System and method for project designing and developing a procurement and accounts payable system

• US 7,149,699 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2004
• Issued: 12/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Stoke, Harry D., Dauley, Daniel M., Ciotoli, Louis M. Jr., Oswald, Rose M., DeSantis, David J., Cirulli, Philip J., Flannery, Kerin J., Barnard, Ray F., Lanuti, Carl J., Cartin, Lawrence J.
• Primary Examiner(s): MEINECKE DIAZ, SUSANNA M
• Application Number:
  US10/808,834
• Publication Number:
  US 20050097016A1
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7, 705/8
• US Class Current: 705/7.26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

A system for deploying to a client accounting installation a general procurement and accounts payable application specifically configured for the client by an enterprise includes a database server for (1) maintaining on a storage device a database of templates describing procedures for assessing, preparing, developing, deploying and supporting the application, and for (2) serving these templates to team members operating web-enabled terminals for coordinating, recording and tracking team activities with respect to the application while generating a description for adapting a front end server and an accounting system server to the requirements of the client.

Claims

1. A system using an on-line data gathering tool for developing a general procurement and accounts payable application configured to requirements of a particular customer from an enteprise model, comprising:

a server;

a storage device connected to said server;

a plurality of team terminals;

a communication link interconnecting said server and said terminals;

said server being operable for (1) maintaining a database of templates initially describing said enterprise model and procedures for developing from said enterprise model said application on said storage device and (2) serving said templates to enterprise and customer team members operating said terminals for coordinating, recording and tracking team activities with respect to said application, said serving including;

generating a summary view from said database;

displaying said summary view, said summary view comprising a folders and views sections, a task title display and selection area, a summary task creation button, a detailed task creation button, wherein said folders and views section, said task title display and selection area, said summary task creation button, said detailed task creation button visually appear together in a single contiguous display area within said summary view;

said folders and views section including category buttons relating to categories of tasks associated with developing said general procurement and accounts payable application,

said task title display and selection area adapted to include buttons for selecting tasks pertinent to said categories of tasks,

said buttons for selecting tasks identifying said tasks which may be so selected,

said buttons for selecting tasks adapted to be displayed in said task title display and selection area in response to a selection of a button of said category buttons;

said server generating and displaying a summary task template of the plurality of templates for a selected first task of said tasks identified in said task title display and selection area, said summary task template being generated and displayed in response to a selection of said summary task creation button, said summary task template including summary parameters of said selected first task, said generated summary task template being derived from said database;

said server generating and displaying a detailed tasks template of the plurality of templates for a selected second task of said tasks identified in said task title display and selection area, said detailed task template being generated and displayed in response to a selection of said detailed task creation button, said detailed task template including detailed parameters of said selected second task, said generated detailed task template being derived from said database;

said first task and said second task selectively including tasks for defining and guiding said team members in analyzing conditions that exist within a customer application, in conducting gap analysis with respect to said customer application and said enterprise model, and responsive to said gap analysis in reengineering said customer application;

for said gap analysis said first task and said second task comprising summary and detail tasks for guiding said team members in mapping said enterprise model to said requirements at both a functional and data level of detail, identifying transactions, menu paths, tables and standard reports from said enterprise model required to fulfill each functional and sub-functional requirement, identifying requirements that said enterprise model cannot meet, and identifying alternate solutions;

said server responsive to team member input for updating said database to record results of said gap analysis to respective parameters of said first and second task templates.

2. The system of claim 1, each said template storing, either directly or by way of links to other documents, materials for guiding, coordinating and documenting the work of said team members.

3. A system using an on-line data gathering tool for developing a general procurement and accounts payable application, comprising:

a server;

a storage device connected to said server including a database of templates initially configured as a generic general procurement and accounts payable application;

a plurality of team terminals including a service provider team terminal and a customer team terminal;

a communication link interconnecting said server and said terminals;

first server means for serving to said terminals from said database of templates task templates for project design and development of assessment, business controls, configuration, education, image, information technology, marketing, prccess, project management, requisition and catalog, accounts payable accounting and transition tasks;

said task templates including;

a summary view generated from said database, said summary view comprising a folders and views section, a task title display and selection area, a summary task creation button, a detailed task creation button, wherein said folders and views section, sad task title display and selection area, said summary task creation button, said detailed task creation button visually appear together in a single contiguous display area within said summary view;

said folders and views section including category buttons relating to categories of tasks associated with developing said general procurement and accounts payable application,

said task title display and selection area adapted to include buttons for selecting tasks pertinent to said categories of tasks,

said buttons for selecting tasks identifying said tasks which may be so selected,

said buttons for selecting tasks adapted to be displayed in said task title display and selection area in response to a selection of a button of said category buttons;

said first server means further for generating and displaying a summary task template of the plurality of templates for a selected first task of said tasks identified in said task title display and selection area, said summary task template being generated and displayed in response to a selection of said summary task creation button, said summary task template including summary parameters of said selected first task, said generated summary task template being derived from said database;

said first server means further generating and displaying a detailed tasks template of the plurality of templates for a selected second task of said tasks identified in said task title display and selection area, said detailed task template being generated and displayed in response to a selection of said detailed task creation button, said detailed task template including detailed parameters of said selected second task, said generated detailed task template being derived from said database;

second server means for receiving from said service provider team terminal and said customer team terminal development adaptations to said task templates;

third server means for adapting said task templates initially configured as a generic general procurement and accounts payable application into a customer specific general procurement and accounts payable application;

said third server means defining and guiding said team members in analyzing conditions that exist within a customer application, in conducting a gap analysis with respect to said customer application and an enterprise model, and responsive to said gap analysis in reengineering said customer application;

for said gap analysis said first task and said second task comprising in respective summary and detail tasks for guiding said team members in mapping said enterprise model to said requirements at both a functional and data level of detail, identifying transactions, menu paths, tables and standard retports from said enterprise model required to fulfill each functional and sub-functional requirement, identifying requirements that said enteprise model cannot meet, and identifying alternative solutions;

said third server means responsive to team member input for updating said database to record results of said gap analysis to respective parameters of said first and second task templates; and

fourth server means for implementing said general procurement and accounts payable application.

4. The system of claim 3, each said template storing, either directly or by way of links to other documents, materials for guiding, coordinating and documenting the work of said team members.

5. A method for using an on-line data gathering tool for developing a general procurement and accounts payable application, comprising:

initially configuring in a storage device connected to a server a database of templates as a generic general procurement and accounts payable application;

interconnecting said server with a plurality of team terminals including a service provider team terminal and a customer team terminal;

serving to said terminals from said database of templates task templates for project design and development of assessment, business controls, configuration, education, image, information technology, marketing, process, project management, requisition and catalog, accounts payable accounting and transition tasks, said task templates further for defining and guiding said team members in analyzing conditions that exist within a customer application, conducting a gap analysis with respect to said customer application and an enterprise model, and responsive to said gap analysis in reengineering said customer application;

said task templates including a summary view generated from said database, said summary view comprising a folders and views section, a task title display and selection area, a summary task creation button, a detailed task creation button, wherein said folders and views section, said task title display and selection area, said summary task creation button, said detailed task creation button visually appear together in a single contiguous display area within said summary view;

said folders and views section including category buttons relating to categories of task associated with developing said general procurement and accounts payable application,

said task title display and selection area adapted to include buttons for selecting tasks pertinent to said categories of tasks,

said buttons for selecting tasks identifying said tasks which may be so selected,

said buttons for selecting tasks adapted to be displayed in said task title display and selection area in response to a selection of a button of said category buttons;

generating and displaying a summary task template of the plurality of templates for a selected first task of said tasks identified in said task title display and selection area, said summary task template being generated and displayed in response to a selection of said summary task creation button, said summary task template including summary parameters of said selected first task, said generated summary task template being derived from said database;

generating and displaying a detailed tasks template of the plurality of templates for a selected second task of said tasks identified in said task title display and selection area, said detailed task template being generated and displayed in response to a selection of said detailed task creation button, said detailed task template including detailed parameters of said selected second task, said generated detailed task template being derived from said database;

receiving from said service provider team terminal and said customer team terminal development adaptations to said task templates, including;

for said gap analysis said first task and said second task comprising summary and detail tasks for guiding said team members in mapping said enterprise model to said requirements at both a functional and data level of detail, identifying transactions, menu paths, tables and standard reports from said enterprise model required to fulfill each functional and sub-functional requirement, identifying requirements that said enterprise model cannot meet, and identifying alternate solutions;

said server responsive to team member input for updating said database to record results of said gap analysis to respective parameters of said first and second task templates;

adapting said task templates initially configured as a generic general procurement and accounts payable application into a customer specific general procurement and accounts payable application; and

implementing said general procurement and accounts payable application.

6. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a machine to perform operations for using an on-line data gathering tool for developing a general procurement and accounts payable application, said operations comprising:

initially configuring in a storage device connected to a server a database of templates as a generic general procurement and accounts payable application;

interconnecting said server with a plurality of team terminals including a service provider team terminal and a customer team terminal;

serving to said terminals from said database of templates task templates for project design and development of assessment, business controls, configuration, education, image, information technology, marketing, process, project management, requisition and catalog, accounts payable accounting and transition tasks;

said task templates including a summary view generated from said database;

said summary view comprising a folders and views section, a task title display and selection area, a summary task creation button, a detailed task creation button, wherein said folders and views section, said task title display and selection area, said summary task creation button, said detailed task creation button visually appear together in a single contiguous display area within said summary view;

said folders and views section including category buttons relating to categories of tasks associated with developing said general procurement and accounts payable application,

said task title display and selection area adapted to include buttons for selecting tasks pertinent to said categories of tasks,

said buttons for selecting tasks identifying said tasks which may be so selected,

said buttons for selecting tasks adapted to be displayed in said task title display and selection area in response to a selection of a button of said category buttons;

generating and displaying a summary task template of the plurality of templates for a selected first task of said tasks identified in said task title display and selection area, said summary task template being generated and displayed in response to a selection of said summary task creation button, said summary task template including summary parameters of said selected first task, said generated summary task template being derived from said database;

generating and displaying a detailed tasks template of the plurality of templates for a selected second task of said tasks identified in said task title display and selection area, said detailed task template being generated and displayed in response to a selection of said detailed task creation button, said detailed task template including detailed parameters of said selected second task, said generated detailed task template being derived from said database;

receiving from said service provider team terminal and said customer team terminal development adaptations to said task templates;

adapting said task templates initially configured as a generic general procurement and accounts payable application into a customer specific general procurement and accounts payable application by defining and guiding team members in analyzing conditions that exist within a customer application, conducting a gap analysis with respect to said customer application and said generic general procurement and accounts payable application, and responsive to said gap analysis in reengineering said customer application into said customer specific general procurement and accounts payable application;

for said gap analysis said first task and said second task comprising summary and detail tasks for guiding said team members in mapping said enterprise model to said requirements at both a functional and data level of detail, identifying transactions, menu paths, tables and standard reports from said enterprise model required to fulfill each functional and sub-functional requirement, identifying requirements that said enterprise model cannot meet, and identifying alternative solution;

said server responsive to team member input for updating said database to record result of said gap analysis to respective parameters of said first and second task templates; and

implementing said customer specific general procurement and accounts payable application.

7. A computer program product for using an on-line data gathering tool for developing a general procurement and accounts payable application comprising:

a computer readable medium;

first program instructions for initially configuring in a storage device connected to a server a database of templates as a generic general procurement and accounts payable application;

second program instructions for interconnecting said server with a plurality of team terminals including a service provider team terminal and a customer team terminal;

third program instructions for serving to said terminals from said database of templates task templates for project design and development of assessment, business controls, configuration, education, image, information technology, marketing, process, project management, requisition and catalog, accounts payable accounting and transition tasks;

said serving including operating a summary view from said database and displaying said summary view, said summary view comprising a folders and views section, a task title display and selection area, a summary task creation button, a detailed task creation button, wherein said folders and views section, said task title display and selection area, said summary task creation button, said detailed task creation button visually appear together in a single contiguous display area within said summary view;

said folders and views section including category buttons relating to categories of tasks associated with developing said general procurement and accounts payable application,

said task title display and selection area adapted to include buttons for selecting tasks pertinent to said categories of tasks,

said buttons for selecting tasks identifying said tasks which may be so selected,

said buttons for selecting tasks adapted to be displayed in said task title display and selection area in response to a selection of a button of said category buttons;

said third program instructions further for generating and displaying a summary task template of the plurality of templates for a selected first task of said tasks identified in said task title display and selection area, said summary task template being generated and displayed in response to a selection of said summary task creation button, said summary task template including summary parameters of said selected first task, said generated summary task template being derived from said database;

said third program instructions further for generating and displaying a detailed tasks template of the plurality of templates for a selected second task of said tasks identified in said task title display and selection area, said detailed task template being generated and displayed in response to a selection of said detailed task creation button, said detailed task template including detailed parameters of said selected second task, said generated detailed task template being derived from said database;

fourth program instructions for receiving from said service provider team terminal and said customer team terminal development adaptations to said task templates;

fifth program instructions for adapting said task templates initially configured as a generic general procurement and accounts payable application into a customer specific general procurement and accounts payable application by defining and guiding team members in analyzing conditions that exist within a customer application, in conducting a gap analysis with respect to said customer application and said generic general procurement and accounts payable application, and responsive to said gap analysis in reengineering said customer application into said customer specific general procurement and accounts payable application;

for said gap analysis said first task and said second task comprising respective summary and detail tasks for guiding said team members in mapping an enterprise model to requirements of said customer at both a functional and data level of detail, identifying transactions, menu paths, tables and standard reports from said enterprise model required to fulfill each functional and sub-functional requirement, identifying requirements that said enterprise model cannot meet, and identifying alternate solutions;

responsive to team member input for updating said database to record results of said gap analysis to respective parameters of said first and second task templates; and

sixth program instructions for implementing said general procurement and accounts payable application; and

wherein

said first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth program instructions are recorded on said computer readable medium.

8. A system using an on-line data gathering tool for developing a general procurement and accounts payable application, comprising:

means for initially configuring in a storage device connected to a server a database of templates as a generic general procurement and accounts payable application;

means for interconnecting said server with a plurality of team terminals including a service provider team terminal and a customer team terminal;

means for serving to said terminals from said database of templates task templates for project design and development of assessment, business controls, configuration, education, image, information technology, marketing, process, project management, requisition and catalog, accounts payable accounting and transition tasks;

means for generating a summary view from said database;

means for displaying said summary view, said summary view comprising a folders and views section, a task title display and selection area, a summary task creation button, a detailed task creation button, wherein said folders and views section, said task title display and selection area, said summary task creation button, said detailed task creation button visually appear together in a single contiguous display area within said summary view;

said folders and views section including category buttons relating to categories of tasks associated with developing said general procurement and accounts payable application,

said task title display and selection area adapted to include buttons for selecting tasks pertinent to said categories of tasks,

said buttons for selecting tasks identifying said tasks which may be so selected,

said buttons for selecting tasks adapted to be displayed in said task title display and selection area in response to a selection of a button of said category buttons;

means for generating and displaying a summary task template of the plurality of templates for a selected first task of said tasks identified in said task title display and selection area, said summary task template being generated and displayed in response to a selection of said summary task creation button, said summary task template including summary parameters of said selected first task, said generated summary task template being derived from said database;

means for generating and displaying a detailed tasks template of the plurality of templates for a selected second task of said tasks identified in said task title display and selection area, said detailed task template being generated and displayed in response to a selection of said detailed task creation button, said detailed task template including detailed parameters of said selected second task, said generated detailed task template being derived from said database;

means for receiving from said service provider team terminal and said customer team terminal development adaptations to said task templates;

means for adapting said task templates initially configured as an enterprise model of a generic general procurement and accounts payable application into a customer specific general procurement and accounts payable application by defining and guiding team members in analyzing conditions that exist within a customer application, in conducting a gap analysis with respect to said customer application and said generic general procurement and accounts payable application, and responsive to said gap analysis in reengineering said customer application into said customer specific general procurement and accounts payable application, including

for said gap analysis said first task and said second task comprising respective summary and detail tasks for guiding said team member in mapping said enterprise model to said customer specific general procurement and accounts payable application at both a functional and data level of detail, identifying transactions, menu paths, tables and standard reports from said enterprise model required to fulfill each functional and sub-functional requirement of said customer specific general procurement and accounts payable application, identifying requirements that said enterprise model cannot meet, and identifying alternate solutions; and

responsive to team member input for updating said database to record results of said gap analysis to respective parameters of said first and second task templates; and

means for implementing said customer specific general procurement and accounts payable application.