Project planning system

Abstract

An interactive and collaborative, planning, designing and facilitating tool that connects users with organized information and relevant data, providers and facilitators to resolve technical issues in conceptualizing, designing and implementing a custom project.

1 . A computer program product for managing projects comprising:
 a computer useable medium having computer readable instructions embodied therein for generating a project planning document, wherein the computer readable instructions when executed on a computer cause the computer to:   generate a first report that includes parameters, guidelines, product selection and service selection relating to a project selected by a first user;   generate a second report that includes modifications to at least one of the parameters, guidelines, product selection, and service selection relating to the project based on input by a second user; and   generate a third report that journals actions taken in implementing the project using at least a portion of the parameters, guidelines, product selection and service selection set forth in the first report and as modified in the second report.   
     
     
         2 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the computer readable instructions when executed on the computer cause the computer to:
 generate a final report including at least the first, second and third reports.   
     
     
         3 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the computer readable instructions when executed on the computer cause the computer to:
 prompt the first user to link to information to search, view and select the parameters, guidelines, product selection and service selection.   
     
     
         4 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the computer readable instructions when executed on the computer cause the computer to:
 prompt the first user to link to information provided by information providers to search, view and select the parameters, guidelines, product selection and service selection.   
     
     
         5 . The computer program product of  claim 4 , wherein the information providers comprise public sector groups, industry professionals, manufacturers and industry service professionals. 
     
     
         6 . The computer program product of  claim 4 , wherein the information comprises service listings, manufacturer showrooms, professional showcases, and network listings. 
     
     
         7 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the computer readable instructions when executed on the computer cause the computer to:
 maintain the parameters, guidelines, product selection and service selection as input by the first user and as modified by the second user in a planning sheet; and   maintain the journal of the actions taken in implementing the project in the planning sheet.   
     
     
         8 . The computer program product of  claim 7 , wherein the planning sheet comprises plan sections representing different plan section categories related to aspects of the project and each plan section including a listing of tasks and requirements related to a particular category, wherein the computer readable instructions when executed on the computer cause the computer to:
 segregate the parameters, guidelines, product selection and service selection into the appropriate plan section categories.   
     
     
         9 . The computer program product of  claim 8 , wherein the different plan section categories comprise categories, subcategories and sub-subcategories that are individually searchable. 
     
     
         10 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the computer readable instructions when executed on the computer cause the computer to:
 create a planning sheet including plan sections representing different plan section categories related to aspects of the project and each plan section including a listing of tasks and requirements related to a particular category;   segregate the parameters, guidelines, product selection and service selection into the appropriate plan section categories;   maintain the parameters, guidelines, product selection and service selection as input by the first user and as modified by the second user and third users; and   maintain the journal of the actions taken in implementing the project.   
     
     
         11 . The computer program product of  claim 10 , wherein the planning sheets are searchable by the first user, the second user and the third user, while only being modifiable by only one of the first user, the second user and the third user at a given time. 
     
     
         12 . The computer program product of  claim 10 , wherein the different plan section categories are individually searchable. 
     
     
         13 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the modifications to the parameters, guidelines, product selection and service selection relating to the project made by the second user in collaboration with the first user further comprises modifications to the parameters, guidelines, product selection and service selection relating to the project made by the second user in collaboration with the first user and in further collaboration with a fourth user. 
     
     
         14 . The computer program product of  claim 13 , wherein the fourth user comprises a user taken from the group of service sector professionals, government agency reviewers, property maintenance providers and property mangers. 
     
     
         15 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the first user comprises an owner/developer of a building construction project, the second user comprises construction industry professionals, and the third user comprises a general contractor. 
     
     
         16 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the first user comprises at least one individual desirous of planning a custom project, the second user comprises at least one individual having the expertise, the information, the resources and the ability to collaborate and comment on the custom project and the third user comprises at least one individual having the expertise, the information, the resources and the ability to cause the custom project to be implemented. 
     
     
         17 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the first, second and third reports may comprise a physical compilation of data, or alternatively, the guides may be a virtual (electronic) compilation of data. 
     
     
         18 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the parameters, guidelines, product selection and service selection comprise monetary bids provided by qualified professionals for providing products and services. 
     
     
         19 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the parameters, guidelines, product selection and service selection comprise information received from at least one of the following sources: service listings, professional showcases, network listings, manufacturers' showrooms, the inspiration gallery, the scrapbook, the design center, and the consultation package. 
     
     
         20 . A computer-implemented method for generating a planning document comprising:
 receiving an input from a first user that includes user selections relating to a project type;   generating planning sheets related to the project type and populating segments of the planning sheets with a first set of data categorized based on the user selections;   granting access to the planning sheets to a second user and allowing the second user to modify at least a portion of the first set of data to create a second set of data in the segments of the planning sheets; and   granting access to the planning sheets to a third user and allowing the third user to journal the actions to be taken in implementing a project based on at least portions of the first and second sets of data in the planning sheets.   
     
     
         21 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 20 , further comprising:
 prompting the first user to input the user selections including parameters, guidelines and product and service selections.   
     
     
         22 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 20 , further comprising:
 prompting the first user to link to information to search, view and select parameters, guidelines, product selections and service selections to be included in the user selections.   
     
     
         23 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 20 , further comprising:
 prompting the first user to link to information provided by information providers to search, view and select the information to be included in the user selections.   
     
     
         24 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 23 , wherein the information providers comprise public sector groups, industry professionals, manufactures and industry service professionals. 
     
     
         25 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 23 , wherein the information comprises service listings, manufacturer showrooms, professional showcases, network listings. 
     
     
         26 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 20 , wherein the planning sheets comprise a listing of tasks and requirements related to the project type. 
     
     
         27 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 20 , wherein the segments of the planning sheets comprise plan sections that represent different categories related to the aspects of the project type. 
     
     
         28 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 27 , wherein the different categories comprise categories, subcategories and sub-subcategories that are individually searchable. 
     
     
         29 . The computer implemented method of  claim 20 , wherein allowing the modification to the first set of data is made in a collaborative effort between the first user and the second user. 
     
     
         30 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 20 , further comprising:
 filtering the input to segregate the first set of data to a particular segment of the planning sheets based on parameters and guidelines provided in the user selections.   
     
     
         31 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 20 , further comprising:
 filtering the input to narrow the first set of data based on preferences designated in the user selections.   
     
     
         32 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 20 , wherein the first user comprises an Owner/developer of a building construction project, the second user comprises construction industry professionals, and the third user comprises a general contractor. 
     
     
         33 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 20 , wherein the first user comprises at least one individual desirous of planning a custom project, the second user comprises at least one individual who possess the expertise or information, and may be hired or at least made available to the first user as a resource having the ability to collaborate and comment on the custom project and the third user comprises at least one individual that may be hired or made available to the first user and the second user to cause the custom project to be implemented in a manner requested by the first user and the second user. 
     
     
         34 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 20 , further comprising:
 generating a first guide including the first set of data;   generating a second guide including the second set of data; and   generating a third guide including the actions taken in implementing the project.   
     
     
         35 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 34 , further comprising outputting the first guide, the second guide and the third guide as individual guides. 
     
     
         36 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 20 , further comprising:
 outputting a final planning document including at least a portion of the first set of data; at least a portion of the second set of data, and a journal of the actions taken in implementing the project.   
     
     
         37 . A computer-implemented system comprising
 a network interface circuitry configured to receive data and transmit data over a network; and   at least one data processor coupled to the network interface circuitry and configured by executable instructions to generate a project planning document, the executable instructions including executable instructions for:   receiving an input including user selections relating to a project type, the input provided by a first user;   generating a first guide including a first set of data compiled based on designated preferences defined in the user selections;   generating a second guide including a second set of data including at least a portion of the first set of data modified by a second user; and   generating a third guide recording the actions taken in implementing a project plan based on at least portions of the first and second sets of data.   
     
     
         38 . The computer-implemented system of  claim 37 , further comprising executable instructions for: assembling the first, second and third guides into a final guide. 
     
     
         39 . The computer-implemented system of  claim 37 , further comprising executable instructions for: prompting the first user to input the user selections including parameters, guidelines and product and service selections. 
     
     
         40 . The computer-implemented system of  claim 37 , further comprising executable instructions for: prompting the first user to link to information to search, view and select parameters, guidelines, product selections and service selections to be included in the user selections. 
     
     
         41 . The computer-implemented system of  claim 37 , further comprising executable instructions for:
 prompting the first user to link to information provided by information providers to search, view and select the information to be included in the user selections.   
     
     
         42 . The computer-implemented system of  claim 41 , wherein the information providers comprise public sector groups, industry professionals, manufactures and industry service professionals. 
     
     
         43 . The computer-implemented system of  claim 41 , wherein the information comprises service listings, manufacturer showrooms, professional showcases, network listings. 
     
     
         44 . The computer-implemented system of  claim 37 , further comprising executable instructions for:
 creating a planning sheet including plan sections representing different plan section categories related to aspects of the project and each plan section including a listing of tasks and requirements related to a particular category;   segregating the user selections into the appropriate plan section categories;   maintaining the user selections as input by the first user and as modified by the second user and third users; and   maintaining the journal of the actions taken in implementing the project.   
     
     
         45 . The computer-implemented system of  claim 44 , wherein the planning sheets are searchable by the first user, the second user and the third user, while only being modifiable by only one of the first user, the second user and the third user at a given time. 
     
     
         46 . The computer-implemented system of  claim 44 , wherein the different plan section categories are individually searchable. 
     
     
         47 . The computer-implemented system of  claim 37 , further comprising executable instructions for:
 filtering the input to narrow the first set of data based on the preferences designated in the user selections.   
     
     
         48 . The computer-implemented system of  claim 37 , wherein the first user comprises an owner/developer of a building construction project, the second user comprises construction industry professionals, and the third user comprises a general contractor. 
     
     
         49 . The computer-implemented system of  claim 37 , wherein the first user comprises at least one individual desirous of planning a custom project, the second user comprises at least one individual who possess the expertise or information, and may be hired or at least made available to the first user as a resource having the ability to collaborate and comment on the custom project and the third user comprises at least one individual that may be hired or made available to the first user and the second user to cause the custom project to be implemented in a manner requested by the first user and the second user. 
     
     
         50 . The computer-implemented system of  claim 37 , further comprising executable instructions for:
 outputting a final planning document including at least a portion of the first guide; at least a portion of the second guide, and a third guide including a journal of the actions taken in implementing the project.