Apparatus and system for managing work flow, and computer-readable storage medium for storing work flow management program

• US 6,493,675 B1
• Filed: 11/13/1998
• Issued: 12/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Ikeda, Junji, Hara, Hirotaka, Kanaya, Nobuyuki, Ebata, Tsuyoshi, Akamatsu, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Elisca, Pierre E.
• Application Number:
  US09/191,128
• Time in Patent Office: 1,488 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7, 705/8, 705/9, 705/10, 705/11, 705/12, 700/99, 700/100, 700/102
• US Class Current: 705/7.26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0633 Workflow analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A system for managing a work flow functions efficiently at a high speed. To attain this, the system includes a plurality of work flow support units, and a work flow support unit management unit. The work flow support unit management unit determines which work flow support unit is to manage a work flow. At this time, the work flow support unit management unit refers to the load condition of each work flow support unit to instruct the work flow support unit indicating the smallest load state to manage work flows, thereby preventing the process load from concentrating on a specific work flow support unit.

Claims

1. A system having a main server and a home server, a user belonging only to the home server, for managing a series of operations according to a predefined work flow, and supporting a process of the series of operations performed by a plurality of users, said system comprising:

said main server to generate work information about a next operation after a current operation according to the work flow, work information about the current operation, and process information, which is not received directly from the user but only from said home server, about the operations performed by the user, and transfers work information about the next operation to the home server to which a user in charge of the next operation belongs,

said home server to store the work information, which is generated only at said main server and which is transferred from said main server, provides the work information for each user in charge of the operation, and transmits process information about the operation only to said main server,

wherein said home server does not generate and does not transfer the work information.

2. A system having a main server and home servers, users belonging only to the home servers, for managing a series of operations according to a predefined work flow, and supporting a process of the series of operations performed by a plurality of users, said system comprising:

a main server, said main server comprising

a work flow definition storage unit to store a definition of the work flow;

a first work information storage unit to store work information necessary to perform the series of operations;

a user information management unit to manage user information indicating a home server to which a user belongs; and

a work flow support unit to generate work information about a next operation in the work flow based on the work flow stored in said work flow definition storage unit, the work information stored in said first work information storage unit, and process information, which is not received directly from the user but only from said home server, about an operation performed by a user belonging only to the home server, and transferring work information about the next operation to a home server to which a user in charge of the next operation belongs according to the user information stored in said user information management unit; and

a home server, said home server comprising

a second work information storage unit to store work information, which is generated only at said main server and which is transferred from said main server;

a work information providing unit to provide each user with work information, stored in said second work information storage unit, about an operation which the user takes charge of; and

a work process information transmission unit to transmit process information about the operation performed by the user only to the main server,

wherein said home server does not comprise said workflow support unit which said main server comprises.

3. The system according to claim 2 wherein:

said main server comprises a plurality of said work flow support units;

each of said work flow support units comprises said work flow definition storage unit and said first work information storage unit; and

said main server further comprises a work flow support unit management unit to manage said work flow support unit such that process loads of said work flow support unit can be averaged.

4. The system according to claim 2 wherein:

a plurality of users can take charge of one of a series of operations in the work flow; and

said home server further comprises a work exclusive control unit to reject, after a user belonging to the home server starts the operation which the user takes charge, a start of the operation by another user in charge of the operation.

5. The system according to claim 2 wherein:

said home server further comprises a new work information providing unit to generate work information necessary to perform a first operation of the series of operations in the work flow at a request from a user belonging to the home server, and to provide the generated information for the user.

6. The system according to claim 2 wherein:

said home server further comprises;

a secondary work flow definition storage unit to store a definition of a work flow similar to the definition stored in said work flow definition storage unit in said main server;

a next operation detection unit to detect a user in charge of a next operation after an operation performed by a user belonging to the home server from the definition of the work flow stored in said secondary work flow definition storage unit, and instructing the main server to stop transferring the work information about the next operation when the user who performs the operation is the detected user in charge of the next operation, and

a work flow support unit of said main server stops transferring the work information about the next operation at an instruction to stop transferring the work information from said main server.

7. The system according to claim 2 wherein:

said main server further comprises;

a work history retrieval instruction unit to instruct said home server to which a specific user belongs to retrieve a history of the work performed by the specific user, and

said home server comprises;

a work history management unit to manage the history of the operation performed by the user belonging to the home server; and

a work history retrieval unit to retrieve the history of the operation performed by the specific user from the histories of the operations managed by said work history management unit.

8. A main server in a system having the main server and a home server, a user belonging only to the home server, for managing a series of operations based on a predefined work flow and supporting the process of the series of operations to be performed among a plurality of users wherein:

said main server generates work information about a next operation according to the work flow, the work information about the operations, and process information, which is not received directly from the user but only from the home server, about the operations performed by the user, and transfers the work information to a home server to which a user in charge of the next operation belongs,

wherein the home server does not generate and does not transfer the work information.

9. A main server in a work flow management system having the main server and a home server, a user belonging only to the home server, for managing a series of operations based on a predefined work flow and supporting the process of the series of operations to be performed among a plurality of users, comprising:

a work flow definition storage unit to store a definition of the work flow;

a first work information storage unit to store work information necessary to perform the series of operations;

a user information management unit to manage user information indicating a home server to which a user belongs; and

a work flow support unit to generate work information about a next operation in the work flow based on the work flow stored in said work flow definition storage unit, the work information stored in said first work information storage unit, and process information, which is not received directly from the user but only from the home server, about an operation performed by a user belonging to the home server, and transferring work information about the next operation to a home server to which a user in charge of the next operation belongs according to the user information stored in said user information management unit,

wherein said home server does not comprise said workflow support unit which said main server comprises.

10. The main server according to claim 9 wherein:

said main server comprises a plurality of said work flow support units;

each of said work flow support units comprises said work flow definition storage unit and said first work information storage unit; and

said main server further comprises a work flow support unit management unit to manage said work flow support unit such that process loads of said work flow support unit can be averaged.

11. A work flow management system comprising:

a main server; and

a home server, a user belonging only to the home server, for managing a series of operations based on a predefined work flow and supporting the process of the series of operations to be performed among a plurality of users, wherein said home server stores work information, which is generated only at said main server and which is transferred from said main server, provides the work information for each user in charge of the operation, and transmits process information about the operation to said main server,

wherein the process information is not received directly from the user but only from the home server, and said home server does not generate and does not transfer the work information.

12. A work flow management system comprising:

a main server; and

a home server, a user belonging only to the home server, for managing a series of operations based on a predefined work flow and supporting the process of the series of operations to be performed among a plurality of users, said home server comprising

a second work information storage unit to store work information required to perform the operations, the work information of which is generated at said main server and which is transferred from said main server;

a work information providing unit to provide each user with work information, stored in said second work information storage unit, about an operation which the user takes charge of; and

a work process information transmission unit to transmit process information about the operation performed by the user, the process information not being received directly from the user but only from the home server,

wherein said home server does not generate and does not transfer the work information.

13. A computer-readable storage medium storing a main server program for directing a computer to perform functions of a main server used in a work flow management system having the main server and a home server, a user belonging only to the home server, for managing a series of operations according to a predefined work flow, and supporting a process of the series of operations performed by a plurality of users wherein the main server program directs the computer to perform:

a work flow definition storing step for storing a definition of the work flow;

a work information storing step for storing work information necessary to perform the series of operations;

a user information managing step for managing user information indicating a home server to which a user belongs; and

a work flow supporting step for generating work information about a next operation in the work flow based on a definition of the work flow, the work information, and process information, not received directly from the user but only from the home server, about an operation performed by a user belonging to the home server, and transferring work information, which is transmitted only from said home server, about the next operation to a home server to which a user in charge of the next operation belongs according to the user information,

wherein the home server does not generate and does not transfer the work information.

14. A computer-readable storage medium storing a home server program for directing a computer to perform functions of a home server used in a work flow management system having a main server and the home server, a user belonging only to the home server, for managing a series of operations according to a predefined work flow, and supporting a process of the series of operations performed by a plurality of users wherein the home server program directs the computer to perform:

a work information storing step for storing work information required to perform the operations, the work information of which is generated at said main server and which is transferred from said main server;

a work information providing step for providing each user with work information about an operation which the user takes charge of; and

a work process information transmitting step for transmitting process information, not received directly from the user but only from said home server, about the operation performed by the user to the main server, wherein said home server does not generate or transfer the work information.

15. A main server in a work flow management system having the main server and a home server, a user belonging only to the home server, for managing a series of operations based on a predefined work flow and supporting the process of the series of operations to be performed among a plurality of users, comprising:

work flow definition storage means for storing a definition of the work flow;

first work information storage means for storing work information necessary to perform the series of operations;

user information management means for managing user information indicating a home server to which a user belongs; and

work flow support means for generating work information about a next operation in the work flow based on the work flow stored in said work flow definition storage means, the work information stored in said first work information storage means, and process information, which is not received directly from the user but only from the home server, about an operation performed by a user belonging to the home server, and transferring work information about the next operation to a home server to which a user in charge of the next operation belongs according to the user information stored in said user information management means,

wherein the home server does not generate and does not transfer the work information.

16. A home server in a work flow management system having a main server and the home server, a user belonging only to the home server, for managing a series of operations based on a predefined work flow and supporting the process of the series of operations to be performed among a plurality of users, comprising:

second work information storage means for storing work information required to perform the operations, the work information of which is generated at said main server and which is and transferred from said main server;

work information providing means for providing each user with work information, stored in said second work information storage means, about an operation which the user takes charge of; and

work process information transmission means for transmitting process information not received directly from the user but only from the home server about the operation performed by the user to the main server,

wherein said home server does not generate and does not transfer the work information.