USRE38633EExpiredUtility

Automated, electronic network based, project management server system

Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Mar 17, 1994Filed: Aug 20, 1998Granted: Oct 19, 2004

Est. expiryMar 17, 2014(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority

Inventors:Seshan R. Srinivasan

G06Q 10/063118Y10S706/919G06Q 10/06313G06Q 10/063114G06Q 10/06312G06Q 10/10

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Claims

Abstract

Design and implementation of an ‘Auto Multi-Project Server System’, which automates the tasks of Project Management Coordination, for organizational work-group team members. The ‘Auto Multi-Project Server’, referred to as AMPS, consists of a core piece of software running on a host server computer system and interacting with a messaging system such as electronic mail, fax etc. Once the AMPS system is configured for the work environment, all interactions with it by work-group team members is via messages. First the AMPS system compiles multi-project plans into a multi-project database, and tracks the ownership of projects, tasks and resources within the plans. Second the AMPS system performs automatic checking of resource requests, if resource availability limits are exceeded then resources are re-allocated to projects based on priorities, and project plans are accordingly changed Third the database is processed periodically to send out reminder follow-ups and project status reports. Fourth the databases are continuously updated based on status changes reported by work-group members. These four steps are continuously repeated enabling an automated method of multi-project management for organizational work-group team members.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified

What is claimed as the invention is:

1. A method executed by a computer system as part of a computer program, said system for coordinating the management of a project, said computer system to comprise of a central database server connected to a electronic network, said method using a two way electronic messaging system that allows different types of organizational work-group team members to send messages to the computer program and receive messages from the computer program via the said electronic network, said method storing and accessing data from a multi-project database, said method to be automatic in nature and with built in triggers which are based on the nature and status of said data without need for manual project management coordination, said project management coordination to involve all the steps of the project management cycle including planning, resource leveling, status reporting and reminding, tracking and updating plans, said method to be configurable for the said organizational work-group environment, said method comprising the steps of:
(a) identifying the owner of received message;
(b) identifying the nature of said received message;
(c) setting up said multi-project database and saving said received messages to said database according to the nature of said received message;
(d) receiving project plans and compiling project plans and saving project plans into said multi-project database;
(e) checking said project plans for resource requests against resource availability and reallocating resources if necessary based on inter-project priorities;
(f) recalculating and sending back said project plans based on resource reallocation;
(g) sending project status reports and reminders to organizational work-group team members based on the status of said triggers;
(h) receiving project updates and status changes and updating said project database;
(i) repeating steps (a) through (h) on a periodic basis, as desired by said organizational work-group team members.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said identifying the owner of the message step additionally comprises the step of identifying the incoming user messages and authorizing them against a valid list of users.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said identifying the nature of the message step additionally comprises the step of checking the consistency of data sent to it via user messages, prior to processing the messages; has means to reject and return user messages which are inconsistent.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said compiling project plans step additionally comprises the step of computing task completion dates based on project start date and inter-dependencies among tasks.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said saving project plans step additionally comprises the step of creating a project database of information on the project, with all necessary information for follow-up of progress and all necessary information for reporting progress.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said recalculating project plans based on resource reallocation step additionally comprises the step of recomputing task duration&#39;s and completion dates of tasks.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said sending project status reports and reminders step additionally comprises the step of processing each project database and generating outgoing reminder messages for task leaders whose tasks are pending.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said sending project status reports step additionally comprises the step for soliciting for updates to project and database status information.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said sending project status reports step additionally comprises the step of sending messages to task leaders, on status of inter-dependent tasks.

10. A method executed by a computer system as part of a computer program,

said system for coordinating the management of a project comprising at least one task,

said computer system comprising a central database server connected to an electronic network,

said method using a two - way electronic messaging system that allows organizational work - group team members to send messages to the computer program and receive messages from the computer program via said electronic network,

said method storing and accessing data from a project database,

said method further comprising built - in triggers which are based on the nature and status of said data without need for manual project management coordination,
said project management coordination to include planning, resource leveling, status reporting and reminding, tracking and updating plans, said method to be configurable for said organizational work - group environment, and

said method comprising:

( a ) identifying the owner of a received message;
( b ) identifying the nature of said received message;
( c ) setting up said project database and saving said received messages to said project database according to the nature of said received message;
( d ) receiving project plans and compiling project plans and saving project plans into said project database;
( e ) checking said project plans for resource requests against resource availability and reallocating resources if necessary based on inter - task priorities;
( f ) recalculating and sending back said project plans based on resource reallocation;
( g ) sending project status reports and reminders to organizational work - group team members based on the status of said triggers;
( h ) receiving project updates and status changes and updating said project database;
repeating steps ( a ) through ( h ) as desired by said organizational work - group team members.

11. An apparatus for coordinating the management of a project comprising at least one task,

said apparatus comprising a computer system including a computer program,

said computer system to comprise a central database server connected to an electronic network,

said apparatus using a two - way electronic messaging system that allows organization work - group team members to send messages to the computer program and receive messages from the computer program via said electronic network,

said apparatus storing and accessing data from a project database,

said apparatus including built - in triggers which are based on the nature and status of said data without need for manual project management coordination,

said project management coordination to include planning, resource leveling, status reporting and reminding, tracking and updating plans,

said apparatus to be configurable for said organizational work - group environment,

said apparatus comprising:

means for identifying an owner of a received message;

means for identifying the nature of said received message;

means for setting up said project database;

means for saving said received messages to said project database according to said nature of said received message;

means for receiving project plans;

means for compiling said received project plans;

means for saving said received project plans into said project database;

means for checking said project plans for resource requests against resource availability;

means for reallocating resources as necessary based on inter - task priorities;

means for recalculating said project plans based on resource reallocation;

means for sending project status reports to organizational work - group team members based on a status of said triggers;

means for receiving project status changes; and

means for updating said project database.

12. Apparatus that is automatic in nature and for coordinating management of a project, comprising:

an electronic messaging receiver module;

a project database including allocation of at least one resource between a plurality of project tasks; and

a resource leveling module with built - in triggers adapted to level allocation of said at least one resource between said plurality of project tasks in response to an electronic message received by said electronic messaging receiver.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein:
said electronic messaging receiver module is an E - mail receiver.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein:

said resource leveling module allocates said at least one resource in accordance with priorities assigned to each of said plurality of project tasks.

15. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein:

said project database includes allocation of a plurality of resources; and

said project database is centrally accessible by electronic messaging from each of said plurality of resources.

16. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein:

said resource leveling module is further adapted to identify inconsistencies in said allocation of said at least one resource between said plurality of project asks.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16 , further comprising:

an electronic messaging transmitter module;

at least one work group member being notifiable by electronic messaging of said identified inconsistencies.

18. The apparatus according to claim 12 , further comprising:

an electronic messaging transmitter module; and

a module adapted to notify at least one work group member of milestones for at least one of said plurality of project tasks by electronic messaging.

19. The apparatus according to claim 12 , further comprising:

an electronic messaging transmitter module;

said resource leveling module being further adapted to report via electronic messaging interdependencies between said plurality of project tasks.

20. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein:

said electronic message acted on by said apparatus is password protected.

21. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein:

said resource leveling module is further adapted to resolve resource conflicts between said plurality of project tasks.

22. Apparatus that is automatic in nature and for coordinating multi- project management, comprising:

an electronic messaging receiver module;

a multi - project database including allocation of at least one resource between a plurality of projects; and
a resource - leveling module with built - in triggers adapted to level allocation of said at least one resource between said plurality of projects in response to an electronic messaging received by said electronic messaging receiver.

23. The apparatus according to claim 22 , wherein:
said electronic messaging receiver module is an E - mail receiver.

24. The apparatus according to claim 22 , wherein:

said resource leveling module allocates said at least one resource in accordance with priorities assigned to each of said plurality of projects.

25. The apparatus according to claim 22 , wherein:
said multi - project database includes allocation of a plurality of resources; and
said multi - project database is centrally accessible by electronic messaging from each of said plurality of resources.

26. The apparatus according to claim 22 , wherein:

said resource leveling module is further adapted to identify inconsistencies in said allocation of said at least one resource between said plurality of projects.

27. The apparatus according to claim 26 , further comprising:

an electronic messaging transmitter module;

at least one work group member being notifiable by electronic messaging of said identified inconsistencies.

28. The apparatus according to claim 22 , further comprising:

an electronic messaging transmitter module; and

a module adapted to notify at least one work group member of milestones for at least one of said plurality of projects by electronic messaging.

29. The apparatus according to claim 22 , further comprising:

an electronic messaging transmitter module;

said resource leveling module being further adapted to report via electronic messaging interdependencies between said plurality of projects.

30. The apparatus according to claim 22 , wherein:

said electronic message acted on by said apparatus is password protected.

31. The apparatus according to claim 22 , wherein:

said resource leveling module is further adapted to resolve resource conflicts between said plurality of projects.

32. A method that is automatic in nature and for coordinating the management of a project, said method comprising:

receiving an electronic message;

allocating at least one resource between each of a plurality of project tasks represented in a common database, based on said received electronic message; and

leveling allocation of said at least one resource between said plurality of project tasks with built - in triggers in response to said received electronic message.

33. The method for coordinating management of a project according to claim 32 , wherein:
said received electronic message is an E - mail message, and

said at least one resource comprises one of labor, equipment, and material.

34. The method for coordinating management of a project according to claim 32 , wherein:

said at least one resource is leveled in accordance with priorities assigned to each of said plurality of project tasks.

35. The method for coordinating management of a project according to claim 32 , wherein:

a plurality of resources are allocated between each of said plurality of project tasks; and

said common database is centrally accessible by electronic messaging from each of said plurality of resources.

36. The method for coordinating management of a project according to claim 32 , further comprising:

identifying inconsistencies in said allocation of said at least one recourse between said plurality of project tasks included in said common database.

37. The method for coordinating management of a project according to claim 36 , further comprising:

notifying at least one work group member of said identified inconsistencies by electronic messaging.

38. The method for coordinating management of a project according to claim 32 , further comprising:

notifying by electronic messaging at least one work group member of milestones for said plurality of project tasks.

39. The method for coordinating management of a project according to claim 32 , further comprising:

reporting via electronic messaging interdependencies between said plurality of project tasks.

40. The method for coordinating management of a project according to claim 32 , wherein:

said received electronic message is password protected.

41. The method for coordinating management of a project according to claim 32 , further comprising:

resolving resource conflicts between said plurality of project tasks.

42. A method that is automatic in nature and for coordinating multi- project management, said method comprising:

receiving an electronic message;

allocating at least one resource between each of a plurality of projects represented in a common database based on said received electronic message; and

leveling allocation of said at least one resource between said plurality of projects with built - in triggers in response to said received electronic message.

43. The method for coordinating multi- project management according to claim 42 , wherein:
said received electronic message is an E - mail message.

44. The method for coordinating multi- project management according to claim 42 , wherein:

said at least one resource is leveled in accordance with priorities assigned to individual tasks within each of said plurality of projects.

45. The method for coordinating multi- project management according to claim 42 , wherein:

a plurality of resources are allocated between each of said plurality of projects; and

said common database is centrally accessible by electronic messaging from each of said plurality of resources.

46. The method for coordinating multi- project management according to claim 42 , further comprising:

identifying inconsistencies in said allocation of said at least one resource between said plurality of projects included in said common database.

47. The method for coordinating multi- project management according to claim 46 , further comprising:

notifying by electronic messaging at least one work group member of said identified inconsistencies.

48. The method for coordinating multi- project management according to claim 42 , further comprising:

notifying by electronic messaging at least one work group member of milestones for said plurality of projects.

49. The method for coordinating multi- project management according to claim 42 , further comprising:

reporting via electronic messaging interdependencies between said plurality projects.

50. The method for coordinating multi- project management according to claim 42 , wherein:

said received electronic message is password protected.

51. The method for coordinating multi- project management according to claim 42 , further comprising:

resolving resource conflicts between said plurality of projects.

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