METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING EMAIL CONTINUITY

• US 20070271345A1
• Filed: 11/01/2006
• Published: 11/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: O'Sullivan, Patrick J., Galluzzo, Joseph D., Chakra, Al, Callanan, Sean
• Application Number:
  US11/555,380
• Publication Number:
  US 20070271345A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A method and system are provided for providing email continuity by automatically following up an email message to which a reply has not been received. A method in accordance with an embodiment of the invention includes: defining a workflow as a plurality of actions to be taken in a predetermined order, wherein the actions are configured to generate a response to an email message; indicating that a workflow is to be applied in relation to an email message to a recipient; and monitoring email activity to identify a reply from the recipient to the email message and, in the absence of a reply, automatically applying the workflow.

Claims

1. A method for providing email continuity, comprising:

defining a workflow as a plurality of actions to be taken in a predetermined order, wherein the actions are configured to generate a response to an email message;

indicating that a workflow is to be applied in relation to an email message to a recipient; and

monitoring email activity to identify a reply from the recipient to the email message and, in the absence of a reply, automatically applying the workflow.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of actions defined in the workflow escalate in a forcefulness of their approach.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of actions includes at least one of:

re-sending the email message, changing a mood or priority of the email message and re-sending the email message, copying the email message to a superior of the recipient, copying the email message to a higher superior of the recipient, and copying the email message to a superior of a sender of the email message.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actions of the workflow are each applied after a predetermined time period.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a next action in the workflow is applied after a predetermined number of iterations of a previous action in the workflow.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the workflow is associated with a recipient or a group of recipients on a thread of email messages.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the workflow is predefined for a recipient or a group of recipients.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the workflow is tracked showing a status of the actions and the actions taken.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the workflow is adjustable in use to change one or more actions or a recipient of the email message.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, when an action is taken, a report is sent to a sender of the email message to inform the sender of the action taken.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in the event an insufficient reply is received in response to the email message, the workflow is re-applied from any step in the predetermined order of actions.

12. A system for providing email continuity, comprising:

a client application comprising means for sending an email message flagged for monitoring continuity; and

a server application comprising;

means for monitoring a reply to the flagged email message, and

means for applying a workflow comprising a plurality of actions to be taken in a predetermined order,

wherein the workflow is stopped when a reply to the flagged email message is received.

13. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the client application comprises a user interface for inputting a workflow comprising a plurality of actions in a predetermined order for a recipient of an email message.

14. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the means for applying the workflow is in the form of a server sub-system comprising an actions engine and a rules engine.

15. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the client application comprises a tracking user interface for tracking the plurality of actions.

16. The system as claimed claim 15, wherein the tracking user interface comprises means for interrupting or changing the plurality of actions.

17. The system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the tracking user interface comprises means for sending the email message to another recipient.

18. The system as claimed in claim 12, further comprising a report generator, wherein, when an action in the workflow is applied, a report is sent to a sender of the email message from the report generator to inform the sender of the action applied.

19. The system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the tracking user interface comprises means for re-applying the workflow from any step in the predetermined order of actions, in the event an insufficient reply is received in response to the email message.

20. A computer program product stored on a computer readable storage medium, comprising computer readable program code for performing the steps of:

defining a workflow as a plurality of actions to be taken in a predetermined order, wherein the actions are configured to generate a response to an email message;

indicating that a workflow is to be applied in relation to an email message to a recipient; and

monitoring email activity to identify a reply from the recipient to the email message and, in the absence of a reply, automatically applying the workflow.