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 enabling a transition of a business process portfolio of a client to fit with a standardized delivery platform are presented. A tool inputs, analyzes and optimizes a current job artifact set used by an IT organization. This tool identifies; and maps a set of artifacts used by the IT organization to a central meta-model/ontology representation. By dint of mapping the factory artifacts and processes to this meta-model, a user is able to identify equivalent classes among the artifacts and do a one-to-one, one-to-many or many-to-one mapping between the set of client artifacts and the standard artifacts already included in a Software Factory.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer-readable medium that support an open marketplace for distributed service arbitrage with an integrated risk management is presented. Orders for work packets, which are processed within a software factory, are allowed to be bid upon only by software factories that have been previously ranked by a centralized marketplace portal, thus ensuring that only qualified software factories are allowed to service such orders.

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.

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 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 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 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, 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 described above to a dashboard.

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 computer-implemented method, system, and computer-readable medium for inducting a software project into a software factory is presented, wherein an induction process identifies what processes and sub-processes are needed to create the software factory, and wherein the induction process identifies potential risks to the software factory.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer-readable medium for rapid on-boarding of a software factory are presented. In a preferred embodiment, the computer-implemented method comprises the steps of: identifying choke-points in a first software project; creating a checklist of identifying factors that caused the choke-points that were identified in the first software project; receiving a new software project at a software factory, wherein the new software project is in a same software category as the first software project; presenting the checklist for the first software project; receiving new answers to the checklist; determining if the software factory is ready to handle the new software project based on the new answers to the checklist; and in response to determining that the software factory is ready to handle the new software project, configuring the software factory in a same configuration as that previously used by the first software project.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer-readable medium for assembling work packets within a software factory are presented. In a preferred embodiment, the computer-implemented method comprises the steps of: collecting a plurality of software artifacts that have been archived during an assembly of previous work packets; collecting a plurality of metrics that have been utilized during the assembly of previous work packets; defining a template for a new work packet, wherein the template for the new work packet is created by a packet definition process that defines attributes that are needed in the new work packet; selecting requisite software artifacts from the plurality of software artifacts; selecting requisite metrics from the plurality of metrics; and sending the template, requisite software artifacts and requisite metrics to a packet assembly process, wherein the packet assembly process assembles the requisite software artifacts to create the new work packet.

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 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: Under the present invention, a SQL statement having search criteria is received. Upon receipt, a table that lists all possible combinations of the search criteria is created. From the table, a set of patterns among the possible combinations is identified. Based on these patterns, the table is then sorted. Once sorted, the table is divided into a set of temporary tables based on the set of patterns/sorting operation. The set of temporary tables are then individually joined with the SQL statement and separate searches are conducted. A new set of temporary tables is then generated and populated with results of the separate searches. These result tables are then unioned/combined into a single result table.

Abstract: A method and program storage device for creating tabular data stream flow for sending rows of secure data between a client workstation and a server computer over a network using a common object request broker architecture (CORBA). This method includes receiving a request to create a query form at the client workstation, receiving a worksheet grid form defining selected tabular data, and packaging the worksheet grid form representing an updated status of the data for the tabular data stream flow.

Abstract: An exemplary embodiment of the invention relates to a method and storage medium for integrating forecasting and replenishment activities for a networked supply chain including an enterprise and at least one supplier. The method comprises receiving a demand forecast for a first manufacturing cycle from the enterprise, performing a hub inventory assessment, performing a capability assessment, and transmitting a commitment response to the enterprise based upon the demand forecast, the results of the hub inventory assessment, and the results of the capability assessment. The demand forecast is utilized to manage hub inventory for use in a second manufacturing cycle. Other embodiments include a storage medium for implementing the invention.

Abstract: A method and program storage device for creating tabular data stream flow for sending rows of secure data between a client workstation and a server computer over a network using a common object request broker architecture (CORBA). This method includes receiving a request to create a query form at the client workstation, receiving a worksheet grid form defining selected tabular data, and packaging the worksheet grid form representing an updated status of the data for the tabular data stream flow.