Enterprise management using an enterprise program office (EPO)

A method for establishing an enterprise-specific enterprise program office (EPO) and an associated enterprise-specific EPO web site, comprising:

• providing a plurality of client systems each associated with a corresponding enterprise with access to a database associated with a server system and containing an EPO toolkit accessible to the client systems using the server system, the EPO toolkit comprising:
• a customizable EPO web site shell providing a generic EPO web site structure on which an enterprise associated with a client system may base an enterprise-specific EPO web site for an enterprise-specific EPO, the customizable EPO web site shell operable to be customized by a user of a client system to create an enterprise-specific EPO web site shell with features particular to the corresponding enterprise;
• and
• a plurality of customizable deployment support materials for establishing the enterprise-specific EPO and associated enterprise-specific EPO web site;
• receiving from a user associated with a client system a request for the customizable EPO web site shell;
• retrieving the customizable EPO web site shell from the database;
• providing the customizable EPO web site shell to the user for customization, if desired, to create an enterprise-specific EPO web site shell with features particular to the corresponding enterprise;
• and
• providing at least a portion of the deployment support materials to the user, the deployment support materials recommending specifics for setting up the enterprise-specific EPO and facilitating establishment of the enterprise-specific EPO through one or more deployment phases and according to a deployment schedule.

A computer readable media comprising software for establishing an enterprise-specific enterprise program office (EPO) and an associated enterprise-specific EPO web site, the software and when executed operable to:

• provide a server system operable to communicate with a plurality of client systems, each client system being associated with a corresponding enterprise;
• provide a database associated with the server system and containing an EPO toolkit accessible to the client systems using the server system, the EPO toolkit comprising:
• a customizable EPO web site shell, the customizable EPO web site shell providing a generic EPO web site structure on which an enterprise associated with a client system may base an enterprise-specific EPO web site for an enterprise-specific EPO, the customizable EPO web site shell operable to be customized by a user of a client system to create an enterprise-specific EPO web site shell with features particular to the corresponding enterprise;
• and
• a plurality of customizable deployment support materials for establishing the enterprise-specific EPO and associated enterprise-specific EPO web site;
• the software operable to:
• receive from a user associated with a client system a request for the customizable EPO web site shell;
• retrieve the customizable EPO web site shell from the database;
• provide the customizable EPO web site shell to the user for customization, if desired, to create an enterprise-specific EPO web site shell with features particular to the corresponding enterprise;
• and
• provide at least a portion of the deployment support materials to the user, the deployment support materials recommending specifics for setting up the enterprise-specific EPO and facilitating establishment of the enterprise-specific EPO through one or more deployment phases and according to a deployment schedule.

A system for establishing an enterprise-specific enterprise program office (EPO) and an associated enterprise-specific EPO web site, comprising:

• means for providing a plurality of client systems each associated with a corresponding enterprise with access to a database associated with the server system and containing an EPO toolkit accessible to the client systems using the server system, the EPO toolkit comprising:
• a customizable EPO web site shell, the customizable EPO web site shell providing a generic EPO web site structure on which an enterprise associated with a client system may base an enterprise-specific EPO web site for an enterprise-specific EPO, the customizable EPO web site shell operable to be customized by a user of a client system to create an enterprise-specific EPO web site shell with features particular to the corresponding enterprise;
• and
• a plurality of customizable deployment support materials for establishing the enterprise-specific EPO and associated enterprise-specific EPO web site;
• means for receiving from a user associated with a client system a request for the customizable EPO web site shell;
• means for retrieving the customizable EPO web site shell from the database;
• means for providing the customizable EPO web site shell to the user for customization, if desired, to create an enterprise-specific EPO web site shell with features particular to the corresponding enterprise;
• and
• means for providing at least a portion of the deployment support materials to the user, the deployment support materials recommending specifics for setting up the enterprise-specific EPO and facilitating establishment of the enterprise-specific EPO through one or more deployment phases and according to a deployment schedule.

A system for establishing an enterprise-specific enterprise program office (EPO) and an associated enterprise-specific EPO web site, comprising:

• a server system operable to communicate with a plurality of client systems, each client system being associated with a corresponding enterprise;
• a database associated with the server system and containing an EPO toolkit accessible to the client systems using the server system, the EPO toolkit comprising a plurality of customizable deployment support materials for establishing an enterprise-specific EPO and an associated enterprise-specific EPO web site, the deployment support materials comprising:
• a plurality of EPO processes to be used in implementing an enterprise specific EPO;
• a schedule suggesting one or more milestones for implementing the EPO processes, the milestones specifying completion dates for implementation of the EPO processes;
• one or more forms or templates for establishing and executing the EPO processes;
• educational materials regarding the EPO and the EPO processes;
• and
• a customizable EPO web site shell, the customizable EPO web site shell providing a generic EPO web site structure on which an enterprise associated with a client system may base an enterprise-specific EPO web site for an enterprise-specific EPO, the customizable EPO web site shell operable to be customized by a user of a client system to create an enterprise-specific EPO web site shell with features particular to the corresponding enterprise;
• and
• for each of one or more selected customizable deployment support materials, the server system operable to:
• receive from a user associated with a client system a request to download the customizable deployment support material;
• and
• retrieve the customizable deployment support material from the database and provide the customizable deployment support material to the user;
• communicate compiled and packaged components of the enterprise-specific EPO web site to the client system for customization, if desired, at the client system prior to installation;
• the server system operable to provide at least a portion of the deployment support materials to the user, the deployment support materials recommending specifics for setting up the enterprise-specific EPO and facilitating establishment of the enterprise-specific EPO through one or more deployment phases and according to the schedule.