Active and contextual risk management using risk software objects

• US 20060010496A1
• Filed: 07/12/2004
• Published: 01/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Twitter Inc (X Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Filenet Corporation (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Parapadakis, George
• Granted Patent: US 7,702,517 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/25
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A risk management system may include a memory system that may contain a plurality of risk software objects, each of which represents a risk associated with an enterprise and which is configured to contain attributes and methods. The memory system may include a plurality of non-risk software objects, each of which represent something associated with the enterprise other than a risk, as well as a relationship between one of the risk software objects and one of the non-risk software objects. A computer processing system may be configured to manage the software objects and the relationship. Relationships may also be with workflow processes. Numerous variations, as well as related processes and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A risk management system comprising:

a memory system containing;

a plurality of risk software objects, each of which represents a risk associated with an enterprise and which is configured to contain attributes and methods;

a plurality of non-risk software objects, each of which represent something associated with the enterprise other than a risk;

a relationship between one of the risk software objects and one of the non-risk software objects; and

a computer processing system configured to manage the software objects and the relationship.

2. The risk management system of claim 1 wherein the computer processing system is configured to trigger a process in response to a change in one of the risk software objects.

3. The risk management system of claim 2 wherein the process is specified by a method associated with the risk software object that is changed.

4. The risk management system of claim 1 wherein the computer processing system is configured to cause a change in one of the risk software objects upon the occurrence of an event.

5. The risk management system of claim 4 wherein the event is one that occurs outside of the risk management system.

6. The risk management system of claim 4 wherein the event is one that occurs within the risk management system.

7. The risk management system of claim 6 wherein the event is based on the passage of a period of time.

8. The risk management system of claim 1 wherein the relationship is represented by a link object.

9. The risk management system of claim 1 wherein the relationship is represented as an attribute of the risk software object that is related by the relationship.

10. The risk management system of claim 1 wherein the computer processing system is configured to allow a user of the risk management system to define the risk software objects.

11. The risk management system of claim 1 wherein the non-risk software object that is related by the relationship represents a person.

12. The risk management system of claim 1 wherein the non-risk software object that is related by the relationship represents a policy.

13. The risk management system of claim 1 wherein the non-risk software object that is related by the relationship represents an asset.

14. The risk management system of claim 1 wherein the non-risk software object that is related by the relationship represents a transaction.

15. The risk management system of claim 1 wherein the non-risk software object that is related by the relationship represents a loss.

16. The risk management system of claim 1 wherein one of the attributes of one of the risk software objects represents a loss that may be associated with the risk.

17. The risk management system of claim 1 wherein the non-risk software object that is related by the relationship includes a document.

18. The risk management system of claim 1 wherein the computer processing system is configured to grant a user exclusive access to a risk software object that the user is changing.

19. The risk management system of claim 1 wherein the computer processing system is configured to generate and store an audit trail relating to accesses that are made to the risk software objects.

20. The risk management system claim 1 wherein the computer processing system is configured to allow each risk software object to be changed a plurality of times by a user of the risk management system and to allow each risk software object to be reconstructed to each of its states prior to each of the changes.

21. The risk management system of claim 1 wherein:

the memory system includes;

a plurality of workflow processes relating to the enterprise; and

a relationship between one of the risk software objects and one of the workflow processes; and

the computer processing system is configured to manage the workflow processes and the relationship.

22. The risk management system of claim 1 wherein:

the memory system includes a relationship between two of the risk software objects; and

the computer processing system is configured to manage the relationship.

23. The risk management system of claim 1 wherein the computer processing system is configured to allow the user of the risk management system to navigate to a software object based on its relationship to another software object.

24. The risk management system of claim 1 wherein:

the memory system includes a template for a risk software object; and

the computer processing system is configured to allow a user of the risk management system to define a risk software object based on the template.

25. The risk management system of claim 24 wherein:

the template was based on one of the risk software objects; and

the computer processing system is configured to allow a user of the risk management system to create a template based on one of the risk software objects.

26. A process for managing a plurality of risks associated with an enterprise in a computer processing system comprising:

defining a risk software object that is configured to include attributes and methods to represent each risk;

defining each of a plurality of non-risk software objects to represent something associated with the enterprise other than a risk;

establishing a relationship between one of the risk software objects and one of the non-risk software objects; and

managing the risks using the software objects, the relationship and the computer processing system.

27. Computer-readable media containing programming that, when installed in a computer processing system, allows a user of that computer processing system to:

define a risk software object configured to include attributes and methods to represent each risk in an enterprise;

define each of a plurality of non-risk software objects to represent something related to the enterprise other than a risk;

establish relationships between the risk software objects and the non-risk software objects; and

manage the risks using the software objects and the relationships.

28. A risk management system comprising:

a memory system containing;

a plurality of risk software objects, each of which represents a risk associated with an enterprise and which is configured to contain attributes and methods;

a plurality of workflow processes relating to the enterprise;

a relationship between one of the risk software objects and one of the workflow processes; and

a computer processing system configured to manage the risk software objects, the workflow processes and the relationship.

29. The risk management system of claim 28 wherein the computer processing system is configured to trigger one of the workflow processes in response to a change in one of the software objects.

30. The risk management system of claim 29 wherein the triggerable workflow process is specified by a method associated with the risk software object that is changed.

31. The risk management system of claim 28 wherein the computer processing system is configured to cause a change in one of the risk software objects upon the occurrence of an event.

32. The risk management system of claim 28 wherein the computer processing system is configured to execute a user-defined process upon the occurrence of an event.

33. The risk management system of claim 31 wherein the event is one that occurs outside of the risk management system.

34. The risk management system of claim 31 wherein the event is one that occurs within the risk management system.

35. The risk management system of claim 34 wherein the event is based on the passage of a period of time.

36. The risk management system of claim 28 wherein the relationship is represented by a link object.

37. The risk management system of claim 28 wherein the relationship is represented as an attribute of the risk software object that is related by the relationship.

38. The risk management system of claim 28 wherein the computer processing system is configured to allow a user of the risk management system to define the risk software objects.

39. The risk management system of claim 28 wherein the computer processing system is configured grant a user exclusive access to a risk software object that the user is changing.

40. The risk management system of claim 28 wherein the computer processing system is configured to generate and store an audit trail relating to accesses that are made to the risk software objects.

41. The risk management system of claim 28 wherein the computer processing system is configured to allow each risk software object to be changed a plurality of times by a user of the risk management system and to allow each risk software object to be reconstructed to each of its states prior to each of the changes.

42. The risk management system of claim 28 wherein:

the memory system includes a template for a risk software object; and

the computer processing system is configured to allow a user of the risk management system to define a risk software object based on the template.

43. The risk management system of claim 42 wherein:

the template was based on one of the risk software objects; and

the computer processing system is configured to allow a user of the risk management system to create a template based on one of the risk software objects.

44. A process for managing a plurality of risks associated with an enterprise using a computer processing system comprising:

defining a risk software object to represent each risk and configured to contain attributes and methods;

defining a plurality of workflow processes relating to the enterprise;

establishing a relationship between one of the risk software objects and one of the workflow processes; and

managing the risks using the risk software objects, the workflow processes and the relationship using the computer processing system.

45. Computer-readable media containing programming that, when installed in a computer processing system, allows a user of that computer processing system to:

define a risk software object configured to contain attributes and methods to represent each risk in an enterprise;

define a plurality of workflow processes relating to the enterprise;

establish relationships between the risk software objects and the workflow processes; and

manage the risks using the risk software objects, the workflow processes and the relationships.

46. A risk-management system comprising:

a content management system;

a process management system; and

a computer processing system configured to allow risks to be defined as risk software objects that are related to the content and process management systems and that are configured to contain attributes and methods.

47. The risk management system of claim 46 wherein the content and process management systems are part of a single, integrated system.

48. The risk management system of claim 46 wherein the content and process management systems are separate systems.

49. The risk management system of claim 46 further including a document management system and wherein the computer processing system is further configured to allow the risks that are defined as risk software objects to be related to the document management system.

50. The risk management system of claim 46 wherein the computer processing system is configured to allow the risk software objects to be declared as records that are managed by a records management system.

51. The risk management system of claim 50 wherein the computer processing system is configured to initiate a process within the process management system that manages at least one record in the records management system that is related to an attribute of one of the risk software objects in response to a change in that attribute.

52. The risk management system of claim 51 wherein the process that manages at least one record causes the at least one record to be added to the records management system.

53. The risk management system of claim 51 wherein the process that manages at least one record causes the at least one record to be classified within the records management system.

54. The risk management system of claim 51 wherein the process that manages at least one record causes the at least one record to be managed by a pre-defined retention period.

55. The risk management system of claim 46 wherein the process management system includes a workflow management system.

56. A risk management system comprising:

a memory system containing;

a plurality of risk software objects, each of which represents a risk associated with an enterprise and which is configured to contain attributes and methods; and

multiple relationships between two of the risk software objects that were defined by one or more users of the risk management system; and

a computer processing system configured to manage the risk software objects and the multiple relationships.

57. A process for managing a plurality of risks associated with an enterprise comprising:

defining a risk software object that is configured to include attributes and methods to represent each risk in a computer processing system;

establishing under the direction of one or more users of the risk management system multiple relationships between two of the risk software objects in the computer processing system; and

managing the risks using the risk software objects, the multiple relationships and the computer processing system.

58. Computer-readable media containing programming that, when installed in a computer processing system, allows a user of that computer processing system to:

define a risk software object configured to include attributes and methods to represent each risk in an enterprise;

establish under the direction of one or more users of the risk management system multiple relationships between two of the risk software objects; and

manage the risks using the software objects and the multiple relationships.

59. A risk management system comprising:

a memory system containing a plurality of risk software objects, each of which represents a risk associated with an enterprise and which is configured to contain attributes and methods; and

a computer processing system configured to allow;

a user to be granted exclusive access to a risk software object that the user is changing;

each risk software object to be changed a plurality of times by a user of the risk management system and to allow each risk software object to be reconstructed to each of its states prior to each of the changes; and

the access users of the risk management system have to the risk software objects to be regulated.

60. A process for managing a plurality of risks associated with an enterprise comprising:

defining a risk software object that is configured to include attributes and methods to represent each risk in a computer processing system;

granting a user exclusive access to one of the risk software objects that the user is changing;

reconstructing one of the risk software objects that was changed by a user to its state prior to the change; and

blocking a user from access to some but not all of the risk software objects.

61. Computer-readable media containing programming that, when installed in a computer processing system, allows a user of that computer processing system to:

define a risk software object that is configured to include attributes and methods to represent each risk in an enterprise;

grant a user exclusive access to one of the risk software objects that the user is changing;

reconstruct one of the risk software objects that was changed by a user to its state prior to the change; and

block a user from access to some but not all of the risk software objects.