Method and system for the management of professional services project information

Abstract

A method and system are provided for the transfer and/or aggregation of data and, in particular, integrating data used in managing a professional services practice. The invention preferably transfers and/or aggregates data relating to the identity of clients and matters for whom professional services are being rendered with data relating to the work which data may be maintained in inconsistent, proprietary formats, comprising one or more of the following types of information: accounting; budgeting; docketing; time and billing: work product; word processing; records; project management; and/or other information relating to the professional services. The system of the present invention preferably comprises data storage and data processing means adapted to use the data in substantially portable and/or application-independent format, and/or and transfer or aggregate data between common, and/or proprietary data formats.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A method for providing data for managing a professional services project, the method comprising:
 receiving first data from a first application, the first data being in a first format that is native to the first application and the first data comprising a client identifier and a matter identifier;   determining whether the first format is compliant with a format standard;   if the first format is compliant with the format standard, storing the first data in the first format in a centralized database;   if the first format is not compliant with the format standard, converting the first data from the first format into a format that is compliant with the format standard and storing the converted first data in the centralized database;   receiving second data from a second application, the second data being in a second format that is native to the second application and the second data comprising a client identifier and the matter identifier;   determining whether the second format is compliant with the format standard;   if the second format is compliant with the format standard, storing the second data in the second format in the centralized database;   if the second format is not compliant with the format standard, converting the second data from the second format into a format that is compliant with the format standard and storing the converted second data in the centralized database;   generating a hierarchical view comprising a client view associated with the client identifier and a matter view associated with the matter identifier, wherein:
 the client view is displayed at a root tier of the hierarchical view; 
 at least a portion of the first data or at least a portion of the second data are displayed in the client view based on the first data and the second data being associated with the client identifier; 
 the matter view is displayed at a second tier of the hierarchical view; and 
 at least a portion of the first data or at least a portion of the second data are displayed in the matter view based on the first data and the second data being associated with the matter identifier; 
   providing the hierarchical view to a user via a web interface.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the format standard is Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) standard. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second format is a proprietary format of the second application. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein storing the first data and storing the second data comprises combining the first data and the second data. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the hierarchical view further comprises a project view and one or more of an event view or a task view;   the project view is displayed at a third tier of the hierarchical view; and   the one or more of the event view and the task view is displayed at a fourth tier of the hierarchical view.   
     
     
         6 . A system comprising:
 one or more processors; and   a memory system comprising one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause the computing system to perform a method comprising:
 receiving first data from a first application, the first data being in a first format that is native to the first application and the first data comprising a client identifier and a matter identifier; 
 determining whether the first format is compliant with a format standard; 
 if the first format is compliant with the format standard, storing the first data in the first format in a centralized database; 
 if the first format is not compliant with the format standard, converting the first data from the first format into a format that is compliant with the format standard and storing the converted first data in the centralized database; 
 receiving second data from a second application, the second data being in a second format that is native to the second application and the second data comprising a client identifier and the matter identifier; 
 determining whether the second format is compliant with the format standard; 
 if the second format is compliant with the format standard, storing the second data in the second format in the centralized database; 
 if the second format is not compliant with the format standard, converting the second data from the second format into a format that is compliant with the format standard and storing the converted second data in the centralized database; 
 generating a hierarchical view comprising a client view associated with the client identifier and a matter view associated with the matter identifier, wherein:
 the client view is displayed at a root tier of the hierarchical view; 
 at least a portion of the first data or at least a portion of the second data are displayed in the client view based on the first data and the second data being associated with the client identifier; 
 the matter view is displayed at a second tier of the hierarchical view; and 
 at least a portion of the first data or at least a portion of the second data are displayed in the matter view based on the first data and the second data being associated with the matter identifier; 
 
 providing the hierarchical view to a user via a web interface. 
   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the format standard is Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) standard. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the second format is a proprietary format of the second application. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein storing the first data and storing the second data comprises combining the first data and the second data. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the hierarchical view further comprises a project view and one or more of an event view or a task view;   
     
     
         11 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing system, cause the computing system to perform a method comprising:
 receiving first data from a first application, the first data being in a first format that is native to the first application and the first data comprising a client identifier and a matter identifier;   determining whether the first format is compliant with a format standard;   if the first format is compliant with the format standard, storing the first data in the first format in a centralized database;   if the first format is not compliant with the format standard, converting the first data from the first format into a format that is compliant with the format standard and storing the converted first data in the centralized database;   receiving second data from a second application, the second data being in a second format that is native to the second application and the second data comprising a client identifier and the matter identifier;   determining whether the second format is compliant with the format standard;   if the second format is compliant with the format standard, storing the second data in the second format in the centralized database;   if the second format is not compliant with the format standard, converting the second data from the second format into a format that is compliant with the format standard and storing the converted second data in the centralized database;   generating a hierarchical view comprising a client view associated with the client identifier and a matter view associated with the matter identifier, wherein:
 the client view is displayed at a root tier of the hierarchical view; 
 at least a portion of the first data or at least a portion of the second data are displayed in the client view based on the first data and the second data being associated with the client identifier; 
 the matter view is displayed at a second tier of the hierarchical view; and 
 at least a portion of the first data or at least a portion of the second data are displayed in the matter view based on the first data and the second data being associated with the matter identifier; 
   providing the hierarchical view to a user via a web interface.   
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the format standard is Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) standard. 
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the second format is a proprietary format of the second application. 
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein storing the first data and storing the second data comprises combining the first data and the second data. 
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the hierarchical view further comprises a project view and one or more of an event view or a task view;   the project view is displayed at a third tier of the hierarchical view; and   the one or more of the event view and the task view is displayed at a fourth tier of the hierarchical view.