Computerized method and system for managing business processes using linked workflows

• US 6,073,109 A
• Filed: 12/12/1996
• Issued: 06/06/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Action Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Action Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Flores, Rodrigo F., Wong, Harry K. T., Icaza, Raul Medina-Mora, Gift, Roy I., McAfee, John A., Nunez, Manuel Jasso, Buchler, Thomas G., White, Thomas E., Redenbaugh, Russell G., Flores, Fernando, Saldivar, Juan Ludlow, Bell, III, Chauncey F., Winograd, Terry A., Flores, Pablo A., Dunham, Robert P.
• Primary Examiner(s): HOMERE, JEAN RAYMOND
• Application Number:
  US08/764,131
• Time in Patent Office: 1,272 Days
• Field of Search: 395/209, 395/228, 395/377, 395/200.33, 395/200.35, 395/200.49, 707/10, 707/3, 705/8
• US Class Current: 705/7.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A system for analyzing and structuring business processes implemented in software to provides businesses with tools to manage business processes. The system i) notifies the user that he or she has a step to begin or to complete; ii) provides the user with the proper tools to complete a task; iii) provides the user with the proper information to complete a task; iv) allows the user to see where a task fits in the overall process; v) manages proper reminders, alerts, and follow-ups to keep the process moving; vi) automates certain standard procedures; vii) integrates with the organization'"'"'s existing business systems; and viii) provides application program interfaces that allow developers to develop applications that are workflow-enabled. The system utilizes a workflow server including a transactions manager and a database.

Claims

1. A computer system for managing a plurality of business processes, each business process having a business process definition with a plurality of linked workflows, each workflow having a corresponding workflow definition, said workflow definition representing commitments that a user having a predetermined role makes and completes to satisfy a customer of the workflow comprising:

a) workflow server means for providing services to workflow enabled applications that allow users to act taking one of a plurality of available acts defined in one of said business processes, said workflow server means including a transaction manager providing for each of said business processes;

transaction services for

1. receiving instructions to initiate and initiating workflows of said business processes;

2. taking actions in said workflow initiated business processes;

3. updating and maintaining workflow status after each act is taken in each of said initiated workflows of said business process and keeping track of pending workflow activities, wherein said taken act is one of an act of a user and an act automatically taken by the transaction manager based on said business process definition and said workflow definition of a predetermined one of said workflows of said business process, wherein said workflow status represents all acts that are pending for said user having a predetermined role in said initiated workflow;

4. making available to said workflow enabled applications available business processes that a predetermined one of said workflow enabled applications can initiate and specifying available acts that a user of said predetermined workflow enabled application can take in each of the initiated workflows of each of the available business processes;

b) database means for storing records of business process transactions.

2. The system defined by claim 1 wherein said database means is for storing records of the date and time when a business process must be initiated.

3. The system defined by claim 1 wherein said database means is for storing configuration information used by the workflow server means.

4. The system defined by claim 1 wherein said database means is for storing notifications to be sent to users that interact with the workflow system through a standard transaction format processor interface.

5. The system defined by claim 1 further comprising application program interface means for providing an interface to the server means to enable workflow enabled applications to obtain access to the services provided by the server means.

6. The system defined by claim 1 wherein said workflow server means provides transaction services for binding application specific data to a workflow transaction.

7. The system defined by claim 1 wherein said business process includes a plurality of workflows with workflow links coupling predetermined ones of said plurality of workflows and said workflow server means provides definitions services for defining elements of a business process, its workflows and workflow links.

8. The system defined by claim 1 wherein said workflow server means provides definitions services for defining structures for the workflows of a business process.

9. The system defined by claim 1 wherein said workflow server means provides names and routing services for defining roles, defining assignments, defining identities and defining the assignment of identities to roles.

10. The system defined by claim 1 wherein said workflow server means provides configuration services for defining a network configuration of the workflow system, the version of the server means, registering standard transaction format processors, defining users and roles, specifying a log database and a level of logging required.

11. The system defined by claim 1 wherein said workflow server means provides scheduling services for allowing an authorized user to create, modify and delete records of scheduled business processes.

12. The system defined by claim 1 further comprising means for updating the workflow server databases as an interface to the server means to enable workflow enabled applications to obtain access to services provided by the server means.

13. The system defined by claim 1 wherein a predetermined workflow script is executed when at least one of i) an act is taken by an individual;

ii) an act is taken by the system; and

iii) a workflow entering a predetermined state occurs,

said predetermined workflow script being part of said business process definition.

19. The system defined by claim 1 further comprising a schedule manager providing schedule services fordetermining which business processes are due to be initiated;

2. sending instructions to said transaction manager to initiate said determined business processes.

20. The system defined by claim 1 further comprising a follow-up manager providing follow-up services for:

1. determining when follow-up or reminder notifications are to be sent to a user;

2. sending said notifications.

14. A computer system for managing business processes, each business process including a plurality of linked workflows, by providing services that allow designers to analyze and design business processes and applications comprising:

a) workflow server means for providing;

i) definitions services for;

15. defining elements of a business process, its workflows and workflow links;

2. defining structures for the workflows of the business process;

ii) names and routing services for;

1. defining at least two roles associated with each of the workflows;

2. defining identities associated with said defined roles;

b) database means for storing records of;

i) definitions of an organization, business processes of the organization, workflows of the business processes, said roles and acts associated with the workflows;

ii) the defined roles and defined identities within an organization utilizing the workflow system.

17. The system defined by claim 15 wherein said database means is further for storing records of incompletions.

16. A computer system for managing business processes, each business process including a plurality of linked workflows, comprising:

a) workflow server means for providing services to workflow enabled applications that allow users to act and participate in said business processes, said workflow server means including a transaction manager, said transaction manager providing;

transaction services for

1. receiving requests for new workflows and initiating the requested new workflows;

2. taking actions in workflows initiated by said transaction services of said workflow server means;

3. updating and maintaining workflow status after each act of a user is taken in a predetermined one of said initiated workflows and keeping track of pending workflow activities;

4. making available to said workflow enabled applications available business processes that a predetermined one of said workflow enabled applications can initiate;

b) database means for storing records of;

i) definitions of an organization, business processes of the organization, workflows of the business processes, roles and acts associated with the workflows, said workflow definitions representing commitments that users having predetermined roles make and complete to satisfy customers of the workflows;

ii) workflow transactions;

iii) the defined roles and defined identities of customers, performers and observers utilizing the workflow system.

18. A computer implemented method for managing a plurality of business processes, each business process having a business process definition with a plurality of linked workflows, each workflow having a corresponding workflow definition, said workflow definition representing commitments that a user having a predetermined role makes and completes to satisfy a customer of the workflow, said method comprising the steps of:

a) providing services to workflow enabled applications that allow users to act taking one of a plurality of available acts defined in one of said business processes, said workflow server means including a transaction manager providing for each of said business processes transaction services for

1. receiving instructions to initiate and initiating workflows of said business processes;

2. taking actions in said workflow initiated business processes;

3. updating and maintaining workflow status after each act is taken in each of said initiated workflows of said business process and keeping track of pending workflow activities, wherein said taken act is one of an act of a user and an act automatically taken by the transaction manager based on said business process definition and said workflow definition of a predetermined one of said workflows of said business process, wherein said workflow status represents all acts that are pending for said user having a predetermined role in said initiated workflow;

4. making available to said workflow enabled applications available business processes that a predetermined one of said workflow enabled applications can initiate and specifying available acts that a user of said predetermined workflow enabled application can take in each of the initiated workflows of each of the available business processes;

b) storing records of business process transactions.