Patent ID: 7516438

Claim:
A method for tracking resolution of a problem using a problem tracking system, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a first problem definition by defining a first problem associated with a first product reference; defining a first work item identifying a respective first resolution associated with the first problem definition; defining a second work item identifying a respective second resolution associated with the first problem definition by: automatically discovering a second product reference to which the first problem definition relates; and automatically defining the second work item to be a resolution of the first problem definition within the second product reference; receiving at least one work item update for at least one of the first and second work items, the at least one work item update altering a resolution state associated with the at least one of the first and second work items for which the work item update is received; and providing a problem resolution report for the first problem definition based upon a correlation of resolution states associated with at least the first and second work items.