Method and system for the management of professional services project information

A data processing system for managing data related to a professional services project, comprising:

• a. a computer for processing the data;
• b. a software application cooperating with said computer;
• and
• c. data storage means cooperating with said computer for storing data;
• d. the data cooperating with said software application;
• e. the data in a substantially portable format.

A project management system for a professional services project, comprising:

• a. computer network means;
• b. data processing means cooperating with said network;
• c. one or more distributed application means, cooperating with said data processing means;
• d. data storage means, cooperating with said one or more distributed application means, for storing data;
• e. said data being substantially portable between said one or more distributed applications.

A computer network for managing a professional services practice, comprising:

• a. a computer network;
• b. data processing means;
• c. one or more distributed application means;
• d. data cooperating with said one or more distributed application means;
• e. data storage means for storing said data from said one or more distributed application means;
• and
• f. project management database means cooperating with said one or more distributed application means for facilitating the communication of said data from said one or more distributed application means.

In a computer network for managing a professional services practice, comprising a computer network, data processing means, one or more distributed application means, data cooperating with said one or more distributed application means, and data storage means for storing said data from said one or more distributed application means, the improvement comprising:

• a. a case management data base;
• b. said case management database communicating with said one or more application means;
• c. said case management database means being adapted to receive data from said one or more application means;
• d. said data being substantially portable data.

A user interface for a computer network used in a professional services practice, comprising:

• a. first substantially distributed application;
• b. second substantially distributed application;
• b. said first distributed application being adapted to communicate with said second distributed application;
• c. data storage means cooperating with one or more of said first or second distributed applications for storing data used in the professional services practice;
• e. a user interface capable of accessing said data;
• and
• f. said user interface adapted to cooperate with one or more of said first or second distributed application means and said data storage means.

A user interface for computer network for use in a professional services practice, comprising:

• a. one or more distributed applications;
• b. case management database adapted to communicate with said one or more distributed application means;
• c. data storage means cooperating with case management database means;
• and
• e. the user interface cooperating with one or more of said data storage means and said one or more distributed application means.

An application for managing a professional services practice, comprising:

• a. one or more proprietary application means;
• b. data storage means adapted to cooperate with said one or more application means for storing data relating to the professional services practice;
• c. shareware application means;
• d. said shareware means cooperating with one or more of said one or more application means and said data storage means to render the data portable.

A data processing system for managing data relating to a professional services project and providing pertinent data to a user, comprising:

• a. network means;
• b. one or more proprietary, distributed application means;
• c. server means for distributing said one or more proprietary, distributed application means to the user on said network;
• d. data storage means for storing said data,
• e. said data storage means being adapted to cooperate with one or more of said server and said one or more distributed application means;
• f. first data integration means, cooperating with one or more of said server, said one or more distributed application means, and said data storage means, for transferring said data;
• g. storing said data in a format other than a substantially proprietary format;
• and
• h. providing said data to a user.

In a data processing network for a professional services practice comprising one or more proprietary software applications, the method comprising:

• a. accessing a proprietary application;
• b. storing data used in conjunction with said proprietary application;
• c. case management means, being in a format other than the format of the proprietary application, securing from the proprietary application on an automated basis, without human intervention, said stored data used in conjunction with said proprietary application;
• d. the case management means storing the data in a format other than the format of the proprietary application;
• e. accessing case management means;
• f. accessing said data stored in said case management means;
• g. making said data, in format other than the proprietary format, available to a user.

A system for providing project management data to a user from one or more sources of data, comprising:

• a. one or more data means for generating data about the project;
• b. one or more data storage means for storing data from said one or more data generation means in one or more first proprietary formats;
• c. data aggregation means, cooperating with said one or more data generation means and one or more data storage means, and adapted for transferring data between one or more of said one or more data generation means and said storage means and said data aggregation means;
• d. said data aggregation means being adapted to provide project management data to the user in a second format.
• e. data display means, cooperating with said data aggregation means for displaying said data in a format from which project management information can be accessed by the user.

A method for aggregating project management information used in conjunction with a professional services practice, comprising:

• a. retaining client-related data associated with the client for whom the project is being undertaken in a first format;
• b. retaining project-related data relating to said client in a second format;
• retaining event-related data relating to the occurrence of one or more events associated with said matter in a third format;
• c. aggregating said client-, project-, and event-related data;
• and
• d. making said client-, project-, and event-related data available to the user in a common format.

A method for aggregating project management data used in conjunction with a professional services practice, comprising:

• a. storing client related data in a first data base means having a first format;
• b. storing deadline related data in a second data base means having a second proprietary format;
• c. transferring said client related data and said deadline related data to project management means,
• d. wherein said client data and said deadline data is adapted to a common format and is accessible to the user in a single software application.

A system for accessing project management data from one or more databases in which the data is maintained in one or more incompatible proprietary formats to render the data useful for the management of client projects in a customer services practice, comprising:

• a. client related information;
• b. accounting related information;
• c. project related information;
• d. event related information;
• f. documentation relating to said events;
• and
• g. project management means for reporting said events, documentation relating to said events, and progress against budget for said project.

A system for accessing project management data from one or more databases in which the data is maintained in one or more incompatible proprietary formats, comprising:

• a. client identification information;
• b. project identification information;
• c. accounting related information for providing a budget for the project;
• d. one or more events relating to the project, comprising event related information;
• and
• g. project management means for reporting said events and reporting progress against budget for said project.

A method for managing information used in conjunction with a business enterprise, comprising:

• a. identifying a client associated with the information;
• b. identifying a matter associated with said client;
• c. identifying a project being undertaken on behalf of said client in conjunction with said matter;
• d, identifying, docketing information associated with the matter;
• e. identifying a budget associated with said project;
• f. identifying expense information associated with the project;
• d. identifying an event relating to said project;
• e. storing said expense information and said docket information in one or more proprietary format;
• f. transferring said client, matter, budget, expense and docket information to a common data format;
• g. displaying said client, matter, expense, and docket information in an application.