Assisted business process exception management

• US 20070179833A1
• Filed: 01/31/2006
• Published: 08/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Infosys Technologies Limited (Infosys Limited)
• Original Assignee: Infosys Technologies Limited (Infosys Limited)
• Inventors: Thonse, Srinivas, Siddaramappa, Nagaraja, Moorthy, Manohar
• Application Number:
  US11/344,740
• Publication Number:
  US 20070179833A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/184 Intellectual property management

Abstract

A computer-implemented method of handling exceptions in a business process is disclosed. In one embodiment, a business process exception is identified, classified as being at least one of a plurality of exception types, wherein the classification is based at least in part on a plurality of classification rules, and allocated to at least one user based at least in part on a plurality of allocation rules. The exception can then be investigated and resolved.

Claims

1. A method of handling exceptions in a business process, the method comprising:

a computer-implemented act of identifying an exception in a business process based at least in part upon a plurality of identification rules expressed in terms of a domain ontology;

a computer-implemented act of classifying the exception as being at least one of a plurality of exception types, wherein the computer-implemented act of classifying the exception is based at least in part on a plurality of classification rules expressed in terms of the domain ontology;

a computer-implemented act of allocating the exception to at least one user based at least in part on a plurality of allocation rules expressed in terms of the domain ontology; and

investigating and resolving the exception based at least in part on the computer-implemented act of classifying the exception and the computer-implemented act of allocating the exception, wherein the act of investigating and resolving the exception is based at least in part on a plurality of investigation and resolution process models.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of investigating and resolving the exception comprises using a combination of computer-implemented investigation and resolution actions and user interaction.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer-implemented act of classifying the exception comprises assigning one of the plurality of exception types to the exception.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer-implemented act of allocating the exception to at least one user comprises assigning responsibility for the exception to the at least one user.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the computer-implemented investigation and resolution actions are performed by at least one system agent.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the user interaction is performed by at least one human expert.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the act of investigating and resolving the exception comprises a plurality of acts having an order determined by the assigned one of the plurality of exception types.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one user comprises a group of users belonging to an operational team.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of investigating and resolving the exception comprises determining at least one root cause of the exception.

10. A business process exception management system, comprising:

a computer-implemented information store comprising a domain ontology, a plurality of electronically-retrievable exception investigation and resolution process models, a plurality of electronically-retrievable exception identification rules, a plurality of electronically-retrievable exception classification rules, and a plurality of electronically-retrievable exception allocation rules;

a computer-implemented exception monitor operable to receive at least one business process exception;

a computer-implemented rule engine operable to be triggered by the computer-implemented exception monitor to classify and allocate the at least one business process exception; and

a computer-implemented process engine operable to be triggered by the computer-implemented exception monitor to execute a plurality of tasks related to investigation and resolution of the at least one business process exception.

11. The business process exception management system of claim 10, further comprising a computer-implemented rule builder operable to build the plurality of electronically-retrievable exception identification rules, the plurality of electronically-retrievable exception classification rules, and the plurality of electronically-retrievable exception allocation rules.

12. The business process exception management system of claim 10, further comprising a computer-implemented process modeler operable to construct the plurality of electronically-retrievable exception investigation and resolution process models.

13. The business process exception management system of claim 10, further including a plurality of computer-implemented system agents operable to post the at least one business process exception to the exception monitor.

14. The business process exception management system of claim 13, wherein the computer-implemented exception monitor comprises a plurality of priority queues operable to receive the at least one business process exception posted by the plurality of computer-implemented system agents.

15. The business process exception management system of claim 14, wherein the computer-implemented exception monitor further comprises a translator operable to translate the at least one business process exception to an instance of a concept stored in the computer-implemented information store.

16. A method of handling a business process exception, comprising:

a computer-implemented act of establishing a business domain ontology for a business domain by capturing a plurality of concepts in the business domain and capturing a plurality of relationships between the plurality of concepts in the business domain;

a computer-implemented act of capturing a plurality of exception handling rules and processes based on the business domain ontology;

a computer-implemented act of implementing the plurality of exception handling rules and processes in a business process exception management system to handle a business process exception; and

investigating and resolving the business process exception based at least in part on a plurality of business process exception investigation and resolution models.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the computer-implemented act of implementing the plurality of exception handling rules and processes comprises using a computer-implemented rule engine and a computer-implemented process engine operable to handle the business process exception.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the act of investigating and resolving the business process exception comprises a computer-implemented act of implementing a plurality of system agents to perform at least one automated business process exception investigation and resolution task.

19. A tangible computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing a method of assisted business process exception management, the method comprising:

using a domain ontology in identifying at least one exception in at least one business process;

using the domain ontology in classifying the at least one exception as corresponding to at least one of a plurality of exception types, wherein the classifying is based at least in part on at least one classification rule;

using the domain ontology in allocating the at least one exception to at least one recipient based at least in part on at least one allocation rule; and

using the domain ontology in investigating and resolving the at least one exception based at least in part on at least one investigation and resolution process model.