Patent ID: 8806423

Claim:
A method comprising: (a) receiving into a computer processor a plan to modify a software system, the software system comprising a first part developed, provided, and maintained by a first entity, and a second part developed and maintained by a second entity; (b) analyzing the plan using the computer processor and identifying software objects of the first entity that are affected by the plan to modify the software system; (c) receiving into the computer processor information relating to the affected software objects of the first entity; (d) determining an impact on the first part of a system of modifications to the affected software objects of the first entity; (e) receiving into the computer processor a list of software modifications, software developments, and software executables of the second entity in the second part of the software system that are associated with the affected software objects of the first entity; (f) receiving into the computer processor usage statistics of the first entity relating to the affected software objects of the first entity and usage statistics of the second entity relating to the software modifications, software developments, and software executables of the second entity; (g) determining an impact of the system of modifications to the affected software objects of the first entity on the software modifications, software developments, and software executables of the second entity and the second part of the software system; (h) developing a first estimate of an effort to implement the system of modifications to the software system based on steps (a) through (g); (i) developing using the computer processor a business blueprint of the second entity, the business blueprint comprising a list of the affected software objects of the first entity and the second entity's use of the affected software objects of the first entity; (j) generating using the computer processor a trace of the affected software objects of the first entity and a trace of the software executables of the second entity that are affected by the software modifications and software developments of the second entity; and (k) generating a test plan using the computer processor and the traces of the affected software objects and the software executables, the test plan comprising a list of the affected software objects and the software executables to be tested as a result of the change to the software system and a second estimate comprising an estimated effort to implement the test plan.