System and method for project management and assessment

• US 5,907,490 A
• Filed: 06/10/1997
• Issued: 05/25/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Electronic Data Systems Corporation (Perspecta, Inc.)
• Inventors: Oliver, Michael E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, RAMESH B
• Application Number:
  US08/872,248
• Time in Patent Office: 714 Days
• Field of Search: 364/578, 364/468.01, 364/468.02, 364/468.03, 364/468.05, 364/468.06, 364/468.08, 364/468.1, 364/468.15, 364/468.16, 364/468.18 , 364/468.22, 364/468.24, 364/188, 364/551.01, 364/551.02, 395/650, 395/22, 395/24, 395/21, 395/20, 395/700, 395/140, 705/8, 705/9, 705/3, 345/134, 345/135, 345/136, 345/137, 345/140
• US Class Current: 700/90
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A system (100) for monitoring and assessing the performance of a project includes a computer (120) and a software program associated with the computer (120), with the software program and computer (120) operable in combination to receive project task data from a project management software file, determine current earned value (EV) information from the project task data, and graphically displaying the earned value information. A method for monitoring and assessing the performance of a project may be accomplished by entering task data for each task of the project in a project management software file; obtaining (158) the task data from the project management software file; calculating (160) a current earned value position; obtaining (182) historical earned value positions if any exists; and displaying (162, 184) the current earned value position and any historical earned value positions.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring and assessing the performance of a project, comprising:

a computer; and

a software program executed by the computer, the software program and computer being operable in combination to;

receive project task data,

determine earned value information from the project task data,

display the earned value information,

prepare explanatory information about the earned value information, the explanatory information including conditional information prepared with a content dependent on the earned value information, and

display the explanatory information.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the earned value information includes earned value related information.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the computer is operable to receive operator requests from an operator, and wherein the preparation and display of the explanatory information is carried out in response to an operator request therefor.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the software program and computer are further operable to prepare the conditional information so that the content thereof provides a comparison of earned value information to other information.

5. The System of claim 4, wherein the other information includes budget information.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the software program and computer are operable to prepare the explanatory information to include predetermined nonconditional information in addition to the conditional information.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the conditional information includes a cautionary statement.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the software program and computer are operable to prepare the conditional information by selecting one of two colors in dependence on the earned value information, and are operable to effect the display of the conditional information by displaying at least a portion thereof in the selected color.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the software program and computer are operable to effect the selection of a color by determining whether a value from the earned valued information is outside a predetermined limit.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the software program and computer are operable to effect the selection of a color by determining whether a value from the earned value information is outside each of two different predetermined limits.

11. A method for monitoring and assessing the performance of a project, comprising the steps of:

obtaining project task data;

calculating earned value information from the project task data;

displaying the earned value information,

preparing explanatory information about the earned value information, including the step of preparing conditional information which is included in the explanatory information and which has a content dependent on the earned value information, and

displaying the explanatory information.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the earned value information includes earned value related information.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said step of preparing the conditional information includes the step of preparing the conditional information so that the content thereof provides a comparison of earned value information to other information.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said step of preparing the conditional information includes the step of including budget information in the other information.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said step of preparing the conditional information includes the step of obtaining the other information from a table.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein said step of preparing the explanatory information includes the step of including predetermined nonconditional information in the explanatory information in addition to the conditional information.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein said step of preparing the conditional information includes the step of including a cautionary statement therein.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein said step of preparing the conditional information includes the step of selecting one of two different colors in dependence on the earned value information, and wherein said step of displaying the conditional information includes the step of displaying at least a portion thereof in the selected color.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said step of selecting a color includes the step of determining whether a value from the earned value information is outside a predetermined limit.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein said step of selecting a color includes the step of determining whether a value from the earned value information is outside each of two different predetermined limits.