Program management lifecycle solution

A data processing system for enabling a plurality of stakeholders to manage a project that includes the generation of one or more software programs for an end user, said data processing system operative for managing each said program being generated for said project, said data processing system comprising:

• a program lifecycle management processor for prompting a plurality of participants to perform a plurality of tasks such that each said participant is guided through a lifecycle process for generating each said software programs and for enabling said stakeholder to monitor and oversee the progress of said software program generation and for enabling a preselected number of said stakeholders to manage the progress of said project;
• a user interface for enabling role-based access to said data processing system for each said participant and each said stakeholder and for enabling each said participant and each said stakeholder to input data to said lifecycle management processor and access data from said lifecycle management processor according to said role-based access;
• said user interface enabling use of said program lifecycle management processor by each said participant and each said stakeholder from multiple geographic locations via the internet;
• a plurality of software tools for managing said project and each said program of said project and for implementing said lifecycle process for each said program;
• wherein said plurality of software tools includes:
• an incident report (“IR”) tracking and issue management/tracking tool;
• a configuration management tool;
• a requirements management tool;
• a workplan and deliverables tool;
• a test management tool;
• a regression testing;
• a performance management tool, a finance tool, a metrics tool;
• a documents management tool;
• a calendar and meeting tool, and a communications tool;
• at least one data storage unit for storing and providing access to data input by said participant and said stakeholder via said user interface for managing each said data storage unit and access thereto, wherein said data processing system enables data to be input to and accessed from said data storage unit by each of said plurality of software tools, such that said data processing system enables each said participant and each said stakeholder to have role based access to each said software tool via said user interface;
• a central deliverables repository such that all program deliverables may be accessed through said lifecycle;
• said documents management tool enabling each said participant and said stakeholder to view and access files from said central deliverables repository, said view and access being restricted based on the role assigned to said participant and said stakeholder;
• a reporting engine for enabling the publishing of real-time reports from data of said system;
• wherein said program lifecycle management processor enables users to have role-based access to one or more predetermined views of the status of said project and said program generation via the internet so as to provide a real time snapshot of the status for each said participant and each said stakeholder;
• said program lifecycle management processor providing templates and examples of the best-practices in program lifecycle management for use by each said participant and each said stakeholder.