Mechanism to control delegation and revocation of tasks in workflow system

• US 20070016465A1
• Filed: 07/15/2005
• Published: 01/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Schaad, Andreas
• Granted Patent: US 8,620,713 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063114 Status monitoring or status determination for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work

Abstract

A method to revoke a task includes receiving task data, the task data including information regarding a task to be performed. The method further includes receiving delegation data, the delegation data including information identifying a delegator of the task and a delegatee to perform the task. The method further includes receiving revocation task data, with the revocation task data having as its object at least aspects of the task.

Claims

1. A method to revoke a task in a workflow system, the method comprising:

receiving task data, the task data including information regarding a task to be performed;

receiving delegation data, the delegation data including information identifying a delegator of the task and a delegatee to perform the task;

receiving revocation task data, with the revocation task data having as its object at least aspects of the task;

verifying the revocation task data is associated with the delegator of the task, and

storing the revocation task data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the received delegation data is received from at least one of a group including a user input device and a delegation module.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the received revocation task data is received from at least one of a group including a user input device and a revocation module.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the task data includes information regarding a general task including at least one specific task.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the task data includes information regarding a specific task instance of a general task.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising revoking the task data when the revocation task data is associated with the delegator of the task.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising aborting revocation of the task data when the revocation task data is not associated with the delegator of the task.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the task is completed.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a task type, wherein the task type is selected from a group including a general task and a specific task instance of the general task.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the task type includes the general task, the method further comprising determining disposition of pending specific tasks of the general task, wherein the disposition is selected from a group including revocation and performance completion.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a principal type associated with the delegatee, wherein the principal type is selected from a group including a business role principal and a particular principal.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving subsequent delegation data, the subsequent delegation data including information identifying a subsequent delegatee to perform the task.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising comparing the subsequent delegation data to a set of rules, thereby to determine whether the subsequent delegation is allowable.

14. A machine-readable medium storing a sequence of instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the method of claim 1.

15. A role-based workflow system comprising:

an interface to receive;

task data including information on a task to be performed,

delegation data including information identifying a delegator and a delegatee to perform the task, and

revocation task data including information on the task to be revoked;

a revocation module to revoke a task when the revocation task data is associated with the delegator; and

a database to store the task data, the delegation data, and the revocation task data.

16. The system of claim 15 further including a task delegation module to receive the delegation data stored in the database.

17. The system of claim 15 further including a task creation module to create the task based on the received task data.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the task data includes information regarding a general task having at least one specific task.

19. A system for creating a review task, the system comprising:

first means for receiving task data including information on a task to be performed;

second means for receiving delegation data including information identifying a delegator and a delegatee to perform the task;

third means for creating revocation task data with at least aspects of the task being an object of the revocation task data;

fourth means for verifying that the revocation task data is associated with the delegator of the task before revoking the task; and

fifth means for storing the task data, the delegation data, and the revocation task data.

20. The system of claim 19 further including sixth means for creating the task based on the received task data.

22. The system of claim 19 wherein the first means includes a user interface.

23. The system of claim 19 wherein the second means includes a user interface or a task delegation module.

24. The system of claim 19 wherein the third and fourth means includes a revocation module.

25. The system of claim 19 wherein the fifth means includes a database.

26. The system of claim 20 wherein the sixth means includes a task creation module.

27. The system of claim 19 wherein the fourth means includes a set of rules to disqualify a principal from revoking the task.