Automated, electronic network based, project management server system

A method executed by a computer system as part of a computer program,

• said system for coordinating the management of a project comprising at least one task,
• said computer system comprising a central database server connected to an electronic network,
• said method using a two-way electronic messaging system that allows organizational work-group team members to send messages to the computer program and receive messages from the computer program via said electronic network,
• said method storing and accessing data from a project database,
• said method further comprising built-in triggers which are based on the nature and status of said data without need for manual project management coordination,
• said project management coordination to include planning, resource leveling, status reporting and reminding, tracking and updating plans, said method to be configurable for said organizational work-group environment, and
• said method comprising:
• (a) identifying the owner of a received message;
• (b) identifying the nature of said received message;
• (c) setting up said project database and saving said received messages to said project database according to the nature of said received message;
• (d) receiving project plans and compiling project plans and saving project plans into said project database;
• (e) checking said project plans for resource requests against resource availability and reallocating resources if necessary based on inter-task priorities;
• (f) recalculating and sending back said project plans based on resource reallocation;
• (g) sending project status reports and reminders to organizational work-group team members based on the status of said triggers;
• (h) receiving project updates and status changes and updating said project database;
• repeating steps (a) through (h) as desired by said organizational work-group team members.

An apparatus for coordinating the management of a project comprising at least one task,

• said apparatus comprising a computer system including a computer program,
• said computer system to comprise a central database server connected to an electronic network,
• said apparatus using a two-way electronic messaging system that allows organization work-group team members to send messages to the computer program and receive messages from the computer program via said electronic network,
• said apparatus storing and accessing data from a project database,
• said apparatus including built-in triggers which are based on the nature and status of said data without need for manual project management coordination,
• said project management coordination to include planning, resource leveling, status reporting and reminding, tracking and updating plans,
• said apparatus to be configurable for said organizational work-group environment,
• said apparatus comprising:
• means for identifying an owner of a received message;
• means for identifying the nature of said received message;
• means for setting up said project database;
• means for saving said received messages to said project database according to said nature of said received message;
• means for receiving project plans;
• means for compiling said received project plans;
• means for saving said received project plans into said project database;
• means for checking said project plans for resource requests against resource availability;
• means for reallocating resources as necessary based on inter-task priorities;
• means for recalculating said project plans based on resource reallocation;
• means for sending project status reports to organizational work-group team members based on a status of said triggers;
• means for receiving project status changes;
• and
• means for updating said project database.

Apparatus that is automatic in nature and for coordinating management of a project, comprising:

• an electronic messaging receiver module;
• a project database including allocation of at least one resource between a plurality of project tasks;
• and
• a resource leveling module with built-in triggers adapted to level allocation of said at least one resource between said plurality of project tasks in response to an electronic message received by said electronic messaging receiver.

Apparatus that is automatic in nature and for coordinating multi-project management, comprising:

• an electronic messaging receiver module;
• a multi-project database including allocation of at least one resource between a plurality of projects;
• and
• a resource-leveling module with built-in triggers adapted to level allocation of said at least one resource between said plurality of projects in response to an electronic messaging received by said electronic messaging receiver.

A method that is automatic in nature and for coordinating the management of a project, said method comprising:

• receiving an electronic message;
• allocating at least one resource between each of a plurality of project tasks represented in a common database, based on said received electronic message;
• and
• leveling allocation of said at least one resource between said plurality of project tasks with built-in triggers in response to said received electronic message.

A method that is automatic in nature and for coordinating multi-project management, said method comprising:

• receiving an electronic message;
• allocating at least one resource between each of a plurality of projects represented in a common database based on said received electronic message;
• and
• leveling allocation of said at least one resource between said plurality of projects with built-in triggers in response to said received electronic message.