Method and system for object-oriented management of multi-dimensional data

Abstract

Methods and systems for managing and analyzing multi-dimensional data are provided. Example embodiments provide a Meta-Object Data Management System “MODMS,” which enables users to arrange and to rearrange the hierarchical relationships of the data on an ad-hoc basis and allows the data to be analyzed using any set of attributes (dimensions) while the system is running. The MODMS represents heterogeneous data in a normalized (standardized) fashion using an object type management system that allows the arbitrary coercion of one type of object into another different type of object and automatically resolves attribute dependencies. In one embodiment, the MODMS comprises an object type management subsystem; a meta-object instantiation subsystem; one or more data repositories that hold, for example, the data used to populate objects and object type definitions; and an input/output interface. These components cooperate to allow the creation, management, and analysis of relationships between many different types of single and multi-dimensional data. In one embodiment, the MODMS is used to implement an enterprise portfolio management system.

1 . A method in a computing system for electronically managing a plurality of types of enterprise portfolio data, the portfolio data having investment items, the computer system defining an object type to correspond to each of the plurality of types of portfolio data, each object type defining a plurality of attributes, comprising:
 under control of the computing system, for each investment item,
 instantiating an object as an instance of the object type that corresponds to the investment item, the instantiated object containing a plurality of attributes; and 
 setting values of the plurality of attributes of the instantiated object based upon data associated with the investment item, 
   
       wherein at least one of the investment items is a financial investment item that reflects financial investment data and at least another one of the investment items is a project management item that reflects project related data and the instantiated objects that correspond to the financial investment item and the project management item are stored and managed by the computing system as interchangeable items. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving additional portfolio data;   dynamically adding a new object type to correspond to the received data, the new object type defining a new plurality of attributes; and   instantiating a new object as an instance of the new object type to correspond to the received data and setting values of the plurality of attributes defined by the new object type based upon the received data.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein sources for the portfolio data reside in a plurality of separate data repositories that belong to distinct organizations within an enterprise. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the investment items are at least two of financial investments, project management, collections of projects, products, programs, assets, human resources, portfolios, initiatives, applications, operations, processes, and activities. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , the enterprise portfolio data comprising at least two of engineering, marketing, product management, manufacturing, sales, information technology, finance, human resources, research, development, and professional services portfolios. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the attributes has multiple dimensions yielding multiple sets of values for the at least one attribute. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the attribute dimensions are at least two of actual value, baseline value, plan value, target value, and scenario value. 
     
     
         8 . A computer-readable storage medium containing content to control a computer processor when executed to manage a plurality of types of enterprise portfolio data, the portfolio data having investment items, the computer system defining an object type to correspond to each of the plurality of types of portfolio data, each object type defining a plurality of attributes, by performing a method comprising:
 a memory;   for each investment item,
 instantiating an object in the memory as an instance of the object type that corresponds to the investment item, the instantiated object containing a plurality of attributes; and 
 setting values of the plurality of attributes of the instantiated object based upon data associated with the investment item; 
   
       wherein at least one of the investment items is a financial investment item that reflects financial investment data and at least another one of the investment items is a project management item that reflects project related data and the instantiated objects that correspond to the financial investment item and the project management item are stored and managed as interchangeable items. 
     
     
         9 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 8 , the method further comprising:
 receiving additional portfolio data;   dynamically adding a new object type to correspond to the received data, the new object type defining a new plurality of attributes; and   instantiating a new object in the memory as an instance of the new object type to correspond to the received data and setting values of the plurality of attributes defined by the new object type based upon the received data.   
     
     
         10 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 8  wherein sources for the portfolio data reside in a plurality of separate data repositories that belong to distinct organizations within an enterprise. 
     
     
         11 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 8  wherein the investment items are at least two of financial investments, project management, collections of projects, products, programs, assets, human resources, portfolios, initiatives, applications, operations, processes, and activities. 
     
     
         12 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 8 , the enterprise portfolio data comprising at least two of engineering, marketing, product management, manufacturing, sales, information technology, finance, human resources, research, development, and professional services portfolios. 
     
     
         13 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 8  wherein at least one of the attributes has multiple dimensions yielding multiple sets of values for the at least one attribute. 
     
     
         14 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 13  wherein the attribute dimensions are at least two of actual value, baseline value, plan value, target value, and scenario value. 
     
     
         15 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 8  wherein the medium is a memory in a computing system and the contents are instructions that control a computer processor to perform the method. 
     
     
         16 . A portfolio management computing system for managing portfolios of investment items, comprising:
 a memory;   an object type management system that is configured, when executed, to define types of investments for which objects can be instantiated in the memory and a plurality of attributes that are associated with each type;   an object instantiation system that is configured, when executed, to:
 instantiate an object in the memory as an instance of the object type that corresponds to an investment item, the instantiated object containing a plurality of attributes; and 
 set values of the plurality of attributes of the instantiated object based upon data associated with the investment item, 
   
       wherein at least one of the investment items is a financial investment item that reflects financial investment data and at least another one of the investment items is a project management item that reflects project related data and the instantiated objects that correspond to the financial investment item and the project management item are stored and managed as interchangeable items. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16  wherein the portfolio management system is an enterprise portfolio management system. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16  wherein
 the object type management system is further configured to:
 dynamically add a new object type to correspond to a received additional portfolio investment item, the new object type defining a new plurality of attributes; and 
   the object instantiation system is further configured to:
 instantiate a new object in the memory as an instance of the new object type to correspond to the received investment item; and 
 set values of the plurality of attributes defined by the new object type based upon the received investment item. 
   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 16  wherein sources for the portfolio investment items reside in a plurality of separate data repositories that belong to distinct organizations within an enterprise. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 16  wherein the investment items are at least two of financial investments, project management, collections of projects, products, programs, assets, human resources, portfolios, initiatives, applications, operations, processes, and activities. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 16 , the portfolio comprising at least two of engineering, marketing, product management, manufacturing, sales, information technology, finance, human resources, research, development, and professional services portfolios. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 16  wherein at least one of the attributes has multiple dimensions yielding multiple sets of values for the at least one attribute. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22  wherein the attribute dimensions are at least two of actual value, baseline value, plan value, target value, and scenario value.