Abstract: An approach is provided for aggregating business data. Based on received columns, attributes, and keys of a dataset, the dataset is registered in a central hub of datasets which include data that is independently and locally maintained. Other datasets in the central hub that include columns, attributes, or keys that match the received columns, attributes, or keys, respectively, are determined and displayed. Responsive to receiving a user selection of one or more of the displayed datasets, cross-links between the dataset and each of the one or more selected datasets are generated. Based on a modification of a selected one of the cross-links and a second user interacting with the central hub, the modification and other cross-link(s) are displayed.

Abstract: An approach is provided for aggregating business data. Based on received columns, attributes, and keys of a dataset, the dataset is registered in a central hub of datasets which include data that is independently and locally maintained. Other datasets in the central hub that include columns, attributes, or keys that match the received columns, attributes, or keys, respectively, are determined and displayed. Responsive to receiving a user selection of one or more of the displayed datasets, cross-links between the dataset and each of the one or more selected datasets are generated. Based on a modification of a selected one of the cross-links and a second user interacting with the central hub, the modification and other cross-link(s) are displayed.

Abstract: An approach is provided for aggregating business data. Based on received columns, attributes, and keys of a dataset, the dataset is registered in a central hub of datasets which include data that is independently and locally maintained. Other datasets in the central hub that include columns, attributes, or keys that match the received columns, attributes, or keys, respectively, are determined and displayed. Responsive to receiving a user selection of one or more of the displayed datasets, cross-links between the dataset and each of the one or more selected datasets are generated. Based on a modification of a selected one of the cross-links and a second user interacting with the central hub, the modification and other cross-link(s) are displayed. Based on the second user's selection of the modification or one of the other cross-link(s), an analysis of data in the dataset is performed.

Abstract: An approach is provided for aggregating business data. Based on received columns, attributes, and keys of a dataset, the dataset is registered in a central hub of datasets which include data that is independently and locally maintained. Other datasets in the central hub that include columns, attributes, or keys that match the received columns, attributes, or keys, respectively, are determined and displayed. Responsive to receiving a user selection of one or more of the displayed datasets, cross-links between the dataset and each of the one or more selected datasets are generated. Based on a modification of a selected one of the cross-links and a second user interacting with the central hub, the modification and other cross-link(s) are displayed. Based on the second user's selection of the modification or one of the other cross-link(s), an analysis of data in the dataset is performed.

Abstract: An approach is provided for aggregating business data. Based on received columns, attributes, and keys of a dataset, the dataset is registered in a central hub of datasets which include data that is independently and locally maintained. Initial or updated data is loaded into the dataset in the central hub. Other datasets in the central hub that include columns, attributes, or keys that match the received columns, attributes, or keys, respectively, are determined and displayed. In response to receiving a user selection of one or more of the displayed datasets, cross-links between the dataset and each of the one or more selected datasets are automatically generated. The cross-links are based on the columns, attributes, or keys of the displayed datasets that match the received columns, attributes or keys. The cross-links provide an aggregation of business data in the dataset and the one or more selected datasets.

Abstract: An approach is provided for aggregating business data. Based on received columns, attributes, and keys of a dataset, the dataset is registered in a central hub of datasets which include data that is independently and locally maintained. Initial or updated data is loaded into the dataset in the central hub. Other datasets in the central hub that include columns, attributes, or keys that match the received columns, attributes, or keys, respectively, are determined and displayed. In response to receiving a user selection of one or more of the displayed datasets, cross-links between the dataset and each of the one or more selected datasets are automatically generated. The cross-links are based on the columns, attributes, or keys of the displayed datasets that match the received columns, attributes or keys. The cross-links provide an aggregation of business data in the dataset and the one or more selected datasets.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method, system, and computer-readable medium for determining if a software factory is ready to take on a software project is presented. In a preferred embodiment, the computer-implemented method includes the steps of: determining if an infrastructure for a software factory has been procured; determining if operational software needed to assemble work packets in an assembly line in the software factory has been installed; determining if a workflow event model for an assembly line in the software factory has been configured; determining if workload in the assembly line has been balanced; determining if communication channels between the software factory and a customer's computer system have been defined and cleared for data transmission; and in response to determining that any element described above has been determined not to have occurred, prohibiting an induction of a software project into the software factory.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer-readable medium for maintaining a health of a software factory that creates custom software in a standardized manner is presented. In a preferred embodiment, the method includes the steps of: defining work packets to perform sub-functions of a custom software; tracking a transmission of the work packets to an assembly line in a software factory; monitoring any retrieval of software artifacts that are used to create the work packets; monitoring any on-going changes of work activities that are contained in the work packets; determining if execution of the work packets conforms to governance guidelines for the software factory; monitoring the software factory to ensure that the work packets comply with an architecture of the software factory; tracking quality metrics for an execution of the work packets in an assembly line in the software factory; and transmitting all tracked and monitored information to a dashboard.

Abstract: A method, system, and/or computer-readable medium analyzes problems in a software factory. Factory metrics that describe resources and operations within the software factory are collected and analyzed to detect problems that might have occurred during an execution of a work packet within the software factory. If the detected problems exceed one or more threshold criteria, then a detailed analysis of the detected problems is performed by matching each detected problem to one or more specific root causes through an analysis of the factory process building blocks.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer-readable medium for determining competence levels of factory teams are presented. In a preferred embodiment, the method includes the steps of: creating a template for an initial work packet, wherein the initial work packet is a self-contained work unit that is assembled within the software factory; creating a partially instantiated work packet by populating the template with details that describe pre-conditions and post-conditions necessary to execute the work packet; provisionally selecting a human team to complete coding of the partially instantiated work packet to create a final work packet; determining whether the human team is competent to create the final work packet; and in response to determining that the human team is competent to create the final work packet, ordering the human team to create the final work packet within the software factory.

Abstract: A method for managing projects in a software factory is presented. A project management tool includes an end-to-end project plan for a project to create a software product by using a software factory in a global delivery network. A status block is appended to a work packet that is utilized when executing the project. After initiating the project, an alert is automatically triggered whenever the execution status of the work packet changes. The alert is transmitted to the project management tool to update a project schedule for the project, such that a completion status of the end-to-end project plan reflects a status of a project schedule for the project described by the end-to-end project plan.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer-readable medium for staged validation of work packets within a software factory are presented. In one embodiment, the method includes creating a preliminary work packet. A validation constraint is appended to the preliminary work packet to create a constrained work packet. The constrained work packet is submitted to the software factory, within which the validation constraint is validated at different stages to confirm that the validation constraint is proper for the constrained work packet. If a validation result fails to meet all requirements of the validation constraint at each stage, the validation constraint is resolved, and the constrained work packet is re-submitted at that stage.

Abstract: A method and system for rewriting Structured Query Language (SQL) statements. A SQL statement having search criteria including conditions pertaining to fields in database tables is received. A table from the SQL statement listing all combinations of the search criteria is created, every combination reflecting a subset of information used to determine combined results. A set of patterns among the possible combinations of the SQL statement based on the fields referenced in the combinations is identified. The table based on the set of patterns is sorted. Based on the sorting, the table is divided into temporary tables which are joined with the SQL statement. New temporary tables are generated. Each new temporary table includes results of a search conducted using a separate portion of the SQL statement as joined with the set of temporary tables. All results from the new temporary tables are combined into a single result table.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer-readable medium for determining competence levels of factory teams are presented. In a preferred embodiment, the method includes the steps of: creating a template for an initial work packet, wherein the initial work packet is a self-contained work unit that is assembled within the software factory; creating a partially instantiated work packet by populating the template with details that describe pre-conditions and post-conditions necessary to execute the work packet; provisionally selecting a human team to complete coding of the partially instantiated work packet to create a final work packet; determining whether the human team is competent to create the final work packet; and in response to determining that the human team is competent to create the final work packet, ordering the human team to create the final work packet within the software factory.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer-readable medium for predicatively selecting which work packets will be needed by a software factory to create a deliverable custom software are presented. In a preferred embodiment, the computer-implemented method includes: presenting an initial checklist that consists of a series of question groups; receiving answers to the initial checklist; in response to determining that received answers to the initial checklist indicate that a new series of questions is required to predict which work packets will be needed to create the deliverable custom software, dynamically generating a new checklist; evaluating leading indicators for the received answers; based on relevancy of answers and the leading indicators, eliminating irrelevant questions from the new checklist; and based on answers to remaining relevant questions, determining if a particular work packet will be needed to create the deliverable custom software in the software factory.

Abstract: A method, system and computer-readable medium for utilizing the design centers, assembly line and job shops of a global delivery network across multiple software factories are presented. Pre-qualified factory organizational units in a software factory are identified. Identified qualified factory organizational units, including design centers, assembly lines and job shops, are matched to customer requirements. If the identified qualified factory organizational units are available, then they are load balanced and deployed to create software deliverables to the customer.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer-readable medium for managing a work packet's life cycle, wherein the work packet is assembled in a software factory that creates custom software in a standardized manner, are presented. In a preferred embodiment, the computer-implemented method comprises the steps of: defining a work packet to perform a sub-function of a custom software, wherein the work packet is a pre-stored, reusable, self-contained, discrete unit of software code; assembling the work packet; archiving the work packet in an asset repository; retrieving the work packet from the asset repository; and sending the work packet to an assembly line for consolidation with other work packets to create a custom software.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer-readable medium for maintaining a project schedule of projects being executed within a software factory are presented. A project management tool receives alerts from the software factory as completion statuses, of software packets being used within the software factory, change. These alerts enable a consolidated and coordinated updating of the project schedule.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer-readable medium for utilizing the design centers, assembly line and job shops of a global delivery network across multiple software factories are presented. A work packet is examined to determine if it is authorized to be sub-contracted out to a different design center, assembly line or job shop than the design center/assembly line/job shop that have primary responsibility for the work packet. If the work packet is authorized to be sub-contracted out, then the work packet is reassigned to a different pre-qualified design center/assembly line/job shop.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer-readable medium for identifying root causes of problems in a software factory. Each work packet being executed within the software factory is assigned meta-data, which describes a relationship between that work packet and other work packets, as well as a relationship between that work packet and resources within the software factory. These metrics provides means for identifying any problems within the software factory.