Abstract:
A method for managing asset management information which includes creating a detailed record of an asset at the time of manufacture of the asset; and, systematically updating the detailed record of the asset in a closed loop manner when an event that causes change to the asset occurs.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED U.S. PATENT APPLICATION  
       [0001]     The present application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/957,253, filed Oct. 2, 2004, entitled “Managed Services Supply Chain Integration,” and naming Thomas P. Capotosto, Thomas Kunz and David Ornelas as inventors. This application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The present invention relates to managed services and more particularly to providing managed services with asset management.  
         [0004]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0005]     As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.  
         [0006]     With the proliferation of information handling systems, especially within large scale information handling system installations, an important issue relates to the service and support of the large scale information handling system installations (i.e., installations in which more than a few information handling systems are supported by a single entity. The entity that services and supports such an installation is often referred to as a managed service provider. Managed services, or life-cycle services, generally include deployment services and asset services. More specifically, managed services include some or all of asset deployment and installation services, asset management services (including, e.g., both asset tracking and asset moving services), asset maintenance services and asset retirement services.  
         [0007]     A managed service provider provides a customer with an ability to procure, deploy, support and manage information handling system technologies across the life cycle of the information handling systems. Issues relating to managed services include information management and asset utilization while providing quality service delivery and a favorable customer experience.  
         [0008]     Known managed service providers can be generally divided into two categories: internally staffed managed service providers and out-sourced managed service providers. Internally staffed managed service providers generally have a number of employees with the specific job description of providing service to a particular client. Out-sourced managed service providers generally use third party service providers to provide service to a particular client of the service provider.  
         [0009]     One issue relating to managed services is how to link system order fulfillment with customer needs. In known managed services systems, linking system order fulfillment is accomplished in a partial manner via manual coordination and manual reconciliation of records.  
         [0010]     Another issue relating to managed services is how to provide effective asset management information. Issues associated with effective asset management generate both direct and opportunity costs. For example, ineffective asset management can result in the inability for an organization or enterprise to have a good picture of their technology resources which prevents or precludes the timely deployment of strategic programs. Also, ineffective asset management can result in an inability to leverage financial programs which maximize returns on investments such as leasing due to an inability to maintain long cycle views of technology resources. Also, ineffective asset management can result in an inability to synchronize authorized against realized measures of software licenses purchased. One consequence of the synchronizing issue is misaligned quantities of valid licenses resulting in ineffective uses of organizational dollars. Also, ineffective asset management can result in increased costs due to service fees due to unknown warrantee expirations. Also, ineffective asset management can result in punitive costs associated with assets returned upon lease expiration with unauthorized configuration changes. Also, ineffective asset management can result in ineffective deployment of new technology from disconnected planning, procurement and logistical processes that drive costs associated with over-supply of staff required to support “blind” or under informed activities. Also, ineffective asset management can result in breach of policies established to protect against financial or legal obligations associated with the asset.  
         [0011]     Known asset management systems have provided asset management information in an ad hoc, manual, and incomplete fashion.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0012]     In accordance with the present invention, a managed services system which provides managed services with asset management is set forth.  
         [0013]     The managed services system provides an up to date cradle to grave view of an asset and its defining characteristics (e.g., detailed physical components, owners, location, cost center, warranty status, age, lease status, etc.). The managed services system provides an integrated view of the asset from the factory, through systematic tracking of “change events” (such as moves, upgrades, etc.) that happen throughout the life cycle.  
         [0014]     The managed services system establishes a comprehensive asset management framework that is driven from processes, people and tools integrated with a single data repository. The asset characteristics are defined prior to the procurement process through covert or overt methods and coupled with bill of material level system data acquired from a build to order manufacturing process. An asset birth record establishes a precise asset baseline state from which change state conditions can be tracked, administered and managed. Policies and privileges (entitlements) may be established, modified and decommissioned based upon the management specifications governing the use of the asset. Legal and financial permissions can be managed through tight change control procedures informed by common agent technologies that are deployed.  
         [0015]     More specifically, a pre-procurement master data profile is established to initialize asset management framework and asset baseline data. The master data file includes a framework which may be decomposed into separate service management elements. The separate serice management elements include a resource profile a system profile, a financial profile, and a logistics profile.  
         [0016]     The managed service system covertly or overtly deploy service management agents to discover pre-deployment service management elements as well as to ride on-board the asset across the life cycle to monitor change state conditions  
         [0017]     A detailed record of the asset (i.e., a birth record) is created at the time of manufacture of the asset. This detailed record is then added to and updated systematically in a closed loop manner at every event that causes change to the asset (e.g., physical movement of the asset, replacement of components, change in warranty status, etc.), continuing through to the ultimate retirement and disposal of the asset.  
         [0018]     By coupling the managed service provider with the asset manufacturer, advantages inherent in being a direct product supplier and direct service provider for those products are achieved. The creation of the initial record is automatically tied to the manufacturing operation, which is then fed to the service operation, and is augmented with input from appropriate and defined service management elements  
         [0019]     Unifying business process object modeling is employed to expose change management procedures. The managed services system provides a plurality of advantages. For example, the managed services system reduces cost by maximizing the customer&#39;s ability to get full use of their existing assets (i.e., idle or available systems are clearly visible to a resource manager). The managed services system reduces cost by allowing customers to accurately track and manage financial service elements such as the lease status of their systems (i.e., avoidance of late fees) and timely replacement scheduling. The managed services system reduces cost of support by enabling accurate system profiles to optimize cost drivers such as parts inventory planning. The managed services system supports customer&#39;s ability to achieve environmentally-compliant asset disposal and security-compliant disposal of data storage devices. The managed services system reduces cost by providing remote support technicians with detailed knowledge of a system&#39;s components. The managed services system supports a customer&#39;s ability to manage costs by associating costs of ownership to individual assets, and associating the assets to customer cost centers. The managed services system improves resource utilization through continuous and inter-segment knowledge of asset disposition (location, profile, ownership, etc.) minimizing shrinkage, maximizing warrantee realization and enhancing license compliance.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0020]     The present invention may be better understood, and its numerous objects, features and advantages made apparent to those skilled in the art by referencing the accompanying drawings. The use of the same reference number throughout the several figures designates a like or similar element.  
         [0021]      FIGS. 1A and 1B , generally referred to as  FIG. 1 , show a block diagram of a managed services environment.  
         [0022]      FIG. 2  shows a schematic block diagram of a system for managing services.  
         [0023]      FIG. 3  shows a schematic block diagram of the flow of a managed services system which incorporates supply chain integration.  
         [0024]      FIG. 4  shows a process map diagram of a high level order flow within the managed services system.  
         [0025]      FIG. 5  shows a process map diagram of an ordering scenario using a managed services system.  
         [0026]      FIG. 6  shows a process map diagram of a notifications phase using a managed services system.  
         [0027]      FIGS. 7A and 7B  show a process map diagram of another notifications phase using a managed services system.  
         [0028]      FIGS. 8A and 8B  show a process map diagram of order identifiers using a managed services system.  
         [0029]      FIGS. 9A and 9B  show a process map diagram of the operation of a deployment portion of a managed services system.  
         [0030]      FIG. 10  shows a process map diagram of the operation of a workflow process within a managed services system.  
         [0031]      FIG. 11  shows a schematic block diagram of an information handling system which is used within and serviced via a managed services system. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0032]     A managed services system in accordance with the present invention establishes a master data framework segmented by resource elements, system elements, financial elements and logistics elements. The resource elements include a user of the asset element, a status in the organization element, a department/division element, a region of the organization/user element, a user personalities applied to the system element, and a policies and entitlements element. The system elements include a system configuration element, a software application profiles element, an image profiles element, and a settings associated with the user element. The financial elements include a purchase data element, a lease information element, a warrantee data element, a procurement privileges element, and a contract data element. The logistics elements include a manufacture facility element, a parts stocking information element, integration, consolidation and merge elements, transport and delivery elements, receipt and administration requirements element (such as cross-dock procedures), and asset deployment and change management schedules elements.  
         [0033]     The managed services system integrates several processes through a master common data repository. The master common data repository stores a model that sources planning, procurement, logistics and deployment data and links to the unique bill of material level system record to establish the birth record of the asset.  
         [0034]     Change management is optimized through a diagnostic process that exposes likely disconnects in change state conditions of the asset and applies logical manual or automated interfaces that mitigate process disconnects.  
         [0035]     Standards based agent technologies may be used to periodically covertly or overtly track the changes of the asset and assess the change against permissions or entitlements associated with the asset. Threshold exceptions can be addressed in response to the policies through active asset management measures such as system lock down.  
         [0036]     More specifically, Referring to  FIG. 1 , a schematic block diagram of a managed services environment  100  is shown. The managed services environment  100  enables: ordering of hardware and managed services together on one order (e.g., via a premier page); the automatic scheduling of time-delayed factory orders, logistics carriers and deployment technicians; the automatic resource planning of managed deployment service partners; the utilization of real time pricing from service partners (or via price auctions); providing the customer the ability to monitor the planning to deployment process; and providing a service partner with visibility of an order to ship process.  
         [0037]     The managed services environment  100  includes a managed services platform  102 , a managed deployment portion  104  and a managed deployment tools portion  106 . The managed services platform  102  provides the core functional modules for providing managed services. The managed deployment tools portion  106  provide accessories that interacting with the core functional modules of the managed deployment platform  102 . The managed deployment methodology portion  104  interacts with both the managed deployment platform  102  and the managed deployment tools portion  106  to provide enable a managed services provider to provide managed services.  
         [0038]     The managed services platform  102  includes a managed services case management module  112 , a managed services workflow management module  110 , a managed services asset management module  114 , a managed services contract management module  116  and a managed services reporting and billing module  118 . The managed services case management module  112  identifies when a service event has occurred or is planned and manages the event as a case that represents a body of billable of work. For example, the service event may be a problem with a computer and the body of billable work may be to fix the computer. Also for example, the service event may be to schedule a move of computers from one building to another building and the body of billable work may be the deployment of technicians to accomplish the move. The workflow management module  110  automates and orchestrates work to accomplish relating to a service event. For example, the workflow management module may automatically identify and schedule required approvals for a particular service event or may perform scheduling and resource management relating to a particular service event. By identifying the steps and roles of a particular service event, the workflow management module  110  enables disaggregating services.  
         [0039]     The managed services asset management module  114  provides a clear record around whatever is the subject of the managed service. For example, the record may describe the asset, include a corresponding unique identifier such as a service tag include the financials relating to the asset, identify the owner of the asset, the location of the asses and any licensing constraints relating to the asset. The managed services contract management module  116  identifies the level of service that has been contracted with the customer for an asset. The contract management module  116  provides a repository for the terms and conditions that bind the commitment around delivering the service to a customer.  
         [0040]     The managed services reporting and billing module  118  supports reporting and billing functions of the managed services environment  100 . Regarding reporting, the reporting and billing module  118  enables managing of performance of delivery on a contract basis, enables managing financials on a contract basis, enables forecasting and planning and assists in managing third party service providers by providing metrics relating to third party service provider performance information, third party service provider financial information and contract compliance of the third party service provider. Regarding billing, the reporting and billing module  118  provides rating and invoicing support as well as accounts receivable and accounts payable management. With the rating support, the reporting and billing module  118  provides the ability to figure out what customer owes, such as per event or as part of a support service. With the invoicing support, the reporting and billing module  118  includes invoice generating and tracking functionality. With the accounts receivable support, the reporting and billing module  118  enables managing customer cost management and charge back accounting. With the accounts payable support, the reporting and billing module  118  enables the managed services environment to reconcile third party service provider actual invoices against expected third party service provider charges.  
         [0041]     The managed deployment/installation function includes a site survey function, an end user survey portion, a scheduling and resource planning function, a data migration function, a software install and configuration script function, a progress tracking function and a requirements selection function. The site survey function automates transfer of site information between the managed deployment tool and the managed services platform. The site information includes a current state of customer and site specific requirements and network details by site. The end user survey portion integrates the capture of end user information including location and profile data with the managed services tools portion. The scheduling and resource planning function automatically generates project timelines, manages scheduling of product procurement and delivery with resource scheduling and enables customer self scheduling for deployments. The data migration function executes and track data migration based on contractually defined customer requirements. The software install and configuration script function maintains customer specific configuration scripts within the deployment tool portion; thus, the managed services system provides third party service providers with a standard set of configuration requirements and a stand set of steps to complete a configuration The progress tracking function monitors progress against statements of work, automatically notifies when at risk for missing a contractually agreed upon deployment date and generates status reports. The requirements selection function provides tools to assure that external software used within the managed services system functions properly with the managed services system.  
         [0042]     The asset management function includes a configuration and planning function, an inventory planning function, a capacity and resource planning function, a service entitlement function, an automated asset update function, a billing function, a license management function, a usage metering function, a standards compliance function. The configuration and planning function plans imaging and configuration based on assets existing in the customer environment. The inventory planning function plans minimum and maximum inventory levels based on discovery of assets present in the customer environment. The capacity and resource planning function performs resource and capacity planning based on breadth and volume of discovered assets. High asset volumes may cause greater resource needs while lower volumes may limit resource needs. Scheduling is based on customer provided requirements such as via a statement of work. The service entitlement function enables a managed service help desk to have direct access to near current asset management for asset based service entitlement determinations. The automated asset update function provides an efficient service desk and dispatch services via access to asset information that is coupled to users. When a user contacts the managed services help desk and a case is opened for the user, the user&#39;s asset information is displayed. The billing function enables the managed services system to bill accurately based on current asset information. The automated asset discovery tool regularly updates the asset database may then be accessed to determine accurate rating and billing. The license management function assists customers with managing licenses by discovering the quantity of licenses in use and coupling usage to license availability. The usage metering function captures asset usage information; the asset usage information provides insight to both the managed service system and the customer on hardware and software inventory and requirements. The standards compliance function identifies non-compliant hardware and software by comparing captured hardware and software with customer standards.  
         [0043]     The managed services methodology portion  104  includes a sales/solutioning module  140 , a due diligence module  142 , a site survey module  144 , an asset discovery module  146 , a deployment scheduling module  148 , a system procurement module  150 , a system installation and migration module  152  and a system disposal module  154 .  
         [0044]     The managed services tools portion  106  includes a plurality of tools relating to managed services. The managed deployment tools portion  106  provides two general functions: gathering data from a customer and providing an interface to a customer to allow the customer to schedule work or gather information. The managed deployment tools portion  106  provides the user interfaces via which users including customers and service providers access the  
         [0045]     The managed services tools portion  106  includes a deployment scheduling tool module  160 . The managed deployment tools portion  106  also includes vendor &amp; tool evaluation guides module  162 , a project estimating tool and guidelines module  164 , a solution marketing tool module  166 , a statement of work template module  168 , a due diligence checklist module  170 , a site survey checklist tool module  171 , an asset discovery tool module  172 , an imaging tool module  174 , an application installation tool module  176 , a settings/data migration tool module  186 , and a data cleansing tool module  178 . The deployment scheduling tool module  160  further includes an installation scheduling and communication tool module  180 , a project timeline and resource management tool module  182  and a system procurement tool module  184  and a static reporting tool  188 .  
         [0046]     Referring to  FIG. 2 , a schematic block diagram of a system for managing services  100  within a managed services environment is shown. The system for managing services  100  enables the integration of planning manufacturing of systems into a managed services system.  
         [0047]     The system for managing services  100  includes a service collaboration manager module  210 , a customer experience manager module  212 , a plurality of manufacturer module  214 , a plurality of third party service supplier modules  216  and a back office module  218 . Customers  230   a ,  230   b ,  230   c  interact with the system via the service collaboration manager module  210 .  
         [0048]     The service collaboration manager module  210  provides a conversation management function, a message routing function and a transaction logging function. The service collaboration manager module  210  includes a managed services provider to customer (B2C) module  240  a managed services provider to supplier (B2B) module  242 , an application connectivity module  244  and a database module  246 .  
         [0049]     The plurality of managed services provider modules  214  include a financial services module  250 , a parts &amp; logistics module  252 , a vendor management module  254 , a technical support module  256  and a manufacturing module  258 .  
         [0050]     The plurality of third party service supplier modules  216  include a third party X module  260  (which represents any type of third party service), a third party parts &amp; logistics module  262 , a third party labor module  264  and a third party help desk module  266 .  
         [0051]     The back office module  218  performs a plurality of functions. More specifically, the back office module  218  enables tandem access between back office modules and the service collaboration manager module  210 . The back office module provides a service dispatch function, an SRV tag detail request function as well as dispatch status function. The back office module  218  includes a tandem access module  270  a service systems module  272  and a user survey tool  273 .  
         [0052]     Each customer  230  may perform one or more a plurality of functions internally within the customer. For example, a customer may perform one or more of a human resources function  280 , a procurement function  282 , an asset management function  284  and a help desk function  286 . Some customers may perform none of these functions internally and thus the managed service provider performs these functions for the customer.  
         [0053]     Accordingly, the system for managing services  100  enables a managed service provider to minimize dependency on any given supplier. All customer interfaces are directly with the managed service provider, not the third party service suppliers. The managed service provider controls all customer information; this information includes data to enable adding or replacing suppliers, data for authorizing customer and supplier invoices and data to resolve invoice disputes. The manage service provider directly benefits from investments in technology development and intellectual capital. Additionally, the system for managing services  100  provides a scalable solution to enable the managed service supplier to plan for follow on business from a customer.  
         [0054]     Referring to  FIG. 3 , a schematic block diagram of the operation of a managed services system  200  which incorporates supply chain integration is shown. More specifically, the operation of the managed services system is divided into a deployment solutioning and planning phase  310  and a deployment execution phase  312 . There may be some time delay between a completed deployment solutioning and planning phase and the start of the deployment execution phase  312 . One goal of the managed services system  200  which incorporates supply chain integration is to reduce this time delay.  
         [0055]     During the deployment solutioning and planning phase  310 , an initial customer deployment plan is developed at step  320 . The deployment plan is developed using the deployment tool  106  at step  322 . The deployment tools  106  interacts with a deployment resource plan  324  and stores information to a deployment data repository  330 . By storing the deployment plan within the data repository  330 , a customer has visibility into its deployment plan at step  332 . Additionally, service partners may also have visibility into the deployment plan at step  333 . The deployment tool  106  interacts with a factory order management process at step  340  to ensure that parts may be ordered and systems may be manufactured according to the deployment plan.  
         [0056]     After the deployment plan is developed, the managed services system  200  proceeds to the deployment execution phase  312 . During the deployment execution phase  312 , the deployment tool  106  accesses scheduling functionality at step  350  to develop a final deployment installation schedule  352 . The final deployment installation schedule is then used to develop a final deployment resource schedule at step  354 .  
         [0057]     The scheduling functionality also provides an input to a factory scheduling process at step  360 . In one embodiment, because the managed services provider and the system manufacturer are linked, it is possible to synchronize the factory scheduling process of the system manufacturer with the needs of the managed services provider and thus with the needs of the managed services customer. The factory scheduling developed at step  360  is then used during the factory build at step  362 . The factory build then provides the systems that conform to the deployment plan to a shipping and logistics module at step  362 . The shipping and logistic module then provides the systems to a staging module at step  364 . The staging module enables the systems to be staged prior to deployment at a customer site at step  366 . The synchronized staging of systems within the deployment plan enables the managed services provider to control the delivery of systems to the managed services customer. One aspect of this control is preventing too large a quantity of systems from arriving at the managed services customer before the systems can actually be deployed by the managed services provider.  
         [0058]     Throughout the deployment execution, the various modules interact with and store information to the deployment data repository  330 . Accordingly, customers and service partners have visibility into the status of the deployment plan.  
         [0059]     Accordingly, the managed services environment  100  integrates services delivery with the various value or supply chains such as hardware manufacturing and delivery, sale of third party software and peripherals and financial services (e.g., leasing). The managed services environment  100  provides greater value to a customer through the efficiencies, economies of scale, leveraged buying power, synchronization of order fulfillment (e.g., automatic coordination of a product order with scheduling of an installation service) consolidated reporting, and consolidated billing. Products provided to the managed services customer are viewed as a service within the managed services system (or conversely, services provided by the managed services provider may be viewed as a product by a system manufacturer). Such a managed services environment  100  optimizes resource utilization around proper skills match, optimizes scheduling with precise scheduling and reduced timelines, minimizes business disruption for a managed services customer and improves information based tracking and management of service events.  
         [0060]     Referring to  FIG. 4 , a process map diagram of a high level order flow within the managed services environment  100  is shown. More specifically, a customer deployment plan  400  is used to order products and services  404  during a customer deployment portion  406  of the order flow of the managed services operation. The managed services environment  100  then validates orders  410  and creates orders  412  during a managed services system portion  414  of the order flow within the managed services operation. The managed services environment  100  then performs a factory scheduling function  420  and a factory build function  422  during a factory portion  424  of the order flow within the managed services operation. The managed services environment  100  then confirms a shipping schedule  430  and ships an order  432  during a shipping and logistics portion  434  of the order flow. The managed services environment  100  then consolidates an order  450  and performs system and unit tests  452  during a staging portion  454  of the order flow. The managed services environment  100  then transports the order  460  (if necessary), installs the order at the customer&#39;s site  462  and completes the order  464  during a deploying portion  466  of the order flow. Alternately, depending on the size of the order, staging may not be necessary and thus the order might be shipped  432  directly to the customer for installation.  
         [0061]     Referring to  FIG. 5 , a process map diagram of an ordering scenario  500  using a managed services environment is shown. More specifically, when a customer  505  places an order  510 , the order may be placed via a plurality of different means. For example, the managed services customer may place the order via a customer specific program manager managed services module  512  which is located within the managed services environment  100 . The customer specific program manager managed services module  512  in turn places the order with a system order management system  520  via a managed deployment tool  521 . The order management system is located within a manufacturer order portion  522  and the managed deployment tool  521  is located within a managed deployment tool portion  524 .  
         [0062]     Alternately, the customer may place the order via a web site such as a premier customer page  530 , via a manufacturer automated order entry module  532  or via a manufacturer telephone order process  534 . In each instance, the order is then provided to the system order management system  520 .  
         [0063]     If the order is a one time service order, then the order proceeds to a service portion  540  where a case for the order is created  542 . If the order is part of an on-going service contract, then the order is also forwarded to a contract portion  550  where contract information is updated to reflect the order  552 .  
         [0064]     Referring to  FIG. 6 , a process map diagram of a notifications phase using a managed services environment is shown. The notifications phase represents a transfer of information between a managed services provider and a customer, a third party service provider and a managed services program manager. The notification scan include order receipt notifications (ORN), advance ship notifications (ASN) and order completion notifications (OCN) More specifically, when a customer places an order  510  and the order status is updated within the order management system  520 , then various notifications are generated  610 . During the generation of the notification, the serial numbers for the devices being ordered are captured  612  at a merge center shipping location  614  and stored within the managed services environment.  
         [0065]     The notifications include an order receipt notification, an advance ship notification and an order completion notification which includes a proof of delivery. The order receipt notification is sent via email  620  so that the customer receives the order receipt notification  622 , a program manager receives the order notification  624  and a third party service provider receives the order notification  626 . The advance ship notification is sent via email  630  so that the customer receives the advance ship notification  632 , a program manager receives the advance ship notification  634  and a third party service provider receives the advance ship notification  636 . The order completion notification is sent via email  640  so that the customer receives the order completion notification  642 , a program manager receives the order completion notification  644  and a third party service provider receives the order completion notification  646 . The third party service provider is located within a service provider portion  650  of the managed services environment.  
         [0066]     Referring to  FIGS. 7A and 7B , a process map diagram of another notifications phase using a managed services environment is shown. This notifications phase  700  adds further features regarding notifications to the managed services environment  100 . These features generally relate to production status information. By synchronizing the manufacturing of ordered systems with customer orders within the managed services environment  100 , it is possible to provide production status information to the managed services customer.  
         [0067]     More specifically, the notifications include a production status information notification  710 . This production status information notification is sent via email  720  so that the customer receives the production status information notification via email  722 , the program manager receives the production status information via email  724  and a third party service provider receives the production status information via email  726 . Additionally, multiple production status information notifications can be provided at various points throughout the production process.  
         [0068]     This notifications phase  700  also adds the ability to provide standardized advance ship notifications to customers regardless of where a particular product or system is manufactured. More specifically, the factory merge center  730  accesses and identifies serial numbers for non company devices  740 . This information is then provided to the managed services system as a standardized advance ship notification  742  which may be provided from system to system at step  744 . The system to system transmission is in a form that can be read by various systems and thus allows for the replacement of an email notification. (This system to system notification could be used to replace any of the email notifications.) The deployment service provider then receives the standardized advanced ship notification  746 .  
         [0069]     Referring to  FIGS. 8A and 8B , a process map diagram of order identifiers using a managed services environment is shown. Order identifiers might include a customer end user identifier and a managed deployment order identifier. The customer end user identifier can server as a means to identify to whom or where each unit is to be placed. The customer end user identifier is captured with the order. By capturing this information when the order is placed, the customer end user identifier can be placed on a shipping label, packing slip or other form of identifier that is included with each shipped unit. Thus allows the service provider to more easily place of units within the customer when performing the deployment.  
         [0070]     The managed deployment order identifier allows project managers to track all orders associated with a particular managed deployment project. The managed deployment order identifier flows through the factory and allows for the factory to identify a managed deployment order. The factory may also be able to recognize and prioritize managed deployment orders and to provide order status (i.e., orders that are on hold) to the appropriate project manager. The customer end user identifier and the managed deployment order identifier may be provided to the order management system.  
         [0071]     More specifically, when a customer places an order  510 , the order is review to determine whether the order is part of a managed deployment at step  810 , if not then a normal ordering procedure is followed  812 . If the order is part of a managed deployment, then the project manager creates a unique identifier for the managed deployment order at step  820 . The managed deployment unique identifier is entered into the order management system for each order at step  822 . The order management system accepts a field for the managed deployment unique identifier at step  824 . The managed deployment unique identifier then flows through the manufacturing process for the system with the order at step  826 . Because of the managed deployment unique identifier, the manufacturing database recognizes the order as part of a managed deployment order at step  828 . The manufacturing system may then prioritize the order based upon the managed deployment status at step  830  and then the order is processed at step  840 . Additionally, if any part of a managed deployment order is placed on hold, then detailed on hold order information is forwarded to the project manager at step  842 .  
         [0072]     Additionally, if the order is part of a managed deployment, an end user identifier is captured during order creation and stored within the managed services system at step  850 . The end user identifier is then aligned with the order throughout the shipment process at step  852 .  
         [0073]     The end user identifier is printed on a shipping label for the unit at step  860 . Additionally, the managed deployment unique identifier is printed on a shipping label at step  862 .  
         [0074]     Referring to  FIGS. 9A and 9B , a process map diagram of the operation of a deployment portion of a managed services environment is shown. The deployment portion of the managed services environment includes a direct flow of order information into a managed deployment tool as well as other order update information (e.g., order receipt, order completion, etc.) Accordingly, the managed deployment tool interacts with the order management and factory scheduling systems to allow the customer to have visibility into the managed deployment tool to, for example, allow the customer to determine deployment status. Thus, the managed deployment tool provides a central repository of order information that multiple parties (e.g., project manager, service provider, and customer) can access.  
         [0075]     More specifically, when a customer places an order  510 , the managed deployment tool receives the customer order information at step  910 . The managed deployment tool then tracks orders against a predetermined deployment schedule at step  912 . The managed deployment tool then interacts with order management and scheduling systems to control product delivery at step  914 .  
         [0076]     The order is then received by the manufacturer order management system at step  920 . The order management system provides the order information to the project manager workflow at step  922 . Additionally, the order management system creates and sends an order receipt notification at step  924 . The order management system then places the order into production at step  926 . The manufacturing system creates and sends production status information at step  928 . (This production status information may be generated multiple times throughout the manufacturing process.) The order is then shipped at step  930 . The order management system then creates and sends a shipment notification at step  932 . The order is thus completed at step  934  and the order management system creates and sends an order complete notification at step  936 .  
         [0077]     As each notification is generated, the deployment schedule information stored within the managed deployment tool is updated at step  940 . Additionally, the order information status information is updated within the managed deployment tool at step  940 . Because this information is updated at each stage of the manufacturing process, the customer has visibility into the managed deployment schedule and order information at step  942 .  
         [0078]     Referring to  FIG. 10 , a process map diagram of the operation of a project management workflow within a managed services environment is shown. The project management workflow provides the project manager with a notification and approval process for orders that are about to go into production. Accordingly, when the managed deployment tool interacts directly with an order management system and factory scheduling processes, the project manager still has input into the deployment process.  
         [0079]     More specifically, when an order is received by the order management system at step  1010 , the order is placed into a production queue at step  1012 . When the order is approved for production at step  1014 , then a notification is sent to the project manager prior to the order being sent to production at step  1020 . Thus, the project manager receives the notification prior to the order being sent to production at step  1022 . The project manager the reviews the order prior to the border being sent to publication (i.e., prior to the order being manufactured) at step  1024 . If the project manager approves the order at step  1030 , then the order is processed at step  1032 . If the project manager does not approve the order, then the order is placed into the queue at step  1012 .  
         [0080]     Referring to  FIG. 11 , a system block diagram of an information handling system  300  which is used within and serviced via a system for managing services  100  is shown. The information handling system  300  includes a processor  302 , input/output (I/O) devices  304 , such as a display, a keyboard, a mouse, and associated controllers, a non-volatile memory  306  such as a hard disk drive, and other storage devices  308 , such as a floppy disk and drive and other memory devices, and various other subsystems  310 , all interconnected via one or more buses  312 .  
         [0081]     For purposes of this disclosure, an information handling system may include any instrumentality or aggregate of instrumentalities operable to compute, classify, process, transmit, receive, retrieve, originate, switch, store, display, manifest, detect, record, reproduce, handle, or utilize any form of information, intelligence, or data for business, scientific, control, or other purposes. For example, an information handling system may be a personal computer, a network storage device, or any other suitable device and may vary in size, shape, performance, functionality, and price. The information handling system may include random access memory (RAM), one or more processing resources such as a central processing unit (CPU) or hardware or software control logic, ROM, and/or other types of nonvolatile memory. Additional components of the information handling system may include one or more disk drives, one or more network ports for communicating with external devices as well as various input and output (I/O) devices, such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a video display. The information handling system may also include one or more buses operable to transmit communications between the various hardware components.  
       Other Embodiments  
       [0082]     The present invention is well adapted to attain the advantages mentioned as well as others inherent therein. While the present invention has been depicted, described, and is defined by reference to particular embodiments of the invention, such references do not imply a limitation on the invention, and no such limitation is to be inferred. The invention is capable of considerable modification, alteration, and equivalents in form and function, as will occur to those ordinarily skilled in the pertinent arts. The depicted and described embodiments are examples only, and are not exhaustive of the scope of the invention.  
         [0083]     For example, the above-discussed embodiments include software modules that perform certain tasks. The software modules discussed herein may include script, batch, or other executable files. The software modules may be stored on a machine-readable or computer-readable storage medium such as a disk drive. Storage devices used for storing software modules in accordance with an embodiment of the invention may be magnetic floppy disks, hard disks, or optical discs such as CD-ROMs or CD-Rs, for example. A storage device used for storing firmware or hardware modules in accordance with an embodiment of the invention may also include a semiconductor-based memory, which may be permanently, removably or remotely coupled to a microprocessor/memory system. Thus, the modules may be stored within a computer system memory to configure the computer system to perform the functions of the module. Other new and various types of computer-readable storage media may be used to store the modules discussed herein. Additionally, those skilled in the art will recognize that the separation of functionality into modules is for illustrative purposes. Alternative embodiments may merge the functionality of multiple modules into a single module or may impose an alternate decomposition of functionality of modules. For example, a software module for calling sub-modules may be decomposed so that each sub-module performs its function and passes control directly to another sub-module.  
         [0084]     Consequently, the invention is intended to be limited only by the spirit and scope of the appended claims, giving full cognizance to equivalents in all respects.