Automated, electronic network based, project management server system

• US RE38,633 E1
• Filed: 08/20/1998
• Issued: 10/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ENPAT Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ENPAT Incorporated
• Inventors: Srinivasan, Seshan R.
• Primary Examiner(s): ALAM, SHAHID AL
• Application Number:
  US09/137,186
• Time in Patent Office: 2,252 Days
• Field of Search: 705/8, 707/203, 707/10, 707/9, 700/95, 706/919, 709/201, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/206
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063114 Status monitoring or status determination for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063118 Staff planning in a project environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06312 Adjustment or analysis of established resource schedule, e.g. resource or task levelling, or dynamic rescheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06313 Resource planning in a project environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 706/919 Designing, planning, programming, CAD, CASE

Abstract

Design and implementation of an ‘Auto Multi-Project Server System’, which automates the tasks of Project Management Coordination, for organizational work-group team members. The ‘Auto Multi-Project Server’, referred to as AMPS, consists of a core piece of software running on a host server computer system and interacting with a messaging system such as electronic mail, fax etc. Once the AMPS system is configured for the work environment, all interactions with it by work-group team members is via messages. First the AMPS system compiles multi-project plans into a multi-project database, and tracks the ownership of projects, tasks and resources within the plans. Second the AMPS system performs automatic checking of resource requests, if resource availability limits are exceeded then resources are re-allocated to projects based on priorities, and project plans are accordingly changed Third the database is processed periodically to send out reminder follow-ups and project status reports. Fourth the databases are continuously updated based on status changes reported by work-group members. These four steps are continuously repeated enabling an automated method of multi-project management for organizational work-group team members.

Claims

1. A method executed by a computer system as part of a computer program, said system for coordinating the management of a project, said computer system to comprise of a central database server connected to a electronic network, said method using a two way electronic messaging system that allows different types of organizational work-group team members to send messages to the computer program and receive messages from the computer program via the said electronic network, said method storing and accessing data from a multi-project database, said method to be automatic in nature and with built in triggers which are based on the nature and status of said data without need for manual project management coordination, said project management coordination to involve all the steps of the project management cycle including planning, resource leveling, status reporting and reminding, tracking and updating plans, said method to be configurable for the said organizational work-group environment, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) identifying the owner of received message;

(b) identifying the nature of said received message;

(c) setting up said multi-project database and saving said received messages to said database according to the nature of said received message;

(d) receiving project plans and compiling project plans and saving project plans into said multi-project database;

(e) checking said project plans for resource requests against resource availability and reallocating resources if necessary based on inter-project priorities;

(f) recalculating and sending back said project plans based on resource reallocation;

(g) sending project status reports and reminders to organizational work-group team members based on the status of said triggers;

(h) receiving project updates and status changes and updating said project database;

(i) repeating steps (a) through (h) on a periodic basis, as desired by said organizational work-group team members.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said identifying the owner of the message step additionally comprises the step of identifying the incoming user messages and authorizing them against a valid list of users.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said identifying the nature of the message step additionally comprises the step of checking the consistency of data sent to it via user messages, prior to processing the messages;

has means to reject and return user messages which are inconsistent.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said compiling project plans step additionally comprises the step of computing task completion dates based on project start date and inter-dependencies among tasks.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said saving project plans step additionally comprises the step of creating a project database of information on the project, with all necessary information for follow-up of progress and all necessary information for reporting progress.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said recalculating project plans based on resource reallocation step additionally comprises the step of recomputing task duration'"'"'s and completion dates of tasks.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said sending project status reports and reminders step additionally comprises the step of processing each project database and generating outgoing reminder messages for task leaders whose tasks are pending.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said sending project status reports step additionally comprises the step for soliciting for updates to project and database status information.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said sending project status reports step additionally comprises the step of sending messages to task leaders, on status of inter-dependent tasks.

10. A method executed by a computer system as part of a computer program,

11. An apparatus for coordinating the management of a project comprising at least one task,

12. Apparatus that is automatic in nature and for coordinating management of a project, comprising:

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein:

said electronic messaging receiver module is an E-mail receiver.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein:

15. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein:

16. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein:

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising:

18. The apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising:

19. The apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising:

20. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein:

21. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein:

22. Apparatus that is automatic in nature and for coordinating multi-project management, comprising:

23. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein:

said electronic messaging receiver module is an E-mail receiver.

24. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein:

25. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein:

said multi-project database includes allocation of a plurality of resources; and

said multi-project database is centrally accessible by electronic messaging from each of said plurality of resources.

26. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein:

27. The apparatus according to claim 26, further comprising:

28. The apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising:

29. The apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising:

30. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein:

31. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein:

32. A method that is automatic in nature and for coordinating the management of a project, said method comprising:

33. The method for coordinating management of a project according to claim 32, wherein:

said received electronic message is an E-mail message, and

34. The method for coordinating management of a project according to claim 32, wherein:

35. The method for coordinating management of a project according to claim 32, wherein:

36. The method for coordinating management of a project according to claim 32, further comprising:

37. The method for coordinating management of a project according to claim 36, further comprising:

38. The method for coordinating management of a project according to claim 32, further comprising:

39. The method for coordinating management of a project according to claim 32, further comprising:

40. The method for coordinating management of a project according to claim 32, wherein:

41. The method for coordinating management of a project according to claim 32, further comprising:

42. A method that is automatic in nature and for coordinating multi-project management, said method comprising:

43. The method for coordinating multi-project management according to claim 42, wherein:

said received electronic message is an E-mail message.

44. The method for coordinating multi-project management according to claim 42, wherein:

45. The method for coordinating multi-project management according to claim 42, wherein:

46. The method for coordinating multi-project management according to claim 42, further comprising:

47. The method for coordinating multi-project management according to claim 46, further comprising:

48. The method for coordinating multi-project management according to claim 42, further comprising:

49. The method for coordinating multi-project management according to claim 42, further comprising:

50. The method for coordinating multi-project management according to claim 42, wherein:

51. The method for coordinating multi-project management according to claim 42, further comprising: