Integrated Work Lists for Engineering Change Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Software engineering projects face challenges in determining the scope of changes needed to improve system stability and flexibility, as existing tools are inadequate in capturing and tracking the work involved in architectural changes, particularly when direct human involvement is required for complex code changes.
Innovation Solution
The solution provides a system for capturing, communicating, and tracking architectural changes by correlating existing and proposed design diagrams with work lists that include tasks for transforming the current design into the proposed design, allowing users to manage changes through visualization and tracking of dependencies, impacts on testing, database structures, and user requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If existing tools are used to manage architectural changes, then basic change tracking is possible, but the tools are inadequate in capturing and tracking the work involved in complex architectural changes requiring direct human involvement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the change management system into multiple integrated components: design diagrams (current and proposed), work lists with detailed tasks, dependency tracking, and impact analysis. Each component handles a specific aspect of change management, collectively providing comprehensive tracking of architectural changes without overwhelming complexity in any single component.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges previously separate tools (design modeling tools, work tracking tools, dependency analysis tools) into a single integrated change management system. This allows seamless correlation between design changes, work tasks, dependencies, and impacts, preventing information loss while managing complexity through unified architecture.
2Reliability
If detailed work lists are generated to track architectural changes, then comprehensive change tracking is achieved, but the complexity of managing and navigating the changes increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the system automatically analyzes design diagrams, generates work lists, identifies dependencies, and assesses impacts. This automated feedback loop provides comprehensive change tracking information without requiring manual navigation through complex data, as the system actively presents relevant information to users.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer (the integrated change management system) that mediates between the complex underlying data (design diagrams, code dependencies, work tasks) and the user. This intermediary automatically processes and correlates information, presenting it in a manageable format that maintains tracking accuracy while simplifying user interaction.
3Measurement precision
If design diagrams and work lists are integrated with dependency tracking, then the scope of changes can be determined, but the time required to analyze and manage changes increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by automatically generating design diagrams, work lists, and dependency information before the actual change implementation. The system pre-analyzes the scope of changes, identifies all affected components, and prepares detailed task breakdowns in advance, enabling precise scope determination without time-consuming manual analysis during the change process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical analysis processes with automated computational analysis. The system automatically traverses design diagrams, analyzes code dependencies, generates work lists, and assesses impacts using computational algorithms, achieving precise scope determination much faster than manual methods while reducing the time investment required.
Data Source
AI summary
A tool supports management of engineering project changes using a current design diagram with links to implementation components, a proposed design diagram, and a work list of tasks for transforming the current design into the proposed design. Tasks recite intended changes such as add, remove, or refactor, with reference to implementation components to be changed, and tracking information. Work list tasks may be automatically generated based on design model differences correlated with project code, automatically generated based on tracked user design actions correlated with project code, and/or manually generated by users. Work lists may be exported. Users can mark a relationship for removal and view a corresponding updated work list. Users can trace impact of a work list on project context such as testing coverage, database structures, and user scenarios.