Workflow in a paperless office

• US 20020032596A1
• Filed: 09/12/2001
• Published: 03/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ohsaki, Hiroyasu, Tsuda, Kazuyuki
• Granted Patent: US 6,985,938 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A workflow system for a paperless office, an information processing apparatus, a method for simply defining a complicated workflow, for example, a workflow such as a circulation among a plurality of departments where the circulation route varies in each department, and a storage medium. A workflow system comprises: a manipulating computer terminal for executing a workflow between persons in charge, a computer terminal for designing the workflow by designating project variables for multiplexing a plurality of paths for nodes, each indicating a unit of operation to be handled; and a workflow server for managing the designed workflow and accessing the manipulating computer terminals in accordance with activities that indicate operations assigned to the nodes.

Claims

1. A workflow system for passing data between persons in charge who use a plurality of computer terminals in accordance with a workflow via a network to which said plurality of computer terminals are connected, comprising:

designing means for designing said workflow by creating projects, each of which includes a workflow definition and a data definition to be referred to by said workflow definition, said workflow definition defining nodes indicative of operations to be assigned to said persons in charge and paths for determining a processing order of said nodes;

storing means for storing said projects created by said designing means; and

managing means for creating a process that indicates a unit of duties of said workflow by using said projects stored in said storing means to assign said operations to said persons in charge.

2. The workflow system according to claim 1, wherein said data definition of said project defines data by a project type and an array of the project type.

3. The workflow system according to claim 1, wherein said designing means designs said workflow by handling the projects, and where the array of the project type has elements of different kinds.

4. A workflow system comprising:

manipulating computer terminals, for executing a workflow between persons in charge, said manipulating computer terminals being connected to a network;

a designing computer terminal for designing said workflow by designating project variables for multiplexing a plurality of processes for nodes, each process indicating a unit of operations to be handled; and

a workflow server for managing said workflow designed by said designing computer terminal, and accessing said manipulating computer terminals in accordance with activities that indicate operations assigned to said nodes.

5. The workflow system according to claim 4, wherein said project variables of said workflow designed by said designing computer terminal are designated by using a workflow definition defining said nodes and defining paths for determining the processing order of said nodes and a data definition to be referred to by said workflow definition.

6. The workflow system according to claim 4, wherein definition IDs for identifying said project variables are defined as attributes of said project variables;

and

said workflow server stores information related to said project variables by using said defined definition Ids.

7. The workflow system according to claim 4, wherein said manipulating computer terminals inform said workflow server of termination of activities after execution of assigned operations;

and p1 said workflow server completes the process after the termination of all activities of said workflow.

8. An information processing apparatus connected via a network to a plurality of computer terminals for executing a workflow, comprising:

project managing means for managing projects, each of which includes a workflow definition that includes a plurality of nodes and paths for connecting said plurality of nodes and a data definition referred to by said workflow definition;

process managing means for managing processes, each indicating a unit of duties of said workflow by using said projects managed by said project managing means; and

user managing means for accessing said computer terminals in accordance with said processes managed by said process managing means.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said project managing means manages said projects by using definition IDs for uniquely specifying said projects.

10. An information processing apparatus for defining a workflow using a plurality of computer terminals connected to a network, comprising:

workflow definition determining means for selecting nodes that indicate duties to be assigned to executors in charge of workflow, and connecting paths for determining a processing order of said selected nodes, thereby determining a workflow definition;

data defining means for defining executing users for said nodes selected by said workflow definition determining means, and for defining conditions for making said paths effective; and

register instructing means for giving an instruction to add information specifying said workflow definition and data definition to said workflow definition determined by said workflow definition determining means and said data definition defined by said data defining means and to register said information.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said register instructing means gives an instruction to add to a project a definition ID uniquely specifying the project, wherein the ID includes said workflow definition and said data definition, and to register said definition ID.

13. The method for defining a workflow according to claim 12, wherein said selected project includes an array whose elements are of different kinds.

14. The method for defining a workflow according to claim 12, wherein said project includes a workflow definition comprising a plurality of nodes and paths for connecting said plurality of nodes, and a data definition set and referred to by the process indicating a unit of duties of said workflow.

16. The method for defining a workflow according to claim 15, wherein a prototype is set as said project type variable when an explicit setting is absent.

12. A method for defining a workflow using a plurality of computer terminals connected to a network, comprising the steps of:

selecting nodes that indicate duties to be assigned to executors in charge of workflow;

selecting a project array type node for multiplexing a process as one of said selected nodes;

connecting said selected nodes to said selected project array type node by using paths; and

selecting a project to be arranged to said selected project array type node.

15. A method for defining a workflow to be executed by a plurality of computer terminals connected to a network, comprising the steps of:

introducing a node that integrates as a single node of said workflow a project type variable that includes a data set and a route; and

designating said project type variable as an array, thereby treating as one node a plurality of child processes to be branched synchronously.

17. A storage medium which stores a program to be executed by a computer, the program being readable by inputting means of said computer, wherein said program causes said computer to execute the steps of:

selecting nodes that indicate duties to be assigned to executors in charge of workflow;

selecting a project array type node for multiplexing a process as one of said selected nodes;

connecting said nodes to said project array type node by using paths; and

selecting a project to be arranged according to said project array type node.

18. A storage medium which stores a program to be executed by a computer, the program being readable by inputting means of said computer, wherein said program causes said computer to execute the steps of:

introducing a node that includes a project type variable that includes a data set and a route integrally, as one node of a workflow; and

designating said project type variable as an array, thereby treating as one node a plurality of child processes to be branched synchronously.