Patent ID: 8355938
Filing Date: 2013-01-15
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A non-transitory computer readable medium embodying a computer implemented method for developing a comprehensive forecasting model that produces a capacity management index for use in an enterprise strategy process to manage information technology capacity, the computer readable medium storing instructions that, upon execution by a computer, enable the computer to perform the method comprising the steps of: performing an analysis process, comprising the steps of: performing a synthesis process, comprising the steps of: decomposing said components into subcomponents, and subcomponents into sub-subcomponents; identifying metrics for each of said services, components, subcomponents, and sub-subcomponents; determining logistics of what source is used for the actual and forecast values of the metrics, where that source resides, who is responsible for that source, and how and when data is communicated from the source to the forecasting model; identifying each of said plurality of lines of business; determining detail characteristics of each line of business; for each line of business, identifying methods used by said each line of business to develop one or more forecasts; determining logistics of what source can be used for the actual and forecast values of the metrics, where that source resides, who is responsible for that source, how the data can be communicated from the source to a modeling environment, and when the data can be provided; identifying external indicators that are likely to be correlated with the metrics of a given line of business; determining the logistics of what source can be used for the actual and forecast values of an indicator, where that source resides, who is responsible for that source, how the data can be obtained, and when the data is provided; as a second synthesis task, identifying one or more external indicators whose behavior is related to characteristics of one line of business; developing an actual equation that relates a given external indicator with a line of business metric, the given external indicator being among the external indicators, the line of business metric being among the characteristics of a given line of business, the line of business being among the plurality of lines of business; identifying the demands placed by the given line of business upon the services; deriving a line of business demand forecast from relationships established during one or more previous tasks; quantifying aspects of a demand forecast that are beyond demands placed by lines of business, including both overhead and buffer; including a forecast of total capacity within the model; and dividing a total demand by total capacity to arrive at an expression for the capacity management index used in an enterprise strategy process for managing capacity.