Methods and computer systems for workflow management

• US 20050154741A1
• Filed: 11/04/2004
• Published: 07/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Kilian-Kehr, Roger, Hebert, Cedric
• Application Number:
  US10/980,273
• Publication Number:
  US 20050154741A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

Methods and computer systems are provided for workflow management. A workflow engine may be provided that creates workflow items. Each workflow item may include a self descriptive part that specifies details for generating a device independent representations of a corresponding workflow item. Further, a workflow manager may be provided that generates the device independent representation based on the self descriptive part.

Claims

1. A computer system for workflow management, the system comprising:

a workflow engine for creating workflow items; and

a workflow manager for generating device independent representations of the workflow items;

wherein a workflow item comprises a self descriptive part that specifies details for generating a corresponding device independent representation.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the self descriptive part comprises metadata for defining at least a part of the semantics of the workflow item.

3. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising:

a client device for transforming a device independent representation into a device specific representation.

4. The computer system of claim 2, further comprising:

a client device for transforming a device independent representation into a device specific representation.

5. The computer system of claim 3, where the client device is a mobile device.

6. The computer system of claim 4, where the client device is a mobile device.

7. The computer system of claim 3, where the client device uses a generic program for transforming.

8. The computer system of claim 4, where the client device uses a generic program for transforming.

9. The computer system of claim 1, where the workflow manager has a rule set comprising representation rules for evaluating whether a specific self descriptive workflow item is suitable for a specific client device.

10. The computer system of claim 9, where the specific client device is configured to retrieve the corresponding self descriptive representation of the specific workflow item.

11. The computer system of claim 10, further comprising:

a notification component for notifying the specific client device if requested by notification rules of the rule set.

12. The computer system of claim 11, where the rule set comprises further rules to suppress the notifying under specific conditions.

13. The computer system of claim 12, where the notification component uses a SMS message for notifying.

14. The computer system of claim 12, where the notification component uses a WML page for notifying.

15. The computer system of claim 9, where the workflow manager is configured to invalidate the specific workflow item when a timeout indicates that the specific client device did not respond within a predefined time period.

16. A computer implemented workflow management method, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving workflow items having a self descriptive part specifying details for a device independent representation of the respective workflow item; and

generating the device independent representation by using the self descriptive part, the device independent representation comprising a base for transformation into a device specific representation.

17. The method of claim 16, where the self descriptive parts comprise metadata for defining at least a part of the semantics of the corresponding workflow items.

18. The method of claim 16, comprising the further step of:

evaluating whether a specific self descriptive workflow item is suitable for a specific client device by applying representation rules to the self descriptive part.

19. The method of claim 18, comprising the further step:

notifying the specific client device if requested by notification rules.

20. The method of claim 19, where the notifying step comprises sending a SMS message to the specific client device.

21. The method of claim 19, where the notifying step comprises sending a WML page to the specific client device.

22. The method of claim 19, comprising the further step of:

invalidating the specific workflow item when a timeout indicates that the specific client device did not respond within a predefined time period.

23. The method of claim 22, comprising the further step of:

making the device independent representation of the specific workflow item visible to a suitable further client device after the timeout.

24. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium, the computer-readable medium comprising instructions suitable for carrying out a method for workflow management, the method comprising:

receiving workflow items having a self descriptive part specifying details for a device independent representation of the respective workflow item; and

generating the device independent representation by using the self descriptive part, the device independent representation comprising a base for transformation into a device specific representation.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, where the self descriptive parts comprise metadata for defining at least a part of the semantics of the corresponding workflow items.

26. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein the method further comprises the step of:

evaluating whether a specific self descriptive workflow item is suitable for a specific client device by applying representation rules to the self descriptive part.

27. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein the method further comprises the step of:

notifying the specific client device if requested by notification rules.

28. The computer program product of claim 27, where the notifying step comprises sending a SMS message to the specific client device.

29. The computer program product of claim 27, where the notifying step comprises sending a WML page to the specific client device.

30. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein the method further comprises the step of:

invalidating the specific workflow item when a timeout indicates that the specific client device did not respond within a predefined time period.

31. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the method further comprises the step of:

making the device independent representation of the specific workflow item visible to a suitable further client device after the timeout.