WORKFLOW SCHEDULING AND OPTIMIZATION TOOLS

• US 20170337492A1
• Filed: 05/20/2016
• Published: 11/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, David S.C., Chou, Kuo-Liang, Lin, June-Ray, Tseng, Pohsun, Wang, Der-Joung
• Granted Patent: US 11,816,616 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0633 Workflow analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

Computing systems, methods and management tools for scheduling, optimizing and completing a dynamically adjustable workflow process. The computing systems, methods and management tools being capable of evaluating the availability of resources available for completing the workflow process and ascertaining the reliability of the resources in order to pre-generate a workflow process schedule. The computing systems, methods and management tools are further able to communicate with the assigned resources to incrementally negotiate and receive approval for proposed improvements to the pre-generated workflow schedule prior to implementation of the workflow schedule in order to optimize the cycle time of the process and increase probability of successfully completing the workflow process. The computing systems, methods and management tools may dynamically track the due dates for completing particular tasks and generate amended workflow process schedules in the event a failure occurs.

Claims

1. A method for scheduling and optimizing completion of a workflow process comprising the steps of:

creating, by a processor of a computing system, the workflow process comprising a plurality of tasks;

organizing, by the processor, task service data for plurality of tasks of the workflow process into a tiered hierarchy as a function of one or more dependencies for completing each task of the plurality of tasks;

retrieving, by the processor, calendar service data of each task candidate;

generating, by the processor, a workflow process schedule as a function of the calendar service data and the task service data, wherein the workflow process schedule includes due dates for each task assigned to each task candidate; and

negotiating, by the processor, an improved workflow process schedule having at least one improved parameter over the workflow process schedule.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the tiered hierarchy of the task service data comprises a first task and a second task received by the processor from a task retrieval agent, wherein completion of the second task is dependent upon completion of the first task.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein instructions for performing the retrieving step, by the processor, is provided by a workflow task routing protocol comprising a calendar retrieval agent, instructing the processor to retrieve the calendar service data from a calendar service.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the calendar service data includes scheduling information further indicating an availability of each task candidate to perform an assigned task of the plurality of tasks.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating the workflow process schedule comprises:

comparing, by the processor, the calendar service data and task service data with each task candidate;

evaluating, by the processor, each task candidate available to perform each task of the workflow process based on the task candidate'"'"'s availability as a function of the comparing step and a reliability score of each candidate;

selecting, by the processor, a scheduling solution for completing the workflow process, wherein the scheduling solution selects each candidate for each task as function of the evaluating step, wherein function of selecting a scheduling solution is an optimization of availability and reliability of each task candidate;

assigning, by the processor, the due dates for completing each task in the tiered hierarchy to each task candidate; and

notifying, by the processor, each task candidate of the due dates of each assigned tasks.

6. The method of claim 1, where the step of negotiating, by the processor comprises the steps of:

calculating, by the processor, the improved workflow process schedule having at least one improved parameter;

proposing, by the processor, an amendment to the calendar service data of a task candidate;

receiving, by the processor, an acceptance of the amendment to the calendar service data; and

updating, by the processor, the calendar service data to reflect the amendment to the calendar service data.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one improved parameter includes a reduced workflow cycle time or an increased success rate of the workflow process.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing at least one support service for at least one of creating, integrating, hosting, maintaining, and deploying computer-readable program code in a computer system, where the computer-readable program code in combination with the computer system is configured to implement the steps of receiving, identifying, generating, calculating, computing, transmitting, receiving and comparing.

9. A computer program product, comprising:

one or more computer readable hardware storage devices having computer readable program code stored therein, said program code containing instructions executable by the one or more computer processors to implement a method for scheduling and optimizing completion of a workflow process comprising the steps of;

creating, by a processor, the workflow process having a plurality of tasks;

organizing, by the processor, each task of the workflow process into a tiered hierarchy as a function of one or more dependencies for completing each task;

retrieving, by the processor, calendar service data of each task candidate;

generating, by the processor, a workflow process schedule as a function of the calendar service data and the tiered hierarchy, wherein the workflow process schedule includes due dates for each task assigned to each task candidate; and

negotiating, by the processor, an improved workflow process schedule having at least one improved parameter over the workflow process schedule.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the tiered hierarchy comprises a first task and a second task received by the processor from a task retrieval agent, wherein completion of the second task is dependent upon completion of the first task.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein during the retrieving step, the processor, receives the calendar service data from a calendar retrieval agent.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the calendar service data includes scheduling information further indicating an availability of each task candidate to perform an assigned task of the plurality of tasks.

13. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the step of generating the workflow process schedule comprises:

comparing, the calendar service data for each task candidate;

evaluating, by the processor, each task candidate available to perform each task of the workflow process based on the task candidate'"'"'s availability as a function of the comparing step and a reliability score of each candidate;

selecting, by the processor, a scheduling solution for completing the workflow process, wherein the scheduling solution selects each candidate for each task as function of the evaluating step, wherein function of selecting a scheduling solution is an optimization of availability and reliability of each task candidate;

assigning, by the processor, the due dates for completing each task in the tiered hierarchy to each task candidate; and

notifying, by the processor, each candidate of the due dates of each assigned task.

14. The computer program product of claim 9, where the step of negotiating, by the processor comprises the steps of:

calculating, by the processor, the improved workflow process schedule having at least one improved parameter;

proposing, by the processor, an amendment to the calendar service data of a task candidate;

receiving, by the processor, an acceptance of the amendment to the calendar service data; and

updating, by the processor, the calendar service data to reflect the amendment to the calendar service data.

15. A computer system, comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more memories coupled to the one or more computer processors; and

one or more computer readable storage devices coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the one or more storage devices contains program code executable by the one or more processors via one or more memories to implement a method for scheduling and optimizing completion of a workflow process comprising the steps of;

creating, by the one or more processors, the workflow process having a plurality of tasks;

organizing, by the one or more processors, each task of the workflow process into a tiered hierarchy as a function of one or more dependencies for completing each task;

retrieving, by the one or more processors, calendar service data of each task candidate;

generating, by the one or more processors, a workflow process schedule as a function of the calendar service data and the tiered hierarchy, wherein the workflow process schedule includes due dates for each task assigned to each task candidate; and

negotiating, by the one or more processors, an improved workflow process schedule having at least one improved parameter over the workflow process schedule.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the tiered hierarchy comprises a first task and a second task received by the one or more processors from a task retrieval agent and completion of the second task is dependent upon completion of the first task.

17. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the at least one improved parameter includes a reduced workflow cycle time or an increased success rate of the workflow process.

18. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the calendar service data includes scheduling information further indicating an availability of each task candidate to perform an assigned task of the plurality of tasks.

19. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the step of generating the workflow process schedule comprises:

comparing, the calendar service data for each task candidate;

evaluating, by the processor, each task candidate available to perform each task of the workflow process based on the task candidate'"'"'s availability as a function of the comparing step and a reliability score of each candidate;

selecting, by the processor, a scheduling solution for completing the workflow process, wherein the scheduling solution selects each candidate for each task as function of the evaluating step, wherein function of selecting a scheduling solution is an optimization of availability and reliability of each task candidate;

assigning, by the processor, the due dates for completing each task in the tiered hierarchy to each task candidate; and

notifying, by the processor, each candidate of the due dates of each assigned task.

20. The computer system of claim 15, where the step of negotiating, by the processor comprises the steps of:

calculating, by the processor, the improved workflow process schedule having at least one improved parameter;

proposing, by the processor, an amendment to the calendar service data of a task candidate;

receiving, by the processor, an acceptance of the amendment to the calendar service data; and

updating, by the processor, the calendar service data to reflect the amendment to the calendar service data.