CA2722004A1 - Method and system for operation management - Google Patents

Abstract

Method and system for project management according to embodiments of the invention are described herein.

Description

TITLE

Method and System for Operation Management DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0001] The use of the word "a" or "an" when used in conjunction with the term "comprising" in the claims and/or the specification may mean "one", but it is also consistent with the meaning of "one or more", "at least one", and "one or more than one". Similarly, the word "another" may mean at least a second or more.

[0002] As used in this specification and claim(s), the words "comprising" (and any form of comprising, such as "comprise" and "comprises"), "having" (and any form of having, such as "have" and "has"), "including" (and any form of including, such as "include" and "includes") or "containing" (and any form of containing, such as "contain" and "contains"), are inclusive or open-ended and do not exclude additional, non-recited elements or process steps.

[0003] Generally stated, the method and system according to illustrative embodiments described herein are designed so that projects or any activities can be represented and concretized dynamically on time and delay bases so as to help manage and supervise multiple tasks and team members of the projects.

[0004] Other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading of the following non-restrictive description of illustrative embodiments thereof, given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0005] Method and system for operation management according to embodiments of the present invention will now be described.

[0006] According to such embodiments, an activity or a operation is first created and represented in a computer system by one or a plurality of sequences of events (or tasks) on a timeline, each event being assigned to one or a plurality of individuals or more generally to team members.

[0007] The expression "team member" should be given a broad meaning so as to include any person, group of individuals or any other entity such as, without limitation, a company, any machine or system configured to automatically perform a task or an operation. The expression "team" should then be construed accordingly as an ensemble of such members.

[0008] A sequence is a set of events that are determined to be followed to achieve a goal.

[0009] The events can be any action or task to be actively or passively achieved by any one of the team members. The goal can be a final action in the sequence or the result of achieving any or all of the events in the sequence.

[0010] As will be described hereinbelow in more detail, methods and systems for operation management according to embodiments of the present invention includes means to be used by team members to supervise and verify the achievement of the events and of a sequence thereof.

[0011] Also, such system and method allows setting rules so that only selected team members have access to or can edit and/or create some or all of the events.

[0012] Figure 1 shows a user interface 10 for editing and managing the list of events part of a selected sequence. The user interface 10 includes Graphical User Interface (GUI) elements to edit the name of the sequence (12), to add and edit a description of the sequence (14), to add, edit and manage the events 16 that form the sequence (18), etc.

[0013] As can be seen in Figure 1, a plurality of characterizers can be used to define each event 16, including without limitations, being a step or a substep of the sequence (20), a description thereof (22), a due time (24), by an assignee (26) selected among the team members.

[0014] According to the illustrated embodiment, each due time is defined relatively to the main goal, which is, in Figure 1, the event named "execution". Events prior to the main goal are defined by negative delays with the main goal and events after the main goal of the edited sequence are defined by positive delays with the main goal. According to another embodiment, the due times are defined relatively to a selected date.

[0015] The user interface 10 and all other user interfaces described herein can be implemented in a computer or in any programmable device (both not shown) having access to a private or open network such as Internet or a wired or wireless telephone network (not shown). This programmable device can be for example a G3 intelligent phone, an e-book reader, etc.

[0016] As will become more apparent hereinbelow with reference to the Figures, the user interface may include any graphical user interface (GUI) elements commonly known in the art to allow the team members to interact with the system. The GUIs presented herewith are for illustrative purpose and should not be used to limit the scope of the present system and method in any way. They can be modified in many ways within the scope and functionalities of the present method and system. For example, shortcut menus, text boxes, display tabs, etc, can be provided interchangeably. Also, the expression GUI
(Graphical User Interface) should be construed so as to include any type of user interface, including text-only user interfaces.

[0017] The user interface 10 is accessed in the system by a well-known tab 28. As hinted in Figure 1, a GUI similar to the GUI 10 is provided in the system to create a new sequence.

[0018] Each event 16 from a sequence can be selected for edition and management thereof using one of the event characterizers. A GUI 30 is provided for such tasks (see Figure 2 wherein the event name "rapport" from the sequence of Figure 1 is edited).

[0019] As can be seen in Figure 2, a reminder 32 can be set and an attachment can be linked and attached to the event (34).

[0020] GUI elements 36 are further provided in the interface 30 to allow adding user-defined form fields that are associated to the selected event 16. These form fields are also selectable on the timeline (see Figures 5 to 8). Those fields can be in the form of check box, text box free text multiline and numerical. When numerical is selected, a EWS (Early Warning Signal) and a breach value can be defined. At a later time, when the user enters a numerical value that exceed the breach value, the system triggers an event breach and an email alert. Similarly, for EWS, if the value exceed the EWS, the system triggers an EWS notification.

[0021] According to the illustrated embodiment, a GUI is provided to review and manage the sequences 38 (see Figure 3).

[0022] Returning briefly to Figure 1, each event 16 listed in a sequence can be edited and managed through a dedicated GUI 40, which is illustrated in Figure 4.

[0023] As will now be described with reference first to Figure 5, the system provides many means to allow a team member to visualize edit and manage sequences of events for an operation.

[0024] As can be seen in Figure 5, a plurality of selected sequences is represented on a user-definable timeline 44, each one defining a different time track 42.

[0025] The timeline 44 is rendered available through a permanent tab 46 that is part of a generic user menu 48 which also includes tabs for accessing GUIs allowing the visualization and management of activities 50, sequences 52 (see Figures 1 to 3) and users 54.

[0026] As already mentioned hereinabove, any other interactive GUI
elements can be provided in addition or alternatively to tabs to allow a user controlling the system. A voice-command interface can also be provided.

[0027] The time-line 44 includes means to visualize an interactive user-definable time frame including the events 48, 50 and 52 of the selected sequences for the period defined by the selected time-frame 44. The time frame shown in Figure 5 is on a day scale for given months. More specifically, the time-frame of Figure 5 shows the date from mid-October to mid-November.

[0028] As can be seen in Figure 5, GUI elements 47 are provided to allow the user selecting a time scale of the time frame (today, day, week month, quarter and year). As will be described hereinbelow, each user-selectable scale allows showing the events within a different time frame.

[0029] Within the selected -lime scale, the timeline 44 can be browsed by sliding a provided GUI element in the form of a tab 54. The system can be configured so that the timeline can be browsed indefinitely in both directions (past and future).

[0030] The events 48, 50 and 52 are represented by first event indicators in the form of icons. According to the illustrated embodiment, the icons are in the form of coloured geometrical shapes to which a texted description is associated and displayed adjacent thereto.

[0031] Different icons can be used to identify the represented events so as to allow an at-a-glance identification of characterisers associated thereto.
For example, the shape of an icon is indicative of the sequence including the event, while the colour thereof can be indicative of the assignee.

[0032] According to further embodiments, the icons used to display events in the timeline are different than those illustrated, and selected so as to be indicative of other events properties. According to a still further embodiment, all icons are identical.

[0033] The expression "icon" should not be construed in any limited ways and may be construed so as to include and shape with or without a color.

[0034] The timeline 44 includes time indicators 56 in the form of time reference descriptions and delimitations 58 respectively in the form of months and dates and lines delimitating each date. Other time indicators and delimitations can be provided. More generally, the time references can be different than those shown in Figure 5.

[0035] While the sliding tab 54 is located so as to include the current time reference description, it can be positioned differently within the timeline 44, such as for example so as to overlap the time delimitations 58.

[0036] A second series of event indicators 60 are positioned on top of the timeline 44 so as to be registered with the associated due date and corresponding first event identifier 48, 50 and 52. These indicators 60 are in the form of small lines, each colored similarly than the corresponding icons 48, or 52.

[0037] The first displayed tracks 42 is an "aggregate track" which includes and displays the events 48, 50 and 52 from all the other tracks 42.
Such a track can be omitted.

[0038] The timeline monitor of Figure 5 further includes a GUI
element 62 allowing selecting one of the team members so as to display events associated thereto.

[0039] Interactive user-menus 64 are further provided to customize the information displayed in the timeline 44.

[0040] Conventional search functionality allowing to search information displayed in the timeline 44 or associated to events 48, 50 and 52 displayed in the timeline are provided and accessible via a well-known search box 66.

[0041] It is to be noted that the information available through the timeline 44 or via other panels and/or GUI elements of the system depend on the privileges of the user/team member logged-in to the system. Such privileges are assigned to a team member, for example by a team leader, using the GUI available for example through the element 54 in the menu 48.

[0042] The system is configured so as to allow a team-member to access further information on an event by bringing the cursor in close-proximity to the icon representing the event. Clicking on the icon allows visualizing and/or editing the corresponding event (see on Figure 8).

[0043] According to a further embodiment, all users have access to the event and sequence information. According to still a further embodiment, the information is rendered available hierarchically according to a pre-determined level of the user in the operation.

[0044] Figures 6, 7, and 8 illustrate the timeline 44 shown under different time scales.

[0045] The system allows associating to an event one or a plurality of measurable or detectable parameters. In Figure 4, pressure values 68 are associated to the event "Pressure". During a project, these values can be inputted by team-members or automatically measured and provided by detectors coupled to the system. The user may decide to associate threshold values to selected parameters, wherein the system verifies whether a new inputted value is beyond the threshold and send an alarm to a selected team member.

[0046] As can be seen for example in Figure 5, and more specifically in the "A-Monitor" track, the current values associated to the event "Pressure"
are displayed on the timeline 44 (sys: 140, dia: 95).

[0047] Figure 9 shows an example of alarm message automatically send to a team-member by the system to inform of a selected parameter whose value has reached the inputted threshold. The message of Figure 9 is in the form of an email sent to selected members and including as information, in addition to the breach, the assignee of the corresponding event, the corresponding track or sequence and the individual that measured the parameter.

[0048] According to a further embodiment, the alarm message includes other or additional information that those showed in Figure 9. Also the alarm message can take other form such as well-known SMS message, a pre-recorded phone message, a fax, etc.

[0049] According to some embodiments of the method and system for operation management, means are provided to create multi-branch sequences, wherein a new leg of the multi-branch sequence is taken under user-defined or external conditions, such as values associated to an event being beyond a threshold.

[0050] A user management sub-system is further provided for adding, removing and editing team-members and/or user preferences, including without limitations each user access to different functionalities of the system. This sub-system includes a GUI (not shown) that can be access to selected users via the tab 54 (see Figure 5).

[0051] Method and system for project management according to embodiments of the present invention can include a GUI 70, illustrated in Figure 10, accessible for'example via the "activities" menu element 50 provided in the menu list 48 (see Figure 5), for displaying a report 72 on activities tracked and managed by the system. The list of activities 74 can be filtered using criteria selectable via user menus 79, 80 and 82. The criteria includes, without limitations, the assignee, the status and the time.

[0052] The interface 70 further allows selecting and managing the activities 74 corresponding to the selected criteria 79, 80 and 82.
Conventional selection boxes 84 and user menus 76-78 are for example provided for the selection.

[0053] The method and system according to embodiments of the present invention provides means to add a status to an event, which can be, for example pending, complete or breach.

[0054] Users are provided means to define new statuses, for example via a status menu of the activity page. More specifically, a "adding new status" form can be provided to enter the name of the status.

[0055] This allows users to select a given custom status for an event. That event can, at later time be filtered, for example through a well-known drop down menu. Different icons and/or colors can be used to indicate the status of events.

[0056] The method and system further allow printing the report or sending it by email automatically or following a command by the user.

[0057] According to a further embodiment (not shown), the method and system for operation management allow email interaction wherein a user can either add and/or complete an event through an email or enter comments thereabout.

[0058] More specifically, the system receives an email including a predetermined command, recognizes the email sender and, depending on the command, allows the user to complete or add a new event, add a comment, etc [0059] Example of applications for a method and system for operation management according to embodiments of the present invention are:
the organizing of an event (a convention, a show, a trade fair); managing of a logistics / supply chain network; compliance managing where there is a need to ensure that specific procedures are followed in a specific order.

[0060] It can also be implemented by a leader of a team of professionals (accountants, lawyers, etc) working together on a client's file and a leader of maintenance crew handling the servicing or repair of a plane, industrial equipment, etc.

[0061] Team Member usages include without limitations:

[0062] = Providing feedback to the group / team leader on the completion of tasks she/he has been assigned to;

[0063] = Entering information and attaching documents;

[0064] = Communicating with the group / team leader and the other members of the team;

[0065] = Handling events (expected or unexpected).

[0066] It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described hereinabove. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced in various ways. It is also to be understood that the phraseology or terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and not limitation. Hence, the present invention has been described hereinabove by way of illustrative embodiments thereof, it can be modified, without departing from the spirit, scope and nature of the subject invention.

Claims (2)

1. A method for project management as described herein.

2. A system for project management as described herein.