware or software resource is insufficient for executing multiple IT projects at the same time on the network, and

modifies one or more pipelines of projects based on the identified IT project bandwidth constraints.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein pipelines of IT projects are modified based on identified bandwidth constraints.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein an IT project schedule is adapted according to the pipeline change.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein a link from an enterprise business process document to an enterprise use case document is automatically composed by the document composer tool.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the link from the enterprise business process document refers to more than one enterprise use case document.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein tracking and supporting audits and governance of the enterprise use cases and enterprise business process is promoted by the portfolio management component.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the enterprise use case document is updated when any change is made to the enterprise use case document.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the enterprise business process repository is updated with the latest enterprise business process document when any change is made to the enterprise business process document.

9. A method of managing information technology (IT) processes on a network, comprising:

inputting keywords of an IT project into a document composer tool executing on a server communicatively coupled to the network, wherein the document composer tool is stored in a non-transitory memory that also stores enterprise use case documents;

locating, by the server executing the document composer tool, an enterprise use case document relevant to an IT project based on input keywords, wherein an enterprise use case document comprises a link referring to at least one enterprise business process document stored in an enterprise business process repository, and wherein the at least one enterprise business process document comprises a set of steps to accomplish a specific organizational goal;

in response to locating the enterprise use case document based on the input keywords;

locating the at least one enterprise business process document in the enterprise business process repository through the link in the enterprise use case document;

extracting business process data from the at least one enterprise business process document based on the link;

in response to extracting the business process data, sending, by the server executing a portfolio management component, the business process data from the document composer tool and the enterprise business process repository to a partner pipeline management component executing on the server;

identifying, by the partner pipeline management component based on the business process data from the document composer tool and the enterprise business process repository by way of the link in the enterprise use case document, IT project bandwidth constraints on the network before execution of an IT project via the network, wherein an IT project bandwidth is the total resource capacity supporting IT projects including hardware and software resources, wherein an IT project bandwidth constraint occurs when the same hardware or software resource is insufficient for executing multiple IT projects at the same time on the network;

modifying, by the partner pipeline management component, one or more pipelines of projects based on the identified IT project bandwidth constraints;

automatically sending, by the server executing the portfolio management component, notification to stakeholders and groups impacted by the IT project about the IT project and about meetings for the IT project, wherein the impacted stakeholders and groups are defined in the at least one enterprise business process document;

automatically identifying, by the server executing the portfolio management component, process change tasks with an assigned owner or group for each task, wherein the process change tasks are defined in the at least one enterprise business process document;

tracking status of tasks undertaken by the impacted groups;

automatically sending notification to relevant stakeholders for approval of completed tasks after tasks are uploaded by the impacted groups;

linking, by the server executing the document composer tool, the enterprise use case document with one or more enterprise business process document documents in the enterprise business process repository after approvals are received;

automatically generating reports every predefined time interval; and

promoting tracking and supporting audits and governance of the enterprise use case documents and enterprise business process documents.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising notifying the impacted groups of the approval of completed tasks from the stakeholders.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising updating the enterprise use case document when any change is made to the enterprise use case document.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the enterprise use case document is updated in a revision history.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising generating reports, by the server executing the document composer tool, to provide reports every predefined time interval with an option to notify applicable stakeholders.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein a link from an enterprise business process document to an enterprise use case document is composed by the document composer tool.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the link from the enterprise business process document refers to more than one enterprise use case document.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein a pipeline of the IT project is the sequence of process change tasks of the IT project, and wherein pipelines of IT projects are modified based on identified bandwidth constraints.

17. A method of managing information technology (IT) processes on a network, comprising:

inputting keywords of an IT project into a use case tool executing on a server communicatively coupled to the network, wherein a use case tool is stored in a non-transitory memory that also stores use case documents and links from a use case document to at least one business process document stored in an business process repository, and wherein the at least one business process document comprises a set of steps to accomplish a specific organizational goal;

in response to locating the use case document based on the input keywords;

locating the at least one business process document through the link in the use case document;

extracting business process data from the at least one business process document based on the link;

in response to extracting the business process data, sending, by the server executing a portfolio management component, the business process data from the use case tool and the business process repository to a partner pipeline management component executing on the server;

identifying, by the partner pipeline management component based on the data from the use case tool and the business process repository by way of the link in the enterprise use case document, IT project bandwidth constraints on the network before execution of an IT project via the network, wherein an IT project bandwidth is the total resource capacity supporting IT projects including hardware and software resources, and wherein an IT project bandwidth constraint occurs when the same hardware or software resource is insufficient for executing multiple IT projects at the same time on the network;

modifying, by the partner pipeline management component, pipelines of IT projects based on identified IT project bandwidth constraints on the network, wherein a pipeline of the IT project is the sequence of process change tasks of the IT project;

automatically sending, by the server executing the portfolio management component, notification to stakeholders and groups impacted by the IT project about the IT project and about meetings for the IT project, wherein the impacted stakeholders and groups are defined in the at least one enterprise business process document;

automatically identifying, by the server executing the portfolio management component, process change tasks with an assigned owner or group for each task, wherein the process change tasks are defined in the at least one business process document;

tracking status of tasks undertaken by the impacted groups;

automatically sending notification to relevant stakeholders for approval of completed tasks after completed tasks are uploaded by the impacted groups; and

linking, by the server executing a document composer tool, the updated use case document with one or more business process documents in the business process repository after approvals are received.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising automatically generating reports, by the server executing the use case tool, every predefined time interval.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein tracking of the use case documents and business process documents is promoted, and audits and governance of the use case documents and business process documents are supported.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein a link from an enterprise business process document to an enterprise use case document is composed by the document composer tool.