Facilitating dynamic collection of data and generation of visual workflow in an on-demand services environment

• US 10,055,702 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2014
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Bailey, Samuel William, Roe, Joshua M., Lee, Aniko van der
• Primary Examiner(s): Jeanty, Romain
• Application Number:
  US14/478,760
• Publication Number:
  US 20140379400A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,446 Days
• Field of Search: 705 715
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063114 Status monitoring or status determination for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0633 Workflow analysis

Abstract

In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for facilitating collection of data and dynamic generating of visual workflow and corresponding tasks in an on-demand services environment. In one embodiment and by way of example, a method includes receiving, by and incorporating into a database system, a query to perform a collection of data relating to an organization, where the query represents creating a new business process relating to workings of the organization. The method may further include collecting, by the database system, the data from one or more accounts relating to the organization, assigning, by the database system, one or more tasks to the collected data, performing, by the database system, the one or more tasks, and dynamically generating, by the database system, a visual workflow in response to the performing of the one or more tasks, wherein the visual workflow is used to facilitate the new business process based on the one or more tasks.

Claims

1. A method performed by a visual workflow-management server computing device (“

workflow device”

) of a database system in a multi-tenant environment having tenants including organizations, the workflow device comprising a hardware processing device coupled to a memory device, wherein the workflow device further comprises a visual workflow mechanism having a visual workflow processing unit that is at least partially embedded in the hardware processing device, the hardware processing device to facilitate the method comprising;

receiving, by the visual workflow processing unit that is at least partially embedded in the hardware processing device, a query to perform a collection of data relating to a tenant including an organization, wherein the query represents creating a new business process relating to workings of the organization;

collecting, by the visual workflow processing unit that is at least partially embedded in the hardware processing device, the data from one or more accounts relating to the organization;

assigning, by the visual workflow processing unit that is at least partially embedded in the hardware processing device, one or more tasks to the collected data;

performing, by the visual workflow processing unit that is at least partially embedded in the hardware processing device, the one or more tasks;

dynamically generating, by the visual workflow processing unit that is at least partially embedded in the hardware processing device, a visual workflow in response to the one or more tasks, wherein the visual workflow to facilitate the new business process based on the one or more tasks; and

displaying, by the visual workflow processing unit that is at least partially embedded in the hardware processing device, the visual workflow at a display device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising dynamically iterating, by the workflow device, using one or more loop processes, collecting of the data through multiple accounts associated with the organization as necessitated by contents of the query.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising dynamically subjecting, by the visual workflow processing unit that is at least partially embedded in the hardware processing device, the collected data to one or more decision processes based on one or more decision elements included in the query.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more tasks are assigned to the collected data based on one or more assignment elements included in the query, wherein the one or more tasks comprise one or more of delete, print, forward, email, text, add, analyze, assign, delegate, publish, share, lower one or more privileges, increase one or more privileges, and maintain status quo.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein facilitating the new business process comprises amending or deleting an existing business process relating to the workings of the organization, wherein the organization comprises one or more of a business organization, a government agency, a non-profit organization, and an educational institution.

6. A system comprising:

a visual workflow-management server computing device (“

workflow device”

) of a database system in a multi-tenant environment having tenants including organizations, the workflow device comprising a hardware processing device coupled to a memory device, wherein the workflow device further comprises a visual workflow system having a visual workflow processing unit that is at least partially embedded in the hardware processing device, the hardware processing device to;

receive a query to perform a collection of data relating to a tenant including an organization, wherein the query represents creating a new business process relating to workings of the organization;

collect the data from one or more accounts relating to the organization;

assign one or more tasks to the collected data;

perform the one or more tasks;

dynamically generate a visual workflow in response to the one or more tasks, wherein the visual workflow to facilitate the new business process based on the one or more tasks; and

display the visual workflow at a display device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the hardware processing device is further to dynamically iterate, using one or more loop processes, collecting of the data through multiple accounts associated with the organization as necessitated by contents of the query.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the hardware processing device is further to dynamically subject the collected data to one or more decision processes based on one or more decision elements included in the query.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more tasks are assigned to the collected data based on one or more assignment elements included in the query, wherein the one or more tasks comprise one or more of delete, print, forward, email, text, add, analyze, assign, delegate, publish, share, lower one or more privileges, increase one or more privileges, and maintain status quo.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein facilitating the new business process comprises amending or deleting an existing business process relating to the workings of the organization, wherein the organization comprises one or more of a business organization, a government agency, a non-profit organization, and an educational institution.

11. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising a plurality of instructions which, when executed by a hardware processing device of a visual workflow-management server computing device of a database system in a multi-tenant environment having tenants including organization, cause the hardware processing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving a query to perform a collection of data relating to a tenant including an organization, wherein the query represents creating a new business process relating to workings of the organization;

collecting the data from one or more accounts relating to the organization;

assigning one or more tasks to the collected data;

performing the one or more tasks;

dynamically generating a visual workflow in response to the one or more tasks, wherein the visual workflow to facilitate the new business process based on the one or more tasks; and

displaying the visual workflow at a display device.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise dynamically iterating, using one or more loop processes, collecting of the data through multiple accounts associated with the organization as necessitated by contents of the query.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise dynamically subjecting the collected data to one or more decision processes based on one or more decision elements included in the query.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the one or more tasks are assigned to the collected data based on one or more assignment elements included in the query, wherein the one or more tasks comprise one or more of delete, print, forward, email, text, add, analyze, assign, delegate, publish, share, lower one or more privileges, increase one or more privileges, and maintain status quo.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein facilitating the new business process comprises amending or deleting an existing business process relating to the workings of the organization, wherein the organization comprises one or more of a business organization, a government agency, a non-profit organization, and an educational institution.