Patent ID: 7962358
Filing Date: 2011-06-14
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A system for project forecast and resource forecast management integration in an enterprise, the system comprising: a web-based Graphical User Interface (GUI) including an input component and a display component, wherein the input component receives project inputs relating to approved projects and proposed projects, wherein the project inputs comprise for each project a scheduled timeframe, an hours input, and a flag that indicates whether the project is approved or proposed, wherein the hours input further comprises a project total and a project date range, the proposed projects are projects that have entered a project management and development process but have not obtained final approval, and wherein the input component further receives resource inputs relating to actual resources and placeholder resources, wherein the placeholder resources are resources that the enterprise does not possess that are anticipated to be acquired by the enterprise; a generation/analysis component that, based on the received inputs, generates a resource forecast of actual resources and placeholder resources, and generates a project forecast of approved projects and proposed projects, wherein the resource forecast includes resource assignment and availability for a given time period for both the actual resources and the placeholder resources, wherein the project forecast comprises a project management plan that includes an assignment of the actual resources and the placeholder resources to the approved projects and the proposed projects, the hours assigned for completion of the approved projects, the hours assigned for completion of the proposed projects, and scheduling for work on the approved projects and on the proposed projects, and wherein the generation/analysis component applies a spreading algorithm to the hours input to divide the hours input into a total for each time unit in the project date range for the resource forecast and the project forecast, wherein the time unit comprises one of a week, a month, a quarter, and a year; and a reporting component that generates a report on the resource forecast and the project forecast for display in the display component of the GUI, the reporting component generating the report at each of a resource level, a role level, and a project level, the reporting component applies a designation to distinguish approved projects from proposed projects in the resource forecast and the project forecast, and the reporting component applies a designation to distinguish actual resources from placeholder resources in the resource forecast and the project forecast; wherein the reporting component comprises a filter component and a rules component, wherein the filter component filters the report on the resource forecast and the project forecast according to an identity of a user of the GUI and prevents access by a third party labor supplier to enterprise proprietary information, and wherein the rules component limits access to the reported resource forecast and project forecast according to the identity of the user, provides access to data pertinent to the third party labor supplier, and limits access by the third party labor supplier to view, change, update, and delete inputs to only projects or resources for which the third party labor supplier is authorized.