Guided procedure framework

• US 20040119752A1
• Filed: 09/08/2003
• Published: 06/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Waguet, Cyrille, Wagner, Sabine, Lencinas, Susanne, Beringer, Joerg, Hatscher, Michael, Haeussler, Annette
• Granted Patent: US 8,095,411 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/779
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06313 Resource planning in a project environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0633 Workflow analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

Systems and techniques relating to associating a procedure with actions and resources are described. In general, in one implementation, the technique includes: specifying a list of one or more actions corresponding to a specified procedure and, for each action, one or more resources associated with the action; indicating an action order, including indicating whether two or more actions in the action list are to be performed in an order-dependent manner or in an order-independent manner; formatting the list of actions into a presentation format; and enabling a user to access the resources associated with the specified procedure. The actions can be grouped into one or more phases and a navigation model may include a phase indicator to navigate by phases of the procedure and display of actions and deliverables associated with a phase. The techniques can include associating deliverables, contributors and resources with an action. A display can be provided for tracking the status of deliverables, contributors, resources or the completion of the procedure.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

specifying one or more actions corresponding to a specified procedure and, for each specified action, one or more resources associated with the action;

indicating an action order, including indicating whether two or more of the specified actions are to be performed in an order-dependent manner or in an order-independent manner;

presenting the specified actions to a user in a presentation format; and

enabling the user to perform the specified action by providing access to the resources associated with the specified procedure.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the specified actions are identified by a process pattern associated with the specified procedure.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying one or more common action patterns;

abstracting each reusable common action pattern; and

providing a template including the abstracted patterns for the specified procedure based on business context.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising enabling the user to modify the template with ad-hoc collaboration actions based on work practice for a particular business scenario.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising automatically adapting the template based on collaborative filtering or history tracking.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the action makes a process pattern plug&

execute by launching web-based services with semantics and functionality.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising introducing rules and pre-configuring ad-hoc coordination patterns to handle exceptions and dependencies within actions.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising providing a hybrid service that encapsulates transactional enterprise services and the related exception handling.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein an action launches an enterprise service directly or dissolves the service through a request to an UDDI server.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising instantiating a sub-procedure from the specified procedure.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the specified procedure controls the sub-procedure including stopping, freezing and waiting for the sub-procedure.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the actions are grouped into phases.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein a navigation model includes a phase indicator to navigate by phases of the procedure and display of actions and deliverables associated with the phase.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the completion of a phase is a gate in a process that requires satisfaction of conditions from a higher level semantic before completion of the phase.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising enabling a user to include ad-hoc collaboration actions.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the ad-hoc collaboration actions comprise delegating a procedure or portion thereof, delegating an action that has been started, requesting approval, requesting a review or getting an opinion of another user.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising associating deliverables, contributors and resources with an action.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising providing displays for tracking the status of deliverables, contributors, resources, metrics, accomplish view, forecast view, procedure tree view or delta view.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the metrics comprise frequency of use, average temporal duration, efficiency, number of breakdowns, iterations and quality of outcome.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the accomplish view comprises new deliverables, completed steps, steps started but not yet completed or the difference between two action completion dates.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein the delta view provides a display comprising the differences between an accomplish from a first time and an accomplish view from a second time.

22. The method of claim 18 further comprising displaying a dashboard to display or link to the tracking displays.

23. The method of claim 18 further comprising providing aggregated status information to another application or user interface pattern.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein the list of one or more actions comprises specifying whether an action is optional, mandatory or protected.

25. The method of claim 1 further comprising enabling the user to specify that the specified procedure requires collaboration among two or more contributors.

26. The method of claim 1 further comprising enabling the user to determine a guided procedure trigger.

27. The method of claim 1 further comprising enabling the user to back track to previous actions.

28. The method of claim 1 further comprising automatically invalidating the specified procedure in selected cases where the guided procedure trigger ceases to exist.

29. The method of claim 4 wherein modification of the template is aided by a wizard.

30. The method of claim 1 further comprising enabling the user to link the specified procedure to a pre-existing procedure definition such that subsequent modifications made to the pre-existing procedure definition are automatically reflected in the specified procedure.

32. The system of claim 23, wherein the specified actions are identified by a process pattern associated with the specified procedure.

33. The system of claim 23, further comprising one or more computers configured to:

identify one or more common action patterns;

abstract each reusable common action pattern; and

provide a template including the abstracted patterns for the specified procedure based on business context.

34. The system of claim 33, further comprising one or more computers configured to enable the user to modify the template with ad-hoc collaboration actions based on work practice for a particular business scenario.

35. The system of claim 34, further comprising one or more computers configured to enable the user to automatically adapt the template based on collaborative filtering or history tracking.

31. A system comprising one or more computers configured to:

specify one or more actions corresponding to a specified procedure and, for each specified action, one or more resources associated with the action;

indicate an action order, including indicating whether two or more of the specified actions are to be performed in an order-dependent manner or in an order-independent manner;

present the specified actions to a user in a presentation format; and

enable the user to perform the specified action by providing access to the resources associated with the specified procedure.

36. The system of claim 31, wherein the action makes a process pattern plug&

execute by launching web-based services with semantics and functionality.

37. The system of claim 31, further comprising one or more computers configured to enable the user to introduce rules and pre-configure ad-hoc coordination patterns to handle exceptions and dependencies within actions.

38. The system of claim 31, further comprising one or more computers configured to enable the user to instantiate a sub-procedure from the specified procedure.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the specified procedure controls the sub-procedure

40. The system of claim 31 further comprising one or more computers configured to enable a user to include ad-hoc collaboration actions.

41. The system of claim 31 further comprising providing one or more computers configured to provide displays for tracking the status of deliverables, contributors, resources, metrics, accomplish view, forecast view, procedure tree view or the completion of the procedure.

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

specifying one or more actions corresponding to a specified procedure and, for each specified action, one or more resources associated with the action;

indicating an action order, including indicating whether two or more of the specified actions are to be performed in an order-dependent manner or in an order-independent manner;

presenting the specified actions to a user in a presentation format; and

enabling the user to perform the specified action by providing access to the resources associated with the specified procedure.

43. The article of claim 42, wherein the specified actions are identified by a process pattern associated with the specified procedure.

44. The article of claim 42, further comprising storing instructions operable to cause one or more machines to perform operations comprising:

identifying one or more common action patterns;

abstracting each reusable common action pattern; and

providing a template including the abstracted patterns for the specified procedure based on business context.

45. The article of claim 44, further comprising storing instructions operable to cause one or more machines to perform operations comprising enabling the user to modify the template with ad-hoc collaboration actions based on work practice for a particular business scenario.

46. The article of claim 45, further comprising storing instructions operable to cause one or more machines to perform operations comprising automatically adapting the template based on collaborative filtering or history tracking.

47. The system of claim 42, wherein the action makes a process pattern plug&

execute by launching web-based services with semantics and functionality.

48. The article of claim 42, further comprising storing instructions operable to cause one or more machines to perform operations comprising introducing rules and pre-configuring ad-hoc coordination patterns to handle exceptions and dependencies within actions.

49. The article of claim 42, further comprising storing instructions operable to cause one or more machines to perform operations comprising instantiating a sub-procedure from the specified procedure.

50. The system of claim 49, wherein the specified procedure controls the sub-procedure

51. The article of claim 42, further comprising storing instructions operable to cause one or more machines to perform operations comprising including ad-hoc collaboration actions.

52. The article of claim 42, further comprising storing instructions operable to cause one or more machines to perform operations comprising providing displays for tracking the status of deliverables, contributors, resources, metrics, accomplish view, forecast view, procedure tree view or the completion of the procedure.

53. A method comprising:

presenting an administrative-user with a graphical user interface-based application to generate definitions of procedures;

receiving input from the administrative-user defining a procedure, the received input to include a list of actions, one or more resources associated with each action, and an indication that two or more actions in the list are to be performed in an order-dependent manner or in an order-independent manner;

formatting the list of actions to conform to a designated navigation model; and

associating the defined procedure with one or more roles in a role-based portal environment.

54. The method of claim 53 wherein receiving the input defining the procedure is to include indications that a plurality of actions are to be performed in an order-dependent manner and that another plurality of actions are to be performed in an order-independent manner.

55. The method of claim 53 wherein receiving the input defining the procedure comprises a pre-existing procedure definition.

56. The method of claim 53 wherein receiving the input defining the procedure comprises a link to a pre-existing procedure definition such that subsequent modifications made to the pre-existing procedure definition are automatically reflected in the defined procedure.

57. An enterprise management consolidation system comprising:

a cross-functional application to provide communication between at least one of an object modeling tool, a process modeling tool and a user interface tool, wherein the user interface tool is configured to;

specify one or more actions corresponding to a specified procedure and, for each specified action, one or more resources associated with the action;

indicate an action order, including indicating whether two or more of the specified actions are to be performed in an order-dependent manner or in an order-independent manner;

present the specified actions to a user in a presentation format; and

enable the user to perform the specified action by providing access to the resources associated with the specified procedure.

58. The enterprise management consolidation system of claim 57 wherein the user interface tool is configured to associate deliverables, contributors and resources with an action.

59. The enterprise management consolidation system of claim 58 wherein the user interface tool is configured to communicate with a resource finder to locate contributors.

60. The enterprise management consolidation system of claim 57 wherein the tool is configured to communicate with a community membership site.

61. The enterprise management consolidation system of claim 57 wherein the tool is configured to communicate with a personal guru page.