Configurable application integrating service request and fulfillment process

Abstract

A method and system for generating a plurality of concurrent solutions for a corresponding plurality of service requests each having one or more service types. The method comprises the steps of defining a set of said service types and a sequence of activities for each said service type; and for each said service request, configuring a workflow of said activities from said service types in each said service request. The method comprises the further steps of defining owners of said activities in each said workflow and a schedule for performing said activities whereby said owner and schedule are defined using load balancing; and performing said activities and monitoring completion of said activities and said load balancing.

1 - 15 . (canceled)  
   
   
       16 . A method of generating a plurality of concurrent solutions for a corresponding plurality of service requests, each of the service requests having one or more service types, said method comprising the steps of: 
 providing a fully configurable application for managing a set of base processes and functions;    approving the service requests;    using said configurable application and a single user interface to define a set of service types and to define a sequence of activities for each of said service types;    for each service request, after the request is approved, configuring a workflow comprised of activities from said defined sequences of activities to generate a solution for said each service request, whereby the plurality of concurrent solutions for the plurality of service requests are generated;    defining owners of said activities in each said workflow and a schedule for performing said activities whereby said owner and schedule are defined using load balancing;    performing said activities and monitoring completion of said activities and said load balancing;    assigning to each activity one of a group of defined statuses, said defined statutes including in progress and pending;    in each workflow, as each activity in the workflow is completed, changing the status of each succeeding activity in the workflow to in progress if an owner has been assigned to said each succeeding activity, or to pending if no owner has been assigned to said each succeeding activity;    when each service request is approved, creating a service request activity form for said each service request; and    using the service request activity form for each service request to assign ownership, track activities and collect deployment details for said each service request.    
   
   
       17 . A method according to  claim 16 , further comprising the steps of: 
 making one of the service requests; and    creating one activity document for each activity in the workflow configured for the service request made.    
   
   
       18 . A method according to  claim 17 , further comprising the steps of, for each activity in the workflow configured for the service request made, 
 assigning one of a group of defined statuses to the activity; and    indicating the status assigned to the activity in the document created for the activity.    
   
   
       19 . A method according to  claim 16 , wherein each owner is associated with a view showing activities to be done by the owner; and when an owner is defined for one of the activities, said one activity is shown in said view associated with the defined owner.  
   
   
       20 . A method according to  claim 16 , comprising the further step of, when the last activity in one of the workflows is completing, changing the status of the service request, for which said one of he workflows was configured, to completed.  
   
   
       21 . A system for generating a plurality of concurrent solutions for a corresponding plurality of service requests, each of the service requests having one or more service types, said system comprising: 
 means providing a fully configurable application for managing a set of base processes and functions;    means for approving the service requests;    means for using said configurable application and a single user interface to define a set of service types and to define a sequence of activities for each of said service types;    means for configuring, for each service request, after the request is approved, a workflow comprised of activities from said defined sequences of activities to generate a solution for said each service request, whereby the plurality of concurrent solutions for the plurality of service requests are generated;    means for defining owners of said activities in each said workflow and a schedule for performing said activities whereby said owner and schedule are defined using load balancing;    means for performing said activities and monitoring completion of said activities and said load balancing;    means for assigning to each activity one of a group of defined statuses, said defined statutes including in progress and pending;    means for changing the status of each succeeding activity in each workflow, when a preceding activity in said each workflow is completed, to in progress if an owner has been assigned to said each succeeding activity, or to pending if no owner has been assigned to said each activity;    means for creating, when each service request is approved, a service request activity form for said each service request; and    means for using the service request activity form for each service request to assign ownership, track activities and collect deployment details for said each service request.    
   
   
       22 . A system according to  claim 21 , further comprising: 
 means for making one of the service requests; and    means for creating one activity document for each activity in the workflow configured for the service request made.    
   
   
       23 . A system according to  claim 22 , further comprising: 
 means for assigning one of a group of defined statuses to each activity in the workflow configured for the service request made; and    means for indicating, for each activity in the workflow configured for the request, the status assigned to the activity in the document created for the activity.    
   
   
       24 . A system according to  claim 21 , further comprising means for displaying to each owner a view showing all of the activities to be done by the owner.  
   
   
       25 . A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instruction executable by the machine to perform method steps for generating a plurality of concurrent solutions for a corresponding plurality of service requests, each of the service requests having one or more service types, said method steps comprising: 
 providing a fully configurable application for managing a set of base processes and functions;    approving the service requests;    using said configurable application and as single user interface to define a set of service types and to define a sequence of activities for each of said service types;    for each service request after the request is approved, configuring a workflow comprised of activities from said defined sequences of activities to generate a solution for said each service request, whereby the plurality of concurrent solutions for the plurality of service requests are generated;    defining owners of said activities in each said workflow and a schedule for performing said activities whereby said owner and schedule are defined using load balancing;    performing said activities and monitoring completion of said activities and said load balancing;    assigning to each activity one of a group of defined statuses, said defined statutes including in progress and pending;    in each workflow, as each activity in the workflow is completed, changing the status of each succeeding activity in the workflow to in progress if an owner has been assigned to said each succeeding activity, or to pending if no owner has been assigned to said each succeeding activity;    when each service request is approved, creating a service request activity form for said each service request; and    using the service request activity form for each service request to assign ownership, track activities and collect deployment details for said each service request.    
   
   
       26 . A program storage device according to  claim 25 , wherein said method steps further comprise: 
 making one of the service requests; and    creating one activity document for each activity in the workflow configured for the service request made.    
   
   
       27 . A program storage device according to  claim 26 , wherein said method steps further comprise, for each activity in the workflow configured for the services request made, 
 assigning one of a group of defined statuses to the activity; and    indicating the status assigned to the activity in the document created for the activity.    
   
   
       28 . A program storage device according to  claim 25 , wherein each owner is associated with a view showing activities to be done by the owner; and when an owner is defined for one of the activities, said one activity is shown in said view associated with the defined owner.