FORM 2
The Patent Act 1970
(39 of 1970)
&
The Patent Rules  2005

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(SEE SECTION 10 AND RULE 13)

TITLE OF THE INVENTION
“Method and system for risk and constraint based pricing model of a catalog service to assess enterprise network transformation”

APPLICANTS:
Name : HCL Technologies Limited
Nationality : Indian
Address : HCL Technologies Ltd.  50-53 Greams
Road  Chennai – 600006  Tamil Nadu India
The following Specification particularly describes and ascertains the nature of this invention and the manner in which it is to be performed:

FIELD OF INVENTION
[001] The embodiments herein relate to cost estimation and  more particularly  to cost estimation in enterprise stack.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
[002] The expansion of information processing solutions essential to a business enterprise has provided an opportunity to apply the advantages of software processing technology to almost every area of the enterprise and accordingly enhance customer value in a more efficient manner. As Information Technology (IT) continues to grow throughout the enterprise  the demand for IT services has also proportionally expanded. However  current IT estimation techniques are simplistic in nature and are not well suited for generating precise estimates for service oriented projects.
[003] IT solution providers continue to be increasingly challenged by encounters with potential customers utilizing technologies which are outside the traditional areas supported by the providers. Moreover  IT lifecycle processes are configured to managing self contained solutions. Concurrently  with the ever changing needs of conducting IT professional services (beyond software development price)  it is necessary to complete the professional projects on time and within the stipulated budget. The accurate estimation of the person effort  assessment of risks involved  issues involved in conducting the service  along with the physical network and security topologies help in arriving at estimation of the project costs involved. This estimation assists in realizing the schedule or time line while accomplishing the tasks within the stipulated budget.
[004] By assessing the project cost and estimated efforts beforehand  it helps an enterprise to keep track of the actual costs involved and efforts during and/or after project execution. Since  these projects are quite different than standard software development projects  estimation methods like Constructive Cost Model (COCOMO) or Function point analysis do not match up to the current needs.
[005] In an existing method  a project resource quantification tool is adapted to estimate required amount of components for completing a construction project. An input receives an electronic image data file and an image feature. The image feature has a classification based on correspondence of the image feature to a type of project resource  such as a type of component and/or connectivity material. Though the method counts the project’s requirement and adds up the cost of the estimation  it has limitations which include being unable to assess the enterprise network along with not considering important factors like price of the effort  size of the enterprise stack  constraints and risks.
[006] In another existing method  a service selection tool including an input component is configured to gather service requirements of a shared service project. Further  an analysis component is configured to compare the set of candidate shared services. Though the method counts the candidate services and adds the total cost of the service selection tool  it does not consider essential factors such as size  constraints and risks.
[007] From the above mentioned reasons  there appears to be a need for a method which effectively estimates pricing of a catalog service for an enterprise network transformation and is an adaptive model to enhance the service pricing.

SUMMARY
[008] Accordingly the invention provides a computer-implemented method to estimate pricing of a catalog service for assessing the enterprise network transformation  wherein the method comprises creating catalog service requirement document (CSRD) and receiving a request for the service from a user. The method further comprises mapping the request to the created document by a user interface and estimates price of effort required to execute the service based on parameters by an analysis module. Furthermore  the method comprises estimating price of tool used to execute the request based on parameters and to determine total price of the catalog service based on the price of effort and the price of tool by an analysis module.
[009] Accordingly the invention provides a system to estimate pricing of a catalog service for assessing the enterprise network transformation  wherein the system comprises a user interface (UI) module and an analysis module. The system further comprises an integrated circuit comprising at least one processor with a memory having a computer program code within a circuit. Further  the system is configured to create a catalog service requirement document (CSRD).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0010] The embodiments herein will be better understood from the following detailed description with reference to the drawings  in which:
[0011] FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a catalog service pricing module  according to the embodiments disclosed herein;
[0012] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating the pricing of catalog service  according to the embodiments disclosed herein; and
[0013] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the computer implementation of catalog service pricing  according to the embodiments disclosed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0014] The embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained more fully with reference to the non-limiting embodiments that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and detailed in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly  the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein.
[0015] The embodiments herein disclose a method to estimate the cost of assessment service of an enterprise network by implementing a risk and constraint based pricing model. Referring now to the drawings  and more particularly to FIGS. 1 through 3  where similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the figures  there are shown embodiments.
[0016] FIG. 1 illustrates a functional block diagram of a catalog service pricing module  according to the embodiments disclosed herein. As depicted in FIG.1  the catalog service pricing module comprises of a User Interface (UI) 102  Catalog Service Requirement Document 102  and the Analysis module 103. The Analysis module 103 comprises of plurality of pricing engines such as enterprise size based tool price module 104  constraints based tool price module 105  risk based tool price module 106  enterprise size based effort price module 107  constraints based effort price module 108  and risk based tool price module 109. Two price points are factored with the size of enterprise stack and constraints and risk related to the enterprise information. The size of enterprise stack along with the constraints and risk related to the enterprise information constitute the service request execution environment.
[0017] Pricing model is the method to assess a price point to execute professional services in IT industry which is beyond product/software engineering. Catalog service is a service which is beyond the product/software development engineering work in IT industry. Catalog service is the service which is rendered to a client and is function of manpower to execute certain tools. Further  the output of this service (is not a software code or embedded product) is primarily a set of services which can be reported in terms of provisioning  generating an assessment report  conducting on job training  and testing the functioning of system(s) in an environment. The end user of the catalog service is an enterprise which uses the service.
[0018] A catalog service typically includes factors such as description of the service  timeframes for fulfilling the service  costs  who is entitled to request/view the service  and how to fulfill the service. Consider a case of a user’s perspective using the catalog service. A user goes to a website to search for a specific service  such as requesting a new laptop  requesting a change in benefits and so on. The catalog service site groups service by category and allows for searching (especially when hundreds or thousands of services are available). The user selects a desired service and sees the description and details. The user enters any pertinent information (contact information  service-specific questions) and submits the request for service. The request requires approval  and goes through routing  service-level management  and other processes necessary to fulfill the request. The user may return to the site later to check on the status of a request  or to view overall metrics on how well the organization is performing the services it provides.
[0019] Consider a case of business manager’s respective. Business Unit Managers determine what services to "publish" to end-users via the catalog service. Business Unit Managers and Analysts may determine what questions are to be asked of the user; any approvals necessary for a request  and what other systems or processes are needed to fulfill the request. Once the service is defined and the fulfillment process organized  these people or a more technical employee build the requisite functionality into the service definition and then publish this to the service catalog.
[0020] The pricing model and tool helps to define a structured approach to assess the assumptions on a project execution environment. The business advantage is passed to the end user (enterprise) by including a significantly higher competitive pricing. The two main pricing components are defined as follows:
1. The price of the effort required to execute the service. This price also considers any effort arising out of additional factors like size of the enterprise stack  constraints and risks associated with enterprise related information.
2. The price of the tool used to execute the request. This price is the proportional price of the tool based on usage rather than monolithic license price of the tool. This pricing of tool considers factors such as the size of enterprise stack  enterprise related constraints like demography  network topology  security guidelines  government and regulatory compliance and other risks associated with enterprise related information. Since these factors are considered  it helps to differentiate the usage of pricing tool and raises different set of risk factors upon usage of tools. These factors needs to be augmented either by customizing the tool or its usage and/or ways of deployment or execution of the pricing tool. The pricing tool helps to tabulate the different sizes of enterprise stack and associated infrastructural elements (as depicted in Table 1). Further  the pricing tools helps tabulate the different sizes of enterprise stack and associated infrastructural elements. The pricing tool also allows factoring of usage of tool and effort to execute the service.

[0021] The pricing model helps to tabulate all the constraints and risks such as type and nature of infrastructural elements. The infrastructural elements include but are not limited to hardware/software  Commercially off the shelf System (COTS)/Operating System (OS) or network topology/accessibility  security design and policies  location and mode of execution.
[0022] As depicted in FIG.1  the catalog service flows to the company and a service request is triggered by a customer Request for Proposal (RFP). The service requirement is mapped to the CSRD 101. The CSRD 101 comprises information about the service request  enterprise environment and service related information. Based on CSRD 101  the relevant enterprise size  constraints and risk related information are derived and fed into the Catalog service pricing module via the UI 102 through a manual process. Further  the information is passed to an Analysis Module 103 for generating the relevant triggers to plurality of pricing modules. The plurality of pricing modules uses the project data and all current and heuristic information available to calibrate the final pricing of the catalog service.
[0023] In an embodiment  the project data includes the service rates dependent on service locations  risk management  constraint factors related pricing details  the project execution plan (phase-wise) and service request historical data.

[0024] The above table (table 2) depicts the service pricing table involving constraints  risks and execution efforts. The following equations indicate the output generated by the pricing tools:
x y z
P(T) = ? P(E S) *N(E S) + ?P (c S) + ?P (r S) - (1)
E=1 c=1 r= 1

y z
P(Se) = P(w dl S) + P(mg) +?P (w  c S  dl) + ?P (w  r S  dl) (2)
c=1 r=1

P(CS) = P(T) + P(Se) (3)
[0025] Following are the definitions based on equations of the method.
1. Element (E) is defined as the type of elements in the enterprise (hardware infrastructure elements  unique application and services running on servers)
2. Number of elements (N) is defined as the number of each type of elements (E) in the enterprise.
3. Tool (T/t) is defined as the tool which is used to perform the service.
4. Catalog service (CS) is defined as the service which is rendered to a customer.
5. Constraints (c) are defined as the constraints arising out of enterprise size  network design and security guidelines.
6. Risk (r) is defined as the risks based on enterprise size  demography and security guidelines.
7. Size (s) is defined as the size of enterprise in terms of number of elements.
8. Service effort (Se) is defined as the effort to render the catalog service.
9. WBSE (w) is defined as the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) effort to render the service.
10. Demographic Location (dl) is defined as the location out of which service may be rendered.
[0026] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating the pricing of catalog service  according to the embodiments disclosed herein. As depicted in FIG.2  initially a Catalog Service Requirement Document (CSRD) is created (201).The CSRD comprises information about the service request  enterprise environment and service related information. A check is performed (202) to find out if the CSRD has been completed. If not  the CSRD has to be created in order to further proceed. Once the CSRD is completed  information is read from CSRD and input is fed (203) through UI 102. Further  the information is passed (204) to the Analysis Module 103. The information is processed by the Analysis Module 103 using CSRD and project data. The information is converted (205) to constraint values  risk values and enterprise size.
[0027] Further  the price is generated (206) for the tool based on enterprise information and the price is generated (207) for the tool to meet the constraints. Furthermore  the price is generated (208) for the tool to meet the risks and eventually the sum of all pricing elements (pricing effort) is obtained (209). The price is generated (210) for WBS effort to execute a Catalog Service (CS) and the price is also generated (211) for project management effort to execute. The price is further generated (212) for effort of meeting the constraints and the price is also generated (213) for effort of mitigating the risks. The sum of all pricing elements P (se) that is the service effort is obtained (214). The sum of service effort elements and the sum of pricing effort elements are added (215) finally. The various actions in method 200 may be performed in the order presented  in a different order or simultaneously. Further  in some embodiments  some actions listed in FIG. 2 may be omitted.
[0028] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the computer implementation of catalog service pricing  according to the embodiments disclosed herein. As depicted in FIG.3  the computer implementation of catalog service pricing comprises of modules such as the UI 102  Input/ Output module 301  Processor 302  Random Access Memory module 303  Read only memory module 304  and secondary storage module 305. The implementation of catalog service pricing module logic lies in the processor 302. The pricing module running on processor interfaces with the network for communicating with the sub processing units. The pricing module running on the processor 302 interfaces with user through the software defined user interface through its hardware I/O module 301 which is displayed.
[0029] The enterprise stack is formed by three layers:
a. Infrastructure layer (hardware layer): Networking  security gears  enterprise servers  storage gears  endpoint devices.
b. COTS/ Open Source Software (OSC): This is the software running on servers/endpoints behind the firewall in data center and/or De-militarized Zone (DMZ).
c. In-house/proprietary/custom-built software running on servers and/or endpoint devices. The pricing method uses the aspects of enterprise stack and constraints arising out of demography  networking and security guidelines.
[0030] The pricing method uses the risks associated to exclude the service which arises out of organizational  human  social and other logistics. Further  the pricing method monetizes a tool such as the Analysis module 103 to perform the service and assesses person hours to perform the service. The pricing method comprises of the calibration of the person hours effort and calculation of the price for the Analysis module 103. By implementing the pricing method  the service request estimation and pricing is defined and covered by a system and algorithm. Thus  it helps the company and clients to prepare and receive faster response to the service request. Further  the mathematical implementation of the pricing method removes the people aspect of estimation and pricing to assume data and related information. Since all pricing elements are known beforehand  the project manager may predict and control the service quality while monitoring the project margins from the start. The pricing model uses heuristic data  therefore it will be self learning and adaptive from previous service requests.
[0031] The embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented through at least one software program running on at least one hardware device and performing network management functions to control the network elements. The network elements shown in Figs. 1 and 3 include blocks which can be at least one of a hardware device  or a combination of hardware device and software module.
[0032] The embodiment disclosed herein specifies a system for IT estimation modeling and pricing of assessment service of an enterprise. The mechanism allows analyzing the service request and estimation of the service needs providing a system thereof. Therefore  it is understood that the scope of the protection is extended to such a program and in addition to a computer readable means having a message therein  such computer readable storage means contain program code means for implementation of one or more steps of the method  when the program runs on a server or mobile device or any suitable programmable device. The method is implemented in a preferred embodiment through or together with a software program written in e.g. Very high speed integrated circuit Hardware Description Language (VHDL) another programming language  or implemented by one or more VHDL or several software modules being executed on at least one hardware device. The hardware device can be any kind of device which can be programmed including e.g. any kind of computer like a server or a personal computer  or the like  or any combination thereof  e.g. one processor and two FPGAs. The device may also include means which could be e.g. hardware means like e.g. an ASIC  or a combination of hardware and software means  e.g. an ASIC and an FPGA  or at least one microprocessor and at least one memory with software modules located therein. Thus  the means are at least one hardware means and/or at least one software means. The method embodiments described herein could be implemented in pure hardware or partly in hardware and partly in software. The device may also include only software means. Alternatively  the invention may be implemented on different hardware devices  e.g. using a plurality of CPUs.
[0033] The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can  by applying current knowledge  readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept  and  therefore  such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore  while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments  those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the claims as described herein.

CLAIMS
We Claim:
1. A computer-implemented method to estimate pricing of a catalog service for assessing the enterprise network transformation  wherein said method comprises:
creating catalog service requirement document (CSRD);
receiving a request for said service from a user;
mapping said request to said created document by a user interface;
estimating price of effort required to execute said service based on parameters by an analysis module;
estimating price of tool used to execute said request based on parameters by said analysis module; and
determining total price of said catalog service based on said price of effort and said price of tool by said analysis module.
2. The computer-implemented method as in claim 1  wherein said method estimates pricing of said catalogue service based on at least one of: risk  constraint based pricing.
3. The computer-implemented method as in claim 1  wherein said parameters comprises at least one of: enterprise stack said risk and said constraints.
4. The computer-implemented method as in claim 3  wherein said constraints comprises at least one of: demographics; security policies; enterprise size; and network design to execute the project.
5. The computer-implemented method as in claim 3  wherein said risk comprises at least one of: organizational risk; human risk; social risk; and logistics risk.
6. A system to estimate pricing of a catalog service for assessing the enterprise network transformation  wherein said system comprises a user interface (UI) module  analysis module  further said system comprises:
an integrated circuit further comprising at least one processor;
at least one memory having a computer program code within said circuit;
said at least one memory and said computer program code configured to with said at least one processor cause said system to:
create catalog service requirement document (CSRD);
receive a request for said service from a user;
map said request to said created document by said user interface;
estimate price of effort required to execute said service based on parameters by said analysis module;
estimate price of tool used to execute said request based on parameters by said analysis module; and
determine total price of said catalog service based on said price of effort and said price of tool by said analysis module.
7. The system as in claim 6  wherein said analysis module comprises at least one of: enterprise size based tool price module; enterprise size based effort module; constraints based tool price module; constraints based effort price module; risk based tool price module; and risk based effort price module.
8. The system as in claim 6  wherein said system is configured to estimate said at least one of : price of effort  price of tool based on parameters  wherein said parameters comprises at least one of: enterprise size; constraints related information; and risks associated with said size and said constraints.
9. The system as in claim 8  wherein said system is configured to estimate said price of effort by at least one of: size of the enterprise stack  said constraints and risks associated with enterprise related information for mitigating said risk.
10. The system as in claim 9  wherein said system is configured to generate said price of effort for at least one of: project management  meeting said constraints  mitigating said risks.
11. The system as in claim 6  wherein said system is configured to calibrate said parameters for assessing person hours to perform said service.
12. The system as in claim 6  wherein said system is configured to estimate project cost of said service by adding said price of tool  and said person hours to complete said service.
13. The system as in claim 6  wherein said analysis module is configured to map said request to said document and convert said request to said at least one of: constraints values  risk values and enterprise size.
14. The system as in claim 13  wherein said system is configured to estimate said enterprise size by said at least one of: enterprise size based tool price module  and enterprise size based effort module.
15. The system as in claim 13  wherein said system is configured to estimate said constraints values by said at least one of: constraints based tool price module  and constraints based effort price module.
16. The system as in claim 13  wherein said system is configured to estimate said risk values by said at least one of: risk based tool price module and risk based effort price module.

Dated: 9th Day of November 2012 Signature:

Dr Kalyan Chakravarthy
(Patent Agent)

ABSTRACT
A method and system for risk and constraint based pricing model of a catalog service to assess enterprise network transformation. The embodiments herein disclose a method and system for risk and constraint based pricing model of a catalog service to assess the enterprise network transformation. The pricing of the effort is estimated by counting the effort to fulfill a service request and adding the total cost of the tool used to execute the service. The comprises of two price points which are factored with size of enterprise stack  along with constraints and risk related to the enterprise information The pricing engine running on processor interfaces with the network for communicating with its sub-processing units. The pricing engine running on processor interfaces with user through the software defined user interface through its hardware Input/output module.
FIG. 2