Facilitating improved workflow

• US 20030154232A1
• Filed: 11/27/2002
• Published: 08/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Beringer, Joerg, Wriessnegger, Klaus, Jensen-Pistorius, Leif, Hilgers, Peer
• Granted Patent: US 7,403,989 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/102
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Systems and techniques to improve workflow using worksets. In general, in one implementation, the technique includes: providing a data object directed to a particular work role. The data object includes task data for performing the work role, portal environment data for presenting information to a user via a portal, and meta-data descriptive of the work role.

Claims

1. A data object, comprising:

task data associated with performing a work role;

portal environment data to be used in presenting information to a user via a portal; and

meta-data descriptive of the work role.

2. The data object of claim 1, wherein the task data includes data associated with one or more application programs for performing the work role.

3. The data object of claim 1, wherein the task data includes data associated with one or more documents for performing the work role.

4. The data object of claim 1, wherein the task data includes data associated with one or more life and work events for performing the work role.

5. The data object of claim 1, wherein the portal environment data includes one or more of navigation data, view data, and page data.

6. The data object of claim 1, wherein the meta-data includes one or more of community data, collaboration data, context data, workset description data, job role data, subscription data, taxonomy data, user data, and search domain data.

7. The data object of claim 1, wherein the meta-data includes data for populating a generic portal page with content.

8. A method comprising:

assigning a data object to a user profile for a portal user, the data object including meta-data directed to a work role of the user;

copying at least some meta-data of the data object to the user profile; and

personalizing the user'"'"'s portal environment using the copied meta-data.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein personalizing includes activating a subscription for the user.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein personalizing includes activating a membership in a community for the user.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein personalizing includes displaying personalized information to the user, wherein the personalized information is related to the particular work role.

12. An article comprising a machine-readable medium storing instructions operable to cause one or more machines to perform operations comprising:

assigning a data object to a user profile for a portal user, the data object including meta-data directed to a work role of the user;

copying at least some meta-data of the data object to the user profile; and

personalizing the user'"'"'s portal environment using the copied meta-data.

13. The article of claim 12, wherein personalizing includes activating a subscription for the user.

14. The article of claim 12, wherein personalizing includes activating a membership in a community for the user.

15. The article of claim 12, wherein personalizing includes displaying personalized information to the user, wherein the personalized information is related to the particular work role.

24. The method of claim 13 further including assigning the data object to a user profile for a portal user.

16. A system comprising:

means for assigning a data object to a user profile for a portal user, the data object including meta-data directed to a work role of the user;

means for copying at least some meta-data of the data object to the user profile; and

means for personalizing the user'"'"'s portal environment using the copied meta-data.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the means for personalizing further activates a subscription for the user.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the means for personalizing further activates a membership in a community for the user.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the means for personalizing further displays personalized information related to the particular work role.

20. A method comprising:

obtaining employee work practice information;

grouping the employee work practice information according to work roles; and

creating a data object associated with a particular work role, the data object including task data corresponding to the particular work role.

21. The method of claim 20 further including associating meta-data with the data object.

22. The method of claim 20 further including associating portal environment data with the data object.

23. The method of claim 20 further including providing one or more overview pages for the data object.

25. The method of claim 21 further including transporting the meta data to the user profile.

26. A user interface comprising:

a search area for searching for workset information, each workset including task data for performing a work role and meta-data descriptive of the work role;

a work area for viewing workset information; and

an assignment area for assigning workset data to a user.

27. The user interface of claim 26, wherein the work area facilitates modifying workset information.

28. The user interface of claim 26, wherein the work area comprises a workset detail area.

29. The user interface of claim 26, wherein the workset information comprises one or more services associated with a particular workset.

30. A method comprising:

generating one or more data objects, each of the data objects directed to a work goal;

enabling the data objects to be assigned to user profiles associated with users having the work goal; and

enabling each of the data objects being usable to generate a portal page including content for achieving the work goal.

31. The method of claim 30, further including generating a portal page including an integrated view.

32. The method of claim 30, further including storing task data for each of the data objects.

33. The method of claim 32, further including generating a portal page comprising user interface elements associated with the task data.

34. An article comprising a machine-readable medium storing instructions operable to cause one or more machines to perform operations comprising:

store a plurality of data objects, each data object associated with a particular work role;

store a plurality of user profiles, each user profile associated with a particular user of a portal system;

assign one or more of the data objects to each of the plurality of user profiles; and

generate one or more portal pages associated with each of the data objects, the one or more portal pages including user interface elements for performing the particular work role.

35. The article of claim 34, wherein each of the data objects includes task data associated with performing the particular work role.

36. The article of claim 34, wherein each of the data objects further includes portal environment data for generating the one or more portal pages.

37. The article of claim 34, wherein each of the data objects further includes meta-data descriptive of the particular work role.

38. The article of claim 37, wherein each of the user profiles includes meta-data from an assigned one of the data objects.

39. A system comprising:

means for storing a plurality of data objects, each data object associated with a work role;

means for storing a plurality of user profiles, each user profile associated with a particular user of a portal system;

means for assigning one or more of the plurality of data objects to each of the plurality of user profiles; and

means for generating one or more portal pages associated with each of the data objects, the one or more portal pages including user interface elements for performing the work role.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein each of the data objects includes task data, associated with performing the particular work role.

41. The system of claim 39, wherein each of the data objects further includes portal environment data for generating the one or more portal pages.

42. The system of claim 39, wherein each of the data objects further includes meta-data descriptive of the particular work role.

43. The system of claim 42, wherein each of the plurality of user profiles includes meta-data from an assigned one of the data objects.

44. A method comprising:

displaying a first portal page to a portal user, the first portal page including user interface elements for accessing content related to a plurality of work roles;

displaying a second portal page in response to a selection of a user interface element associated with a particular work role, the second portal page including user interface elements associated with the particular work role.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein second portal page includes overview information for the particular work role.

46. The method of claim 44, wherein the second portal page includes user interface elements for performing tasks associated with the particular work role.

47. The method of claim 44, wherein the first portal page further includes overview information for one of the particular work roles.

48. The method of claim 44, wherein the first portal page further includes user interface elements for accessing one or more generic portal pages.

49. The method of claim 44, wherein the second portal page includes status information associated with the particular work role.

50. An article comprising a machine-readable medium storing instructions operable to cause one or more machines to perform operations comprising:

displaying a first portal page to a portal user, the first portal page including user interface elements for accessing content related to a plurality of work roles;

displaying a second portal page in response to a selection of a user interface element associated with a particular work role, the second portal page including user interface elements associated with the particular work role.

51. The article of claim 50, wherein second portal page includes overview information for the particular work role.

52. The article of claim 50, wherein the second portal page includes user interface elements for performing tasks associated with the particular work role.

53. The article of claim 50, wherein the first portal page further includes overview information for one of the particular work roles.

54. The article of claim 50, wherein the first portal page further includes user interface elements for accessing one or more generic portal pages.

55. The article of claim 50, wherein the second portal page includes status information associated with the particular work role.

56. A system comprising:

means for displaying a first portal page to a portal user, the first portal page including user interface elements for accessing content related to a plurality of work roles; and

means for displaying a second portal page in response to a selection of a user interface element associated with a particular work role, the second portal page including user interface elements associated with the particular work role.

57. The system of claim 56, wherein second portal page includes overview information for the particular work role.

58. The system of claim 56, wherein the second portal page includes user interface elements for performing tasks associated with the particular work role.

59. The system of claim 56, wherein the first portal page further includes overview information for one of the particular work roles.

60. The system of claim 56, wherein the first portal page further includes user interface elements for accessing one or more generic portal pages.

61. The system of claim 56, wherein the second portal page includes status information associated with the particular work role.