2 Part 2: A Tour through the V-Modell
2.3 Initializing a Project
2.3.1 Project Proposal
V-Modell Description: »Project Proposal
The project proposal is intended to systematically present information and data showing that the execution of a project such as developing a product or system or improving a process is required, profitable and useful.
The »Project Leader Dr. Odysseus contacts the "inventor" of the project, Mr. Apollon. During his dissertation Mr. Apollon has made an invention, which he wants to register as a trademark. Colleagues have told Mr. Apollon that his intention is difficult to realize. Dr. Odysseus and Mr. Apollon describe these facts.
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Project Proposal: Initial Situation If an employee of the Technische Universität München, who has an idea for a trademark or patent, directly applies to the German Patent and Trademark Office, the trademark or patent will only be registered under his/her name. However, this is inconsistent with the »Contract, which has to be signed by employees of the Technische Universität München. According to this contract, all work results "belong" to the Technische Universität München and may only be published under both names - employee and university. On the other hand an employee alone cannot register a trademark or patent under both names at the German Patent and Trademark Office. For this purpose he/she needs the responsible member of the university, Dipl.-Ing. Platon. Based on these facts, it seems reasonable to establish a dedicated administration within the university which supports all university members applying for trademarks and patents. This proposal is supported by the argument that many members do not even try to register their trademarks or patents due to the high effort. However, this cannot be in the interest of the Technische Universität München since many registrations increase the reputation of a university. In addition, costs can be saved by a prior examination within the university. Only probably successful candidates would be funded and forwarded to the German Patent and Trademark Office. |
In addition to a dedicated administration within the university, the realization of the idea - to support employees during the application for trademarks and patents - requires a technical system. Mr. Apollon as future user knows the required capabilities of the system, but he does not know how his requirements can be implemented at software level.
Therefore Dr. Odysseus contacts his colleague, Mr. Sokrates, and explains the situation. Mr. Sokrates proposes the development of a Trademark and Patent Information System for executing the administrative processes.
He describes his concept of the system as follows.
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Project Proposal: Objectives of the Project and System Concepts The Trademark and Patent Information System is required in order to fulfill the administrative tasks arising due to the founding of the university-intern Trademark and Patent Administration. Alternatively, an administration based on folders and paper documents would be conceivable. This would be more cost-effective in the procurement, but it would require a considerably greater personnel effort. In view of the great number of applications, it is impossible to cope with the flood of paper. Furthermore it would be almost impossible to operate transparent to the public. The Trademark and Patent Information System will be available to all members of the university. Is is a database-based information system which can be used on all computers within the university. Up to now, no German university has a comparable system. The system will support
An electronic data file will be prepared, examined and - if appropriate - faxed to the German Patent and Trademark Office for every trademark and patent to be registered. All files available will be made accessible to the public in an electronic information system. The Trademark and Patent Information System must be user-friendly and reliable. Every employee of the Technische Universität München must be able to use it without a long familiarization time. Since the acceptance of the users is decisive, it is recommended to subdivide the project into »Project Stage, which should be executed successively. In case of success - i.e., if the system is economical, used frequently and accepted by the users - the following project stages will be initiated. |
Accordingly, the success of the system mainly depends on most of the employees using the Trademark and Patent Information system and that a maximum number of promising patents and trademarks will be applied for.
The Project Leader Dr. Odysseus completes the »Project Proposal, by considering additional »Opportunities and Risks and the »Economic Efficiency without forgetting the potential benefit.
He has already discussed the funding with Dipl.-Ing. Platon who is Administrative Director of the Trademark and Patent Administration of the Technische Universität München. However, the available budget is not unlimited, and the Administration Board has not yet approved the »Project Proposal. In order to facilitate the decision for the Administration Board, Dr. Odysseus plans the project to be executed in three project stages, with only the first project stage having to be funded in the beginning. He roughly estimates the costs for these three project stages in order to give the Administration Board a feeling for the scope of the project.
The Project Leader Dr. Odysseus sends the following »Project Proposal in written and electronic form to Dipl.-Ing. Platon for a review. In the meantime Dipl.-Ing. Platon has already attended to staffing the »Steering Committee for the project. Some of the members of the university administration have already shown great interest the idea of an electronic system for the administration of trademarks and patents.
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Project Proposal: Planning The Trademark and Patent Information System will be subdivided into three project stages and integrated into the organization of the university as shown in the following figure.
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The Trademark and Patent Administration decides for the overall Trademark and Patent Information System project and on the progress during the project stages.
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The budget was determined by a rough estimate and is subject to a margin of error of + 60%. The following resources are available at the Technische Universität München.
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System development personnel cannot be provided. Therefore a potential supplier will be determined by a public »Request for Proposal. The execution of this request for proposal, the support of the supplier's project and the acceptance of the developed system will be executed by the above-mentioned Project Team of the Technische Universität München and supervised by the Management of the Trademark and Patent Administration of the Technische Universität München. |