End user oriented workflow approach including structured processing of ad hoc workflows with a collaborative process engine

• US 20050027585A1
• Filed: 05/07/2004
• Published: 02/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Wodtke, Dirk, Kruse, Matthias, Jordt, Nicolai
• Granted Patent: US 7,885,847 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

In a structured workflow system, a configurable workflow engine provides mechanisms for executing and scheduling the work items in a defined way. End users use their discretion and define their own “local” processes and “local” rules for processing work items, or deviate from predefined processes. The configurable workflow engine might be installed at a server to organize workflows and business processes where end users can define processing steps for incoming work items by setting up rules and defining workflows as part of a local workflow structure. By defining these rules and workflows, the further processing steps of future incoming work items can be automated. When an administrator directs the workflow engine to move from a current phase to a next phase, the workflow engine deals with the incomplete items by allowing the administrator to carry over work items (or might do it automatically). End -user consultation might be included in the carry-over decisions. The carried over work items are added as parallel activities to the next phase. The workflow engine handles imposing and executing control flow dependencies between tasks, thus providing a smooth transition from totally unstructured work to semi-structured or completely structured work. When the workflow engine encounters semantically correlated work items/tasks, the process engine assumes that these work items/tasks belong to the same process instance.

Claims

1. A structured workflow system, comprising:

a first data storage for structured work items, wherein each work item is a data object representing a task to be performed by an actor, wherein an actor is one or more of a person, a group of persons and a machine, the structured work items being defined for a business process by a business process generator;

a second data storage for local work items, wherein a local work item is a data object input in response to the operation of the business process and a variance from the business process defined by the business process generator;

a workflow engine that processes work items and local work items, including processing links between at least one work item and one local work item such that constraints on the business process set by the business process generator are followed in processing local work items.

2. The structured workflow system of claim 1, wherein the actor is assigned a first set of permissions representing security constraints on modifying and/or accessing elements of the first data storage, wherein an operator of the business process generator is assigned a second set of permissions, and wherein the second set of permissions includes at least one permission not included in the second set of permissions.

3. The structured workflow system of claim 2, wherein the at least one permission not included in the second set of permissions is a permission to perform at least one of creating, modifying and deleting business processes from which structured work items in the first data storage are defined, and wherein the first set of permissions includes permission to perform at least one of creating, modifying and deleting local work items.

4. The structured workflow system of claim 1, wherein the business process generator is a computer system operated by a human to input the business process.

5. The structured workflow system of claim 1, wherein the business process generator is an automated computer process.

6. The structured workflow system of claim 1, wherein the local work items comprise one or more of a deviation from the business process, a local rule for handling work items, a local process, and an additional routing of an object.

7. The structured workflow system of claim 1, further comprising a portal server coupled to the workflow engine to handle inputs from, and outputs to, the actor.

8. The structured workflow system of claim 1, wherein the actor comprises a plurality of end users operating as a collaboration team and at least one work item represents work to be done by an end user on the collaboration team.

9. The structured workflow system of claim 1, further comprising a third data storage for local work processes comprising business processes generated by an actor in variance from business processes defined by the business process generator.

10. The structured workflow system of claim 9, wherein the first data storage, second data storage and third data storage are allocated areas of a common data storage device.

11. The structured workflow system of claim 1, wherein the first data storage and second data storage are allocated areas of a common data storage device.

12. A structured workflow system, wherein a business process generator generates a business process predefining work items into a plurality of phases and wherein a workflow engine manipulates the work items as part of executing a workflow of a business process, comprising:

memory for storing a current phase identifier;

an input for receiving a request to change the current phase identifier from a current phase to a next phase;

scanning logic for determining, upon a request to change the current phase identifier, if work items remain in the business process as incomplete work items in the current phase; and

logic to request input from the business process generator if the scanning logic determines that at least one work item of the current phase remains incomplete, to determine further handling of the incomplete work items in the current phase, further handling including one or more of labeling an incomplete work item in the current phase as being obsolete, labeling an incomplete work item in the current phase as being completed, and modifying an incomplete work item in the current phase such that it becomes a work item in the next phase or a subsequent phase beyond the next phase.

13. The structured workflow system of claim 12, wherein the business process generator is a computer system operated by a human to input the business process.

14. The structured workflow system of claim 12, wherein the business process generator is an automated computer process.

15. The structured workflow system of claim 12, further comprising logic to handle incomplete work items automatically without end user input.

16. A method of processing the work items in a business process workflow, comprising:

reading a predetermined workflow, wherein the predetermined workflow is configured by a business process generator and includes a plurality of work items at least some of which are connected by control flow dependencies between work items;

executing the predetermined workflow; and

if a local workflow variance is encountered, executing the local workflow variance and then returning to executing the predetermined workflow.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

assigning an actor a first set of permissions representing security constraints on modifying and/or accessing elements of the predetermined workflow and allowing creation of local workflow variances;

receiving, from the actor, the local workflow variances;

coupling at least one local workflow variance to at least one predetermined workflow;

storing the local workflow variances; and

encountering and executing the at least one local workflow variance as part of execution of the at least one predetermined workflow.