Apparatuses and methods for dynamic creation of phase Gantt charts

• US 7,505,998 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2004
• Issued: 03/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Barrett, Kevin R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pardo; Thuy N
• Application Number:
  US10/888,000
• Publication Number:
  US 20050160084A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,712 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/102, 707/10, 707/1, 707/101, 707/103.X, 707/104.1, 707/103.R, 345/440, 345/779, 705/1, 705/7, 705/9, 718/100, 715/848, 715/835, 455/445
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A method for dynamic creation of a phase Gantt chart, includes entering project management data into a repository, receiving a request from at least one client to obtain the project management data and generating the phase Gantt chart in response to the received request based on the project management data stored in the repository.

Claims

1. A method for dynamic creation of a phase Gantt chart, comprising:

entering project management data into a repository, the project management data comprising a plurality of tasks of an associated project plan;

receiving a request from at least one client to obtain the project management data;

generating the phase Gantt chart in response to the received request based on the project management data stored in the repository, the Gantt chart graphically displaying a time relationship between at least one of the plurality of tasks and a total time span of the associated project plan; and

linking the Gantt chart to at least one list of tasks that are at risk, a task that is at risk comprising a task that has not been finished and is behind schedule with respect to an identified tolerance range.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one client has access to a web browser.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing at least one server, wherein the at least one server comprises one or more software applications and a repository server.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the repository server comprises portal tablespace, project management tablespace, and a repository.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the software applications comprise a reporting tool application and a project management application.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the reporting tool application generates one or more reports.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the reports are an effort expended by project report, a project stage status report, a task status report, a project resources assignments report, a submitted time report, a project status report, a submitted time by project report, and a added tasks by project report.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the project management application comprises one or more software applications.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the software applications comprise a client based software application and a portal application, comprising at least one portlet.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the client based software application processes the project management data by simultaneously entering and retrieving the project management data.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the portal application provides a personalized view of the project management data for each client.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein a portlet container comprises at least one portlet of the portal application.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the portlets are a create resource portlet, a resource search portlet, a view resource portlet, a edit resource portlet, a delete resource portlet, a project search portlet, a delete project portlet, a view project portlet, a unlock project portlet, a project management gantt list portlet, a project phases portlet, a tasks at risk portlet, a task status portlet, a tolerance settings portlet, a resource list portlet, a team member to do list portlet, a task details portlet, and a resource list portlet.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the portlets comprise a GUI, one or more user fields and one or more user links.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the project management data can be filtered for each client based on predetermined criteria.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the entering, receiving and generating steps are performed by a java servlet.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein a first java servlet generates a user interface that generates HTML for a screen and a second java servlet generates images.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein a java servlet obtains input parameters, gathers project data, outputs javascript data and functions, calculates and outputs a gantt chart, and outputs HTML details.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the java servlets include a project status list servlet, a project phase status servlet, a at risk task list servlet, a task status servlet, a task resource status list servlet, a color bar image servlet, a gantt task complete image servlet, a assignment status list servlet, a assignment status servlet, and a assignment resource status list servlet.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating step further comprises determining a start and end date;

determining an actual time between the start and end date, and assembling in HTML a phase Gantt chart.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the client can customize the generation of the phase Gantt chart.

15. A method for dynamic creation of a phase Gantt chart, comprising:

entering project management data into a repository;

receiving a request from at least one client to obtain the project management data; and

generating the phase Gantt chart in response to the received request based on the project management data stored in the repository;

wherein the entering step further comprises determining if the project management data already exists in the repository, and entering a name and code if it is determined that the project management data does not exist in the repository; and

linking the Gantt chart to at least one list of tasks that are at risk, a task that is at risk comprising a task that has not been finished and is behind schedule with respect to an identified tolerance range.

23. An apparatus for dynamic creation of a phase Gantt chart, comprising:

a repository for storing project management data;

at least one processor having access to the repository, the at least one processor comprising;

a unit for entering project management data into the repository, the project management data comprising a plurality of tasks of an associated project plan;

a unit for receiving a request from at least one client to obtain the project management data;

a unit for generating the phase Gantt chart in response to the received request based on the project management data stored in the repository, the Gantt chart graphically displaying a time relationship between at least one of the plurality of tasks and a total time span of the associated project plan; and

a unit for linking the Gantt chart to at least one list of tasks that are at risk, a task that is at risk comprising a task that has not been and is behind schedule with respect to an identified tolerance range.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the at least one client has access to a web browser.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising access to at least one server, wherein the at least one server comprises one or more software applications and a repository server.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the repository server comprises portal tablespace, project management tablespace, and a repository.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the software applications comprise a reporting tool application and a project management application.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the reporting tool application generates one or more reports.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the reports are an effort expended by project report, a project stage status report, a task status report, a project resources assignments report, a submitted time report, a project status report, a submitted time by project report, and a added tasks by project report.

30. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the project management application comprises one or more software applications.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the software applications comprise a client based software application and a portal application, comprising at least one portlet.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the client based software application processes the project management data by simultaneously entering and retrieving the project management data.

33. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the portal application provides a personalized view of the project management data for each client.

34. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein a portlet container comprises at least one portlet of the portal application.

35. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the portlets are a create resource portlet, a resource search portlet, a view resource portlet, a edit resource portlet, a delete resource portlet, a project search portlet, a delete project portlet, a view project portlet, a unlock project portlet, a project management gantt list portlet, a project phases portlet, a tasks at risk portlet, a task status portlet, a tolerance settings portlet, a resource list portlet, a team member to do list portlet, a task details portlet, and a resource list portlet.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the portlets comprise a GUI, one or more user fields and one or more user links.

37. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the means for entering further comprises means for determining if the project management data already exists in the repository, and means for entering a name and code if it is determined that the project management data does not exist in the repository.

38. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the project management data can be filtered for each client based on predetermined criteria.

39. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein a java servlet comprises the means for entering, receiving and generating.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein a first java servlet generates a user interface that generates HTML for a screen and a second java servlet generates images.

41. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein a java servlet obtains input parameters, gathers project data, outputs javascript data and functions, calculates and outputs a gantt chart, and outputs HTML details.

42. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the java servlets include a project status list servlet, a project phase status servlet, a at risk task list servlet, a task status servlet, a task resource status list servlet, a color bar image servlet, a gantt task complete image servlet, a assignment status list servlet, a assignment status servlet, and a assignment resource status list servlet.

43. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the means for generating further comprises means for determining a start and end date;

means for determining an actual time between the start and end date, and means for assembling in HTML a phase Gantt chart.

44. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the client can customize the generation of the phase Gantt chart.

45. A computer storage medium including computer executable code for dynamic creation of a phase Gantt chart, comprising:

code for entering project management data into a repository, the project management data comprising a plurality of tasks of an associated project plan;

code for receiving a request from at least one client to obtain the project management data;

code for generating the phase Gantt chart in response to the received request based on the project management data stored in the repository, the Gantt chart graphically displaying a time relationship between at least one of the plurality of tasks and a total time span of the associated project plan; and

code for linking the Gantt chart to at least one list of tasks that are at risk, a task that is at risk comprising a task that has not been finished and is behind schedule with respect to an identified tolerance range.

46. The computer storage medium of claim 45, wherein the at least one client has access to a web browser.

47. The computer storage medium of claim 45, further comprising code for providing access to at least one server, wherein the at least one server comprises one or more software applications and a repository server.

48. The computer storage medium of claim 47, wherein the repository server comprises portal tablespace, project management tablespace, and a repository.

49. The computer storage medium of claim 47, wherein the software applications comprise a reporting tool application and a project management application.

50. The computer storage medium of claim 49, wherein the reporting tool application generates one or more reports.

51. The computer storage medium of claim 50, wherein the reports are a effort expended by project report, a project stage status report, a task status report, a project resources assignments report, a submitted time report, a project status report, a submitted time by project report, and a added tasks by project report.

52. The computer storage medium of claim 49, wherein the project management application comprises one or more software applications.

53. The computer storage medium of claim 52, wherein the software applications comprise a client based software application and a portal application, comprising at least one portlet.

54. The computer storage medium of claim 53, wherein the client based software application processes the project management data by simultaneously entering and retrieving the project management data.

55. The computer storage medium of claim 53, wherein the portal application provides a personalized view of the project management data for each client.

56. The computer storage medium of claim 53, wherein a portlet container comprises at least one portlet of the portal application.

57. The computer storage medium of claim 53, wherein the portlets are a create resource portlet, a resource search portlet, a view resource portlet, a edit resource portlet, a delete resource portlet, a project search portlet, a delete project portlet, a view project portlet, a unlock project portlet, a project management gantt list portlet, a project phases portlet, a tasks at risk portlet, a task status portlet, a tolerance settings portlet, a resource list portlet, a team member to do list portlet, a task details portlet, and a resource list portlet.

58. The computer storage medium of claim 57, wherein the portlets comprise a GUI, one or more user fields and one or more user links.

59. The computer storage medium of claim 45, wherein the code for entering step further comprises code for determining if the project management data already exists in the repository and code for entering a name and code if it is determined that the project management data does not exist in the repository.

60. The computer storage medium of claim 45, wherein the project management data can be filtered for each client based on predetermined criteria.

61. The computer storage medium of claim 45, wherein the code for entering, receiving and generating is performed by a java servlet.

62. The computer storage medium of claim 61, wherein a first java servlet generates a user interface that generates HTML for a screen and a second java servlet generates images.

63. The computer storage medium of claim 61, wherein a java servlet obtains input parameters, gathers project data, outputs javascript data and functions, calculates and outputs a gantt chart, and outputs HTML details.

64. The computer storage medium of claim 61, wherein the java servlets include a project status list servlet, a project phase status servlet, a at risk task list servlet, a task status servlet, a task resource status list servlet, a color bar image servlet, a gantt task complete image servlet, a assignment status list servlet, a assignment status servlet, and a assignment resource status list servlet.

65. The computer storage medium of claim 45, wherein the code for generating further comprises code for determining a start and end date;

code for determining an actual time between the start and end date, and code for assembling in HTML a phase Gantt chart.

66. The computer storage medium of claim 45, wherein the client can customize the generation of the phase Gantt chart.