Abstract: A data structure for a complex order processing system is implemented in a set of tables for assets, quotes, and orders. The asset table includes information regarding products currently installed and services being delivered to a customer's premises. The aggregate asset tables for a customer represent the customer's service profile. The quote table represents an offer to change the products and services provided to a customer; and the order table represents instructions to change the products and services provided to a customer. The assets can represent a product with a hierarchy of instances of sub-products, and one or more of the sub-products can itself be a complex product. The asset, quote and order tables comprise several fields. Some of the fields are the same across the tables so than information can be readily transferred from the quote table to an order table when a quote is approved by a customer and converted to an order.

Abstract: An employee performance result class is defined that represents an employee performance result and identifies relationships of the employee performance result with various entities related to the employee performance result.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for enabling the dynamic generation of user interface components. The dynamically-generated user interface components are based on templates and mappings that can be predefined through interaction with a user interface.

Abstract: Techniques to facilitate assignment and scheduling of activities. In accordance with a method, a chart showing a calendar of schedule for a number of available resources is provided in a first frame (or window) in a user interface menu, and a number of objects representative of a number of unplanned activities are provided in a second frame. A selection for an unplanned activity in the second frame (or a planned activity in the first frame) is received and, in response, selected ones of a number of objects in the chart are highlighted based on the selected activity. A request to assign the selected activity to a selected resource and to schedule the selected activity for a particular time duration is thereafter received. The requested assignment and scheduling may be accepted or rejected based on the requirements of the selected activity and the capabilities of the selected resource.

Abstract: A data model that allows for relationships between entities, also referred to as parties, to be modeled as attributes of an entity and for customization of the data model in a manner that facilitates upgrading of the data model. The data model defines a party class that includes a party identifier and a list of relationships of that party with other parties. The relationships may include represented-by relationships, customer-of relationships, contact-of relationships, or employee-of relationships. The party class can be sub-classed (i.e., be a base class for a derived class) depending on the type of party that is being model.

Abstract: A system and method for transforming a data object from a source form into a destination form is described. In one embodiment, the data object is stored in its source form as a set of related source components forming a source data structure having a first hierarchical configuration. The data object is stored in its destination form as a different set of related destination components forming a destination data structure having a different hierarchical configuration. A user is enabled to define a transformation map including a set of transformation mapping expressions declared by the user for transforming the data object between its source form and its destination form. The data object is then automatically transformed from its source form into its destination form based on the transformation map defined by the user and the source and destination data structures.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for extending a web-based application class by performing a compile-time extension that is communicated from a client device, having a compiler implemented thereon, to a server device via a remote procedure call.

Abstract: A method of, and a computer for, processing a query. The method includes receiving the query in a first language at a computerized messaging device, the first language being one of different languages. A template in the first language is then selected from one of the different languages and query data corresponding to the first language is retrieved from a database of query data. The method includes populating the template with template data corresponding to the first language to define a query response in the query language, and communicating the query response from the device to a recipient.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an order pertaining to one or more items available at multiple inventory locations associated with an organization is received, and a preference order fulfillment list is created for the multiple inventory locations based on one or more criteria configurable by the organization.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for tiered customization for an application with a plurality of users. In one embodiment, an application with various options for different users has a tiered system for customization to provide cost efficiency. For example, in a tiered system for customization, multiple option values can be specified for one option at multiple tiers of user group hierarchy and resolved based on the tier hierarchy to balance the capability for deep customizability, and the efficiency of resource usage. For example, a deep customizable hosted Customer Relationship Management (CRM) application allows customization from company level to individual user level.

Abstract: Techniques are described for exchanging data between software applications, such as project-related data between a project management software application (“PMSA”) and an unaffiliated organizational project tracking software application (“OPTSA”). A mapping and other related information may be defined for the data exchange, such as by defining data fields of the OPTSA database and PMSA data file that correspond, and optionally specifying related information such as additional processing to be performed for various data fields during the data exchange, conditions when a mapping is to be used, ordering information for data fields during import and/or export, preferred data formats for stored values, etc. Also, in some situations round-trip data import/export is performed for a single PMSA data file, which may include tracking whether data entity instances previously existed in the destination in order to support changes to stored inter-relationships between data entity instances.

Abstract: A method, user interface module, application program interface, computer program product and system that provides access to context information in a display window that remains persistent as the user navigates the application and views application data. The persistent dashboard can be populated from a communications event, such as an inbound telephone call; from data entered by the customer service agent via the user interface, such as a response to one of a series of scripted questions; from search results of a user-initiated search; or from application data displayed in a display window of the user interface. Various types of information from enterprise databases can be captured in the persistent dashboard to address the enterprise's business processes and needs. Information displayed in the persistent dashboard is configurable.

Abstract: A method of displaying data on a display screen is provided wherein first and second display zones are provided on the display screen. The display zones are sized so that, in combination, they substantially occupy a predetermined display area of the display screen which may, for example, be the display screen of a handheld device. In one embodiment, the relative sizes of the display zones are dynamically set dependent upon content to be displayed in each display zone. For example, a display zone for displaying list content may be larger than a display zone for displaying form content. The display zones may be arranged in a lateral fashion wherein they have substantially similar heights, or arranged in a stacked fashion with substantially similar widths. The respective widths or heights, as the case may be, may be sized dependent upon the content for display in each zone.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a business process meta-model is defined that represents a business process. The business process meta-model includes control flow elements pertaining to a control flow of the business process, and annotation elements providing details for the control flow elements.

Abstract: Various techniques for providing an application program interface (API) that facilitates the retrieval of information stored in a configuration repository directly from the configuration repository are provided. The API provides a direct channel of communication into the configuration repository through which a user can obtain an unambiguous representation of the objects in the configuration repository. When requested, the API retrieves an object or objects from the configuration repository, translates the retrieved result into an intermediate, well-defined representation that unambiguously represents the requested object or objects, and provides the requestor the unambiguous representation of the object or objects.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for refining a business process model includes receiving business process data pertaining to a first phase of a business process definition from a first class of users, creating a model of a business process using the business process data received from the first class of users, receiving business process data pertaining to a second phase of the business process definition from a second class of users, and augmenting the model of the business process based on the business process data received from the second class of users. The method further includes iteratively refining the model of the business process in response to input provided by the first class of users and/or the second class of users.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer-readable medium for using competency-related information for individuals to provide a variety of benefits is described. In some situations, individuals may propose self-assessments of competencies that they believe that they possess, such as specified skill levels of specified skills. Various techniques to independently approve proposed self-assessed competencies can be provided, such as by defining groups of appropriate reviewers (e.g., supervisors, peers and/or subordinates) for self-assessed competencies and by automatically retrieving and processing validation information from such reviewers upon receipt of a competency self-assessment in order to determine whether to approve the self-assessed competency.

Abstract: A method to convert data between a relational format and an XML document, by creating a set of XML Mapping Definition from metadata; selecting relational data from a relational application database, and converting the relational data to the XML document using the set of XML Mapping Definition.

Abstract: A software estimator tool implements an estimation process. The tool implements a bottom-up estimation process and a top-down estimation process. The bottom-up estimation process calculates an cumulative estimated level of effort for selected stages during the implementation of a custom software product, the custom software product being comprised of pre-written generic software modules. The top-down estimation process uses the cumulative estimated level of effort to estimate a schedule and calculate estimated billable revenue for the implementation project.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention describes a method and system for using related data from external systems employing incompatible character sets to affect a business process. For one embodiment, a first external system uses a first character set. A first data set is received from the first external system, the first data set using the first character set. A second external system uses a second character set. A second data set is received from the second external system, the second data set using the second character set. The first data set and the second data set are converted to use a third character set, the third character set a superset of the first character set and the second character set. The first data set and the second data set, as converted and integrated, are then used to effect one or more business processes. For one embodiment, the third character set is Unicode.