DYNAMIC HUMAN WORKFLOW TASK ASSIGNMENT USING BUSINESS RULES

• US 20110282709A1
• Filed: 05/14/2010
• Published: 11/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Sharma, Sachin, Rangaswamy, Ravi, Stallard, Will, Lam, David C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,852,382 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0633 Workflow analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management

Abstract

A system and method for dynamic human workflow task assignment using business rules. In accordance with an embodiment, a human workflow system is integrated directly with business rules, to determine human task routing patterns, and participants in human tasks. Routing of tasks can also be determined by business rules. In accordance with an embodiment, at business process modeling time the workflow process designer creates human tasks in the process and specifies the business rules that determine the pattern, participant and routing information. These are integrated into the workflow task in the process. The integration of rules into human workflow can be performed using service component architecture, so that other rules engines can be plugged-in as required.

Claims

1. A system for dynamic human workflow task assignment using business rules, comprising:

a computer including a workflow process executing therein, wherein the workflow process generates tasks for assignment to human users;

a plurality of tasks defined by the workflow process;

an interface that allows for the plugin of one or more external business rules engines, wherein each of the external business rules engines specifies rules as to how one or more of the task should be processed or routed, according to patterns specified by the external business rules engine; and

wherein during execution of the workflow process in executing a particular task, the system accesses any rules engines plugged into the interface, to determine the processing or routing of the particular task to the human users.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface is a service component architecture (SCA) interface.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the external business rules engines are business process engines.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the business rules provided by the business rules engines are used to specify the patterns in a human workflow.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the external business rules engines, and the patterns they specify, control the workflow process to the extent of determining which human users should be assigned to which tasks, and the routing thereof.

6. A method for dynamic human workflow task assignment using business rules, comprising the steps of:

executing a workflow process, wherein the workflow process generates tasks for assignment to human users;

providing an interface that allows for the plugin of one or more external business rules engines;

parsing a plurality of tasks defined by the workflow process;

receiving information from an external business rules engine as to how one or more of the task should be processed or routed, according to patterns specified by the external business rules engine; and

during execution of the workflow process in executing a particular task, accessing any rules engines plugged into the interface, to determine the processing or routing of the particular task to the human users.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the interface is a service component architecture (SCA) interface.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein one or more of the external business rules engines are business process engines.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the business rules provided by the business rules engines are used to specify the patterns in a human workflow.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the external business rules engines, and the patterns they specify, control the workflow process to the extent of determining which human users should be assigned to which tasks, and the routing thereof.

11. A computer readable medium, including instructions stored thereon, which when read and executed by a computer cause the computer to perform the steps comprising:

executing a workflow process, wherein the workflow process generates tasks for assignment to human users;

providing an interface that allows for the plugin of one or more external business rules engines;

parsing a plurality of tasks defined by the workflow process;

receiving information from an external business rules engine as to how one or more of the task should be processed or routed, according to patterns specified by the external business rules engine; and

during execution of the workflow process in executing a particular task, accessing any rules engines plugged into the interface, to determine the processing or routing of the particular task to the human users.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the interface is a service component architecture (SCA) interface.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein one or more of the external business rules engines are business process engines.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the business rules provided by the business rules engines are used to specify the patterns in a human workflow.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the external business rules engines, and the patterns they specify, control the workflow process to the extent of determining which human users should be assigned to which tasks, and the routing thereof.