Managing reuse of assets in a workflow management system

• US 10,127,024 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2016
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bullis, Paul K., Hambrick, Geoffrey M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Aponte, Francisco
• Application Number:
  US15/191,127
• Publication Number:
  US 20170371632A1
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: 717120
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/36 Software reuse
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/70 Software maintenance or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services

Abstract

A category is determined of a task being planned at a given time. A collection of assets is identified, the collection having been used in a similar task at a past time. An experience report associated with an asset in the collection is extracted into a set of encapsulated experience reports, where the experience report was generated from the similar task at the past time. A degree of usability is computed corresponding to the collection, the collection being usable in the category of the task up to the degree of usability. According to the degree of usability of the collection, the collection is positioned in a sorted list of reusable assets. A reusable asset is selected from the sorted list for use in the task.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, by a server, a category of a task being planned at a given time;

identifying a collection of assets stored in at least one data processing system in communication with the server, wherein the collection has been used in a similar task at a past time;

extracting into a set of encapsulated experience reports, an experience report associated with an asset in the collection, wherein the experience report was generated from the similar task at the past time;

computing, using a processor and a memory, a degree of usability corresponding to the collection in the category based upon the set of encapsulated experience reports, the collection being usable in the category of the task up to the degree of usability;

positioning, according to the degree of usability of the collection, the collection in a sorted list of reusable assets;

selecting a reusable asset from the sorted list for use in the task;

receiving, from the task, an update to an experience report associated with the selected reusable asset, the update forming an updated experience report;

reanalyzing a set of experience reports associated with the selected reusable asset to determine a category modification associated with the selected reusable asset, the category of the selected reusable asset being dynamic and changeable with respect to a reuse in which the selected reusable asset participates, the set of experience reports including the updated experience report; and

recomputing a second degree of usability corresponding to the reusable asset, the reusable asset being usable in the category of the task up to the second degree of usability.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a second reusable asset located in a workflow management system, wherein the second reusable asset is situated under a control of an owner of the second reusable asset, and wherein the second reusable asset is categorized in the category;

analyzing a set of experience reports associated with the second reusable asset, wherein an experience report in the set of experience reports of the second reusable asset was generated from a different previous task, wherein the different previous task also belonged to the category;

computing a second degree of usability corresponding to the second reusable asset, the second reusable asset being usable in the category of the task up to the second degree of usability;

positioning, according to the second degree of usability of the second reusable asset, the second reusable asset in a sorted list of reusable assets.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the selected reusable asset is the second reusable asset.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected reusable asset is the collection.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

analyzing a task information associated with the task to identify a function performed by the task in a workflow management system; and

selecting the category wherein the category corresponds to the function performed by the task.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling the task to update an experience report associated with the selected reusable asset.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is embodied in a computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable storage devices and computer-readable program instructions which are stored on the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices and executed by one or more processors.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is embodied in a computer system comprising one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories, one or more computer-readable storage devices and program instructions which are stored on the one or more computer-readable storage devices for execution by the one or more processors via the one or more memories and executed by the one or more processors.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the category modification includes at least one of determining a new category, changing an existing category, or removing an old category associated with the selected reusable asset.

10. A computer usable program product comprising one or more computer-readable storage devices, wherein the computer-readable storage devices are not transitory signals per se, and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, the stored program instructions comprising:

program instructions to determine, by a server, a category of a task being planned at a given time;

program instructions to identify a collection of assets stored in at least one data processing system in communication with the server, wherein the collection has been used in a similar task at a past time;

program instructions to extract into a set of encapsulated experience reports, an experience report associated with an asset in the collection, wherein the experience report was generated from the similar task at the past time;

program instructions to compute, using a processor and a memory, a degree of usability corresponding to the collection in the category based upon the set of encapsulated experience reports, the collection being usable in the category of the task up to the degree of usability;

program instructions to position, according to the degree of usability of the collection, the collection in a sorted list of reusable assets;

program instructions to select a reusable asset from the sorted list for use in the task;

program instructions to receive, from the task, an update to an experience report associated with the selected reusable asset, the update forming an updated experience report;

program instructions to reanalyze a set of experience reports associated with the selected reusable asset to determine a category modification associated with the selected reusable asset, the category of the selected reusable asset being dynamic and changeable with respect to a reuse in which the selected reusable asset participates, the set of experience reports including the updated experience report; and

program instructions to recompute a second degree of usability corresponding to the reusable asset, the reusable asset being usable in the category of the task up to the second degree of usability.

11. The computer usable program product of claim 10, further comprising:

program instructions to identify a second reusable asset located in a workflow management system, wherein the second reusable asset is situated under a control of an owner of the second reusable asset, and wherein the second reusable asset is categorized in the category;

program instructions to analyze a set of experience reports associated with the second reusable asset, wherein an experience report in the set of experience reports of the second reusable asset was generated from a different previous task, wherein the different previous task also belonged to the category;

program instructions to compute a second degree of usability corresponding to the second reusable asset, the second reusable asset being usable in the category of the task up to the second degree of usability;

program instructions to position, according to the second degree of usability of the second reusable asset, the second reusable asset in a sorted list of reusable assets.

12. The computer usable program product of claim 11, wherein the selected reusable asset is the second reusable asset.

13. The computer usable program product of claim 10, wherein the selected reusable asset is the collection.

14. The computer usable program product of claim 10, further comprising:

program instructions to analyze a task information associated with the task to identify a function performed by the task in a workflow management system; and

program instructions to select the category wherein the category corresponds to the function performed by the task.

15. The computer usable program product of claim 10, further comprising:

program instructions to enable the task to update an experience report associated with the selected reusable asset.

16. A computer system comprising one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories, and one or more computer-readable storage devices, wherein the one or more computer-readable storage devices are not transitory signals per se, and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, the stored program instructions comprising:

program instructions to determine, by a server, a category of a task being planned at a given time;

program instructions to identify a collection of assets stored in at least one data processing system in communication with the server, wherein the collection has been used in a similar task at a past time;

program instructions to extract into a set of encapsulated experience reports, an experience report associated with an asset in the collection, wherein the experience report was generated from the similar task at the past time;

program instructions to compute, using a processor and a memory, a degree of usability corresponding to the collection in the category based upon the set of encapsulated experience reports, the collection being usable in the category of the task up to the degree of usability;

program instructions to position, according to the degree of usability of the collection, the collection in a sorted list of reusable assets;

program instructions to select a reusable asset from the sorted list for use in the task;

program instructions to receive, from the task, an update to an experience report associated with the selected reusable asset, the update forming an updated experience report;

program instructions to reanalyze a set of experience reports associated with the selected reusable asset to determine a category modification associated with the selected reusable asset, the category of the selected reusable asset being dynamic and changeable with respect to a reuse in which the selected reusable asset participates, the set of experience reports including the updated experience report; and

program instructions to recompute a second degree of usability corresponding to the reusable asset, the reusable asset being usable in the category of the task up to the second degree of usability.

17. The computer system of claim 16, further comprising:

program instructions to identify a second reusable asset located in a workflow management system, wherein the second reusable asset is situated under a control of an owner of the second reusable asset, and wherein the second reusable asset is categorized in the category;

program instructions to analyze a set of experience reports associated with the second reusable asset, wherein an experience report in the set of experience reports of the second reusable asset was generated from a different previous task, wherein the different previous task also belonged to the category;

program instructions to compute a second degree of usability corresponding to the second reusable asset, the second reusable asset being usable in the category of the task up to the second degree of usability;

program instructions to position, according to the second degree of usability of the second reusable asset, the second reusable asset in a sorted list of reusable assets.

18. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the selected reusable asset is the second reusable asset.

19. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the selected reusable asset is the collection.