Abstract:
A system of project management and data retrieval in an enterprise system may employ searches based on probabilistic indexing to retrieve potential candidates. The results of probabilistic indexing may provide one or more candidates that correspond to query criteria.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/538,522 filed Sep. 23, 2011, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention generally relates to program management, and more particularly to an enterprise software system. 
         [0003]    In companies, and typically in enterprise scale ventures, routine business activities can be hampered by the size of the enterprise and the bureaucracy implemented for managing activities. Efficiency in the use of talent and resources may suffer as a consequence. For example, some enterprises may span across international borders. Barriers, such as language differences and lack of communication between departments of different physical locations hamper the ability to use personnel efficiently. The result may be drawing from the locally available talent pool. This may lead to ineffective personnel being placed in positions that may be better suited for other individuals for the overall effectiveness of the enterprise. The talent pool available for projects at a particular locale may be insufficient however better suited candidates may be available from distant sources. In large part this can be traced to the lack of a practical, generic bureaucratic theory for structuring large work-producing organizations. 
         [0004]    There exists a general need to address the inherent limitations of a military command and control structure for large scale work-producing organization by adapting it to a practical bureaucratic theory (Requisite Organization), incorporating the elements of workflow, financial oversight, and probabilistic indexing for people and documents. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    In one aspect of the present invention, a computer program product for retrieving data within an enterprise system, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code being configured to display a data entry form including fields related to project management; retrieve from one or more databases within the enterprise system, candidates that correspond to filled out fields in the data form, the retrieval based on results of those candidates to solicit information for the probabilistic search engine, (KNOW). 
         [0006]    In another aspect of the present invention, a system of project management within an enterprise comprises an organization development system configured to provide structures for personnel hierarchies; a set of project management tools to track project costs and personnel responsibilities in projects; and linkage to a probabilistic search engine for tracking personnel based on their responsibilities in projects or their function within the organization and a probabilistic search engine. 
         [0007]    These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a schematic overview of an enterprise system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2A  is a schematic view of an integrated organization development system implemented with the enterprise system of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2B  is a schematic view of project management tools integrated within the enterprise system of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2C  is a schematic view of financial oversight tools and a probabilistic search engine integrated within the enterprise system of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram of a program organization that uses the enterprise system of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a screenshot of a data entry form that subsumes the whole of a bureaucratic theory for a work-producing organization while integrating work-flow and financial oversight within the enterprise system of  FIG. 1 . This form also links to a probabilistic search engine for people and documents of  FIG. 1 ; and 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a screenshot of a worker input sheet for the probabilistic search engine used to collect project information within the enterprise system of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0015]    The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims. 
         [0016]    Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention generally provides an enterprise system for program management. In an exemplary embodiment, the system may be implemented in computer readable media. The system may bring together and integrate a plurality of software tools or processes. 
         [0017]    Referring now to  FIG. 1 , a schematic overview of an enterprise software system (ESS)  10  is shown according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The ESS  10  may include a probabilistic indexing system  12  for tracking documents and people. The probabilistic indexing system is labeled as KnowledgeNet OneWorld (KNOW). An organization development system  14  (labeled “Requisite Organization”) (sometimes called the requisite organizational scheme  14 ) may provide a structure with specific layers that may be required for specific managerial hierarchies. Techniques offered by the “Requisite Organization may outline which functions should be performed at each level of the system  10  and which managers should be accountable for which employees and for the satisfactory result of designated work. A Total Quality Management (TQM) function  16  may be integrated with the organization development system  14  and may provide for continuous improvement in quality of products and processes. In the TQM function  16  all members of an organization may participate in improving processes, products, services and the culture in which they work. A set of comprehensive project management tools  18 , for example, MS Project® along with MS Office suite® may be provided through Cloud or iCloud technologies. An enterprise financial management tool  20 , for example, a tool from SAP AG® may be provided for financial planning and oversight. 
         [0018]    Referring now to  FIGS. 2A-2C , exemplary organizational hierarchical schemes to implement the ESS  10  are shown as they may be used in an enterprise unit (not shown).  FIG. 2A  shows the organization development system  14  (Requisite Organization) integration into the ESS  10 . The ESS  10  may refer to the organization development system  14  hierarchy when associating the responsibilities of a position to the cognitive level that should be requisite for the level of responsibility for the position being filled. In the integrated ESS  10  there may exist a separation between a manager  25  and a knowledge worker  23  by cognitive levels and responsibilities. Managers  25  may be closer to the top of the hierarchy while the various levels of skilled and semi-skilled workers  23  may fill the lower levels. For example, the manager  25  may be responsible for quality, timeframe, and budgetary issues, generally for a satisfactory result of the work effort. Workers  23  may provide skills to implement the completion of the designated work effort. 
         [0019]      FIG. 2B  may represent the levels of responsibility corresponding to a portfolio of projects  22  (or sub-projects). Each project  22  may be handled by its own manager  25 . The levels of project responsibility under the manager  25  may be filled by subordinate managers  25  and workers  23 . A manager  25  may use the project management tools  18  to administrate projects  22 . Documents related to the projects  22  may be stored in a database (not shown). The project management tools  18  may meld a project performance and review technique (PERT), or critical path method for planning and scheduling (CPM) with the requisite organizational scheme  14 . The project management tools may show manpower-loadings, time-scaled CPM network summary schedules, and critical paths. The length of the critical path may be determined based on the cognitive level by a manager  25  in charge. The cognitive level of the manager  25  in charge may be based on the length of the critical path. 
         [0020]      FIG. 2C  shows the enterprise financial management tools  20  integration within the ESS  10 . The financial management tools  20  along with the requisite organization scheme  14  and the probabilistic indexing system  12  (KNOW) may be used to oversee the completion of projects  22  by a manager  25 . 
         [0021]      FIG. 3  shows a project process  30  diagram according to another exemplary embodiment of the ESS  10 . The project process  30  may include essential elements of a management service company (MSC) (not shown), for example, the indexing system  12 , (KNOW) ( FIG. 1 ), the financial management tools  20  for financial oversight, and PERT (not shown). The project process  30  shown by  FIG. 3  may be applicable to support, for example, an oil recovery process. However, modified versions of the process may be well suited for management of industrial infrastructure (“Nation Building”), covering contract formulation, execution, operation, and maintenance. The MSC will accommodate these and other work process flows, such as a De Soto process for the recovery of dead capital and bringing it to market. 
         [0022]      FIG. 4  shows a screenshot  40  of a data entry form  45  used for organization, project workflow, and financial oversight. The form  45  may provide a dashboard for user interface. The form  45  may be linked to (KNOW) ( FIG. 1 ), a Document form (not shown), and an Employee Data Entry form ( FIG. 5 .). The data input into the form  45  may be used by the requisite organizational scheme  14  for probabilistic indexing and retrieval of candidate personnel, documents, and other resources. The requisite organizational scheme  14  may navigate within the system&#39;s infrastructure, for example, databases (not shown). The databases may be within different geographical boundaries; for example, in different countries. Information access to system information may, in one embodiment, be performed through the World Wide Web. For example, a manager  25  may interface the requisite organizational scheme  14  using the data entry form  45  and may wish to locate candidate personnel (workers  23 ) that may be needed for a project  22 . The manager  25  may input into the form  45  criteria such as a skill, a pay grade, a job title, etc. The form  45  may treat the filled out fields as queries and may retrieve based on probabilistic indexing, candidates along with their corresponding biographical data. The retrieved candidates may be based on those candidates meeting threshold levels within the probabilistic indexing. The manager  25  may be able to specify the threshold indexing level returned. For example, those candidates meeting at least 65% probability or corresponding to the query may be retrieved. The retrieved data may be shown in the manager&#39;s native language. The retrieved data may be shown on the interface displaying the form  45 . 
         [0023]    For contract oversight, a contractor administrator may assign a probability from 1 to 10, to each document passing through his desk. This document assignment may be used to establish a database. The database(s) may be available to select people based on their cognitive level in the ESS  10  (for example, managers  25 ) who might be able to update and use it for job progress oversight. For the personnel applications, workers  23  might fill out a data entry form  45  online. 
         [0024]      FIG. 5  is a screenshot of a worker input sheet  50 . The data fields  55  may be in the worker&#39;s native language. In an exemplary embodiment, data fields  55  may include a translated copy of the respective fields  55 . The fields  55  may be translated into the native language of either the person accessing the document via search or into the native language of the worker  23  who is in a foreign country. 
         [0025]    Any combination of one or more computer readable medium(s) may be utilized for interfacing with the data entry form  45  and accessing the information retrieved through probabilistic indexing. The computer readable medium may be a computer readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium. A computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the computer readable storage medium would include the following: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. In the context of this document, a computer readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that can contain, or store a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. 
         [0026]    It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.