International Business Machines Corporation

Cognos, Inc.

Marc Desbiens

James Wallace Sinclair

Method and system for partitioning and delivery data using a delegation object is disclosed. The delegation object is a first-class object, and includes a master data set definition, a data dimension-to-user mapping and a target organization definition. The target organization definition defines relationships between the master data set definition and the data dimension-to-user mapping. The delegation object is used to create a specific data set from a master data set.

Delegation object as a first-class business modeling object

The invention allows several users to manipulate complex data interactively, but separately, and then have the results of their inputs merged. It is based on hierarchical planning which matches typical business environments. The planning process is distributed over the management hierarchy and each level may contribute one or more alternative plans for consideration by a superior level. The distribution of the process is carried out using computer-enabled 'delegation'. Relationships are specified between a dimensional structure and a responsibility structure such that sub-plans and plans using the dimensional structure of a planning data repository (PDR) may be partitioned into components corresponding to the responsibility structure. Part of 'delegation' is the process of setting up the conditions, requirements, etc. for a subordinate to draft one or more sub-plans for their particular area. The subordinate then submits one or more of these sub-plans based on these conditions and information in the PDR, as well as on their specific experience and other (local) input. On &#x2018;submission&#x2019;, this sub-plan is able to be incorporated into higher level sub-plans. During the submission process sub-plans are integrated into a single plan, ensuring overall consistency of the data, and conformance with any constraints defined by users. The process is iterative in nature.

Computer-based business planning processes

A system and method for representing a very large dataset that enables a plan manager to define, based upon an organization modelling object, a delegation modelling object for a very large dataset. A very large dataset delegation of multiple subplans is created whose subplans can then be individually filtered for specific size restrictions. This enables a plan manager to filter the definition of each subplan prior to the execution of the delegation modelling object, precluding any need for higher-level subplans to contain all the data contained in their subordinate subplans. This allows subplans to contain increased levels of detail not included in their superior subplans, detail that will instead only be summarized in higher-level subplans. A subsequent consolidation process will then extract data not found at higher levels from each delegated subplan, and return that data to its original dataset.

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Ottawa, Canada

Marc Desbiens