SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MANAGING BUSINESS PROCESSES IN AN ENTERPRISE

• US 20080306751A1
• Filed: 06/08/2007
• Published: 12/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Huth, John Andrew, Miller, Jay, Rdzak, Steven, Conroy, Patrick Michael, Ericson, Edward C., Naufel, Douglas E., Swift, Chris
• Granted Patent: US 8,265,970 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management

Abstract

A method for managing a business process in an enterprise includes executing a business process model, wherein executing the business process model comprises generating a plurality of business level messages associated with business level tasks, generating one or more system level messages associated with system level tasks to be performed by one or more enterprise subsystems, wherein the one or more system level messages are in a common format that is accessible by the one or more enterprise subsystems, and broadcasting the one or more system level messages over a communication channel communicably coupling the plurality of enterprise subsystems. A system includes a communication channel carrying system level messages in a generic format, a plurality of business subsystems communicably coupled to the communication channel, adapters operable to translate messages from the generic format into associated business subsystem specific formats and vice versa.

Claims

1. A method for managing a business process in an enterprise comprising a plurality of business subsystems, the method comprising:

executing a business process model, wherein executing the business process model comprises generating a plurality of business level messages associated with business level tasks;

in response to receiving a business level message, generating one or more system level messages associated with system level tasks to be performed by one or more enterprise subsystems, wherein the one or more system level messages are in a common format that is accessible by the one or more enterprise subsystems; and

broadcasting the one or more system level messages over a communication channel communicably coupling the plurality of enterprise subsystems.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the communication channel is part of an Enterprise Service Bus (ESB).

3. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising accepting subscriptions from the plurality of subsystems to subscribe to system level messages related to selected subjects.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising translating the one or more system level messages from the common format into a format that is specific to one of the plurality of subsystems.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising editing the business process model based on performance or nonperformance of tasks specified by the one or more system level messages.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising designing the business process model by specifying a plurality of rules and at least one workflow.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the common format comprises a canonical format.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the plurality of business level messages are generated by a business process model system (BPMS), and wherein generating the one or more system level messages is performed by an enterprise service bus (ESB).

9. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

translating one or more system level messages from associated subsystem specific formats into the common format;

transmitting the one or more system level messages in the common format from the subsystems onto the communication channel.

10. The method as recited in claim 9 further comprising monitoring the communication channel for system level messages from the subsystems to analyze the business process.

11. A system for managing a business process carried out by a plurality of subsystems in an enterprise, the system comprising:

a communication channel carrying system level messages in a generic format;

a plurality of business subsystems communicably coupled to the communication channel, wherein each business subsystem generates system level messages in a business subsystem specific format;

a plurality of adapters, wherein each adapter is associated with one of the plurality of business subsystems, and wherein each adapter is operable to translate messages from the generic format into the associated business subsystem specific format and vice versa;

a business process management subsystem communicably coupled to the communication channel and operable to execute a business process model to manage the plurality of business subsystems.

12. The system as recited in claim 11 wherein communication channel comprises one or more of an Ethernet (IEEE 802.3) network and a Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11) network.

13. The system as recited in claim 11 further comprising a communication channel management subsystem configured to manage communications over the communication channel.

14. The system as recited in claim 13 wherein the communication channel and the communication channel management subsystem form an Enterprise Service Bus (ESB).

15. The system as recited in claim 13 wherein the communication channel management subsystem maintains subscriptions associated with the business subsystems.

16. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein the communication channel management subsystem receives business level messages from the business process management subsystem and responsively broadcasts one or more system level messages onto the communication channel in the generic format, whereby subscribing subsystems can receive the one or more system level messages related to subjects to which the subsystems subscribe.

17. The system as recited in claim 11 wherein each of the plurality of adapter modules is selected from a group consisting of:

an appliance;

a server computer; and

gateway.

18. The system as recited in claim 11 wherein messages in the generic format are in a canonical format.

19. The system as recited in claim 18 wherein the canonical format comprises:

a subject field specifying the subject associated with the message;

a sender field specifying the sender of the message;

a verb field specifying an action to be taken with respect to the subject; and

a plurality of attribute fields related to the subject and the verb.

20. The system as recited in claim 12 wherein the plurality of business subsystems comprise one or more of:

a human resources subsystem;

an accounting subsystem;

an engineering subsystem;

a customer relations management subsystem;

an inventory management subsystem; and

a billing subsystem.