Business process change administration

• US 20040260591A1
• Filed: 06/17/2003
• Published: 12/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: King, Nigel
• Application Number:
  US10/464,421
• Publication Number:
  US 20040260591A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0635 Risk analysis of enterprise or organisation activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06375 Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A system for identifying and approving changes in a business process includes a standard business process, a de facto business process, and a process change monitor. The business process can be implemented by a workflow-enabled application and can be inherited from a global business process. A user can request a change in a business process, or the process change monitor can identify a deviation in the de facto business process from the standard business process. The system communicates an approval request to a managing user in response to a deviation or a change request, who can than review and approve or disapprove the deviation. If the deviation is approved, the change is implemented. The system can also associates a message including an explanation of the deviation with the deviation. The system displays the business process, the deviation, and optionally a risk associated with the deviation.

Claims

1. A system for determining changes in a business process, the system comprising:

a standard business process;

a business process associated with an organizational unit; and

a process change monitor adapted to identify a deviation from the standard business process in the business process.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the business process is implemented by a workflow-enabled application.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the business process associated with the organizational unit is inherited from a global business process.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the process change monitor is adapted to compare the business process with the standard business process.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the process change monitor is adapted to associate an approval status with the deviation.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the process change monitor is adapted to communicate an approval request to a user in response to a deviation.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the process change monitor is adapted to receive a message from a user and to modify the approval status in response to the message.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the process change monitor is adapted to receive a message from a user and to associate the message with the deviation.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the message includes an explanation of the deviation.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the user is a user associated with the business process.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the process change monitor is adapted to display the business process and the deviation.

12. The system of claim 5, wherein the process change monitor is adapted to display the business process, the deviation, and the approval status.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the process change monitor is adapted to associate a risk with the deviation.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the process change monitor is adapted to associate a risk control with the business process.

15. A method for determining changes in a business process, the method comprising:

selecting a business process associated with an organizational unit;

selecting a standard business process; and

identifying a deviation from the standard business process in the business process.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the business process is implemented by a workflow-enabled application.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the organizational unit inherits the business process from a global business process.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein identifying includes comparing the business process with the standard business process.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising associating an approval status with the deviation.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising communicating an approval request to a user in response to a deviation.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising receiving a message from a user and modifying the approval status in response to the message.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising receiving a message from a user and associating the message with the deviation.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the message includes an explanation of the deviation.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the user is a user associated with the business process.

25. The method of claim 17, further comprising displaying the business process and the deviation.

26. The method of claim 19, further comprising displaying the business process, the deviation, and the approval status.

27. The method of claim 17, further comprising associating a risk with the deviation.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising associating a risk control with the business process.