WORKFLOW TASK ROUTING BASED ON CARDINALITY OF TASK DATA

• US 20110282829A1
• Filed: 05/14/2010
• Published: 11/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Rangaswamy, Ravi, Stallard, Will, Lam, David C.
• Application Number:
  US12/780,348
• Publication Number:
  US 20110282829A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/608
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management

Abstract

A system and method for workflow task routing based on cardinality of task data, or the structure of elements in a business object associated with a task. In accordance with an embodiment, a system such as a human workflow system, that allows for the definition of human workflow tasks, can include a forEach construct within a human task routing definition and a payload. In scenarios that require a plurality of task of similar type be undertaken, such as a purchase order approval involving a plurality of items and potentially different approvers, the system allows for modeling a separate routing for each of those task items (e.g. the lines in the purchase order). In each of the branches of the forEach construct, complex routing patterns, such as parallel routing, can be used. The forEach construct allows creating of looping constructs at any level deep.

Claims

1. A system for workflow task routing based on cardinality of task data, 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, wherein each of the tasks has a payload data, and a collection identifier, associated therewith, and wherein a collection includes a plurality of task elements;

a graphical user interface for use by a process designer in defining that the collection with the payload data should be processed in a for-each manner; and

wherein a the workflow process executes a particular task that includes collections, the system processes the payload in a for-each manner, including processing each of the task elements in the collection using its own routing.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the payload can have a plurality of collections.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the collection includes a plurality of line items.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein each task item in the collection can be processed and routed in parallel.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein collections and for-each routings can be nested.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the payload can have a plurality of collections.

6. A method for workflow task routing based on cardinality of task data, comprising the steps of:

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

specifying a plurality of tasks defined by the workflow process, wherein each of the tasks has a payload data, and a collection identifier, associated therewith, and wherein a collection includes a plurality of task elements;

parsing a definition of the collection that indicates the payload data should be processed in a for-each manner; and

during the execution of a particular task that includes collections, processing the payload in a for-each manner, including processing each of the task elements in the collection using its own routing.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the collection includes a plurality of line items.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein each task item in the collection can be processed and routed in parallel.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein collections and for-each routings can be nested.

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;

specifying a plurality of tasks defined by the workflow process, wherein each of the tasks has a payload data, and a collection identifier, associated therewith, and wherein a collection includes a plurality of task elements;

parsing a definition of the collection that indicates the payload data should be processed in a for-each manner; and

during the execution of a particular task that includes collections, processing the payload in a for-each manner, including processing each of the task elements in the collection using its own routing.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the payload can have a plurality of collections.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the collection includes a plurality of line items.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein each task item in the collection can be processed and routed in parallel.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein collections and for-each routings can be nested.