SOLUTION THAT LEVERAGES AN INSTANT MESSAGING SYSTEM TO MANAGE AD HOC BUSINESS PROCESS WORKFLOWS

• US 20100057862A1
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Published: 03/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Nicol, William B. II, Smith, Andrew B.
• Granted Patent: US 9,454,737 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/02 Neural networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15

Abstract

A process definition entered into a user interface that is coupled with an instant messaging client application can be identified. The process definition can represent an ad hoc business process. The process definition can utilize entities defined in a contact of the instant messaging (IM) client application. The process definition can execute. Upon reaching a terminating condition defined within the process definition, results of executing the process definition can be presented via the user interface.

Claims

1. A method for utilizing an instant messaging system to manage the execution of ad hoc business processes comprising:

identifying a process definition entered into a user interface that is coupled with an instant messaging client application, wherein said process definition represents an ad hoc business process, and, wherein the process definition utilizes entities defined in a contact of the instant messaging (IM) client application;

executing the process definition; and

upon reaching a terminating condition defined within the process definition, presenting results of executing the process definition via the user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the process definition further comprises:

assigning entities from the contact list to a participant sequence for the process definition, wherein the participant sequence represents an ordered list of participants in the ad hoc business process;

specifying message text for instant messages (IMs) to the participants of the participant sequence; and

defining process flow controls for directing execution of the process definition based upon responses to the IMs received from the participants, wherein the process flow controls comprise at least a process continuation and a process termination.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

associating a data item with the process definition, wherein said data item conveys additional self-contained information related to the ad hoc business process.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the associated data item comprises at least one of an electronic file and a Universal Resource Locator (URL).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the process definition further comprises:

generating an IM, wherein contents of the IM are comprised of at least one element defined within the process definition;

conveying the IM to a participant of the ad hoc business process, wherein the participant is a member of a participant sequence, wherein the participant sequence is an element of the process definition;

receiving a response to the IM from the participant; and

evaluating the received response against at least one process flow control of the process definition.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the generating the IM, conveying the IM, receiving the response, and evaluating the received response are performed for a plurality of participants contained within the participant sequence.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the contents of the instant message comprise at least one of a message text, an electronic document attachment, and a URL.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the process definition created by the user interface is written in a standardized computing language.

9. A system that utilizes an instant messaging system to manage the execution of ad hoc business processes comprising:

an instant messaging system configured to convey instant messages (IMs) between a plurality of instant messaging client applications;

a process definition representing an ad hoc business process that requires communication between a plurality of entities, wherein said plurality of entities are members of the instant messaging (IM) system; and

a process handler configured to interface with the IM system to send and receive IMs in accordance with the process definition to execute the ad hoc business process.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the process definition further comprises:

a participant sequence representing a plurality of participants of the ad hoc business process, wherein said plurality of participants are listed in a user-specified order, wherein said user-specified order outlines a sequential delivery of the IMs, and, wherein said plurality of participants correspond to entities of the IM system contained within a contact list of a process originator; and

a plurality of process flow controls configured to control transmission of the IMs, wherein said control is based upon responses to the IMs received from the plurality of participants, wherein the process flow controls comprise at least a process continuation and a process termination.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

an associated data element representing additional self-contained information related to the ad hoc business process, wherein the associated data element comprises at least one of an electronic document and a URL.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the process handler further comprises:

an instant message generator configured to create the IMs conveyed to the plurality of entities; and

a process controller configured to evaluate an instant message response from an entity against process control logic contained within the process definition, wherein said evaluation determines a flow of the process definition.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a process definition user interface configured to enable creation of the process definition, wherein said process definition user interface is coupled with an instant messaging client application of the instant messaging system.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the process definition is written in a standardized computing language that is interpretable by the process handler.

15. A computer program product that utilizes an instant messaging system to manage the execution of ad hoc business processes comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer usable program code embodied therewith, the computer usable program code comprising;

computer usable program code configured to identify a process definition entered into a user interface that is coupled with an instant messaging client application, wherein said process definition represents an ad hoc business process, and, wherein the process definition utilizes entities defined in a contact of the instant messaging (IM) client application;

computer usable program code configured to execute the process definition; and

computer usable program code configured to upon reaching a terminating condition defined within the process definition, present results of executing the process definition via the user interface.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein creating the process definition further comprises:

computer usable program code configured to assign entities from the contact list to a participant sequence for the process definition, wherein the participant sequence represents an ordered list of participants in the ad hoc business process;

computer usable program code configured to specify message text for instant messages (IMs) to the participants of the participant sequence; and

computer usable program code configured to define process flow controls for directing execution of the process definition based upon responses to the IMs received from the participants, wherein the process flow controls comprise at least a process continuation and a process termination;

17. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising:

computer usable program code configured to associate a data item with the process definition, wherein said data item conveys additional self-contained information related to the ad hoc business process.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the associated data item comprises at least one of an electronic file and a Universal Resource Locator (URL).

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer usable program code configured to execute the process definition further comprises:

computer usable program code configured to generate an IM, wherein contents of the IM are comprised of at least one element defined within the process definition;

computer usable program code configured to convey the IM to a participant of the ad hoc business process, wherein the participant is a member of a participant sequence, wherein the participant sequence is an element of the process definition;

computer usable program code configured to receive a response to the IM from the participant; and

computer usable program code configured to evaluate the received response against at least one process flow control of the process definition.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the computer usable program code configured to generate the IM, the computer usable program code configured to convey the IM, the computer usable program code configured to receive the response, and the computer usable program code configured to evaluate the received response of are performed for a plurality of participants contained within the participant sequence.