Patent ID: 7127410

Claim:
A framework in connection with an organization having a plurality of entities, the framework defining a minimum set of requirements that all entities within the organization must adhere to when acquiring an information technology (IT) product, the framework comprising: a first policy that each entity of the organization must adhere to the framework; a second policy defining a business process that each entity must follow when acquiring an IT product; a third policy defining a set of tools for being employed to implement the business process of the second policy; and a fourth policy defining requirements specific to one or more of the entities within the organization, where the requirements specific to each entity are defined by such entity, wherein the business process of the second policy comprises: initiating a business idea regarding acquiring an IT product, the business idea being based on factors including available technology and a rough feasibility estimate of cost and benefit; developing the rough estimate into a detailed estimate including a cost of and a benefit of acquiring the IT product, the detailed estimate being employed to decide if and how to acquire the IT product and coinciding with composing a proposal including a funding request for funding from the organization for acquiring the IT product; submitting the proposal to a centralized prioritizing agent for the organization, the centralized prioritizing agent performing a prioritization process including examining all proposals within the organization and determining whether to approve each proposal based on factors including need, cost, available funding, and priority; upon receiving approval from the centralized prioritizing agent, developing requirements and planning for the IT product to be acquired by specifying the IT product in a more technologically specific manner; and receiving delivery of the IT product, wherein each entity has a desired technology state referred to during the business process, the desired technology state defining where the entity is desired to be in a technological sense, and wherein the business process includes determining that acquiring the IT product goes toward a business solution that is needed for achieving the desired technology state.