System and method for managing processes

• US 6,678,716 B1
• Filed: 06/19/2000
• Issued: 01/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: J D Edwards World Source Company
• Inventors: Solimene, Vito John, Stumpf, Garry Wayne, Pronsati, Paul Louis Jr., Peterson, Merrill Eugene II
• Primary Examiner(s): Barot, Bharat
• Application Number:
  US09/596,765
• Time in Patent Office: 1,303 Days
• Field of Search: 709/310, 709/201-202, 709/205-206, 709/208, 709/100-103, 709/106-107, 710/5-7, 710/58, 714/38
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06312 Adjustment or analysis of established resource schedule, e.g. resource or task levelling, or dynamic rescheduling

Abstract

The process management system includes task information indicative of tasks that define process steps for a group of processes. The task information defines the steps as software events and as non-software events. The system further includes task relationship information indicative of a relationship between the tasks to define the processes, and application information defining the software events. A user interface displays the tasks and enables the selection of the tasks. The processes are completed by selecting the tasks associated with a particular process and executing the software events and the non-software events corresponding to the selected tasks.

Claims

1. A system for managing a group of processes having a plurality of process steps, comprising:

storage means for maintaining task property information indicative of a plurality of tasks to define the process steps, wherein the task information defines the process steps as software events and as non-software events;

said storage means further maintains task relationship information indicative of a relationship between said tasks to define each one of the processes, and also maintains application information defining said software events; and

interface means for displaying said tasks and for enabling the selection of said tasks;

wherein a desired one of the processes can be completed by selecting said tasks associated with said desired process and executing said software events and said non-software events corresponding to said selected tasks.

2. A system according to claim 1, further including a process management means for modifying said task property information and said task relationship information for said tasks to enable each one of said tasks to be adapted for use in more than one of the processes.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein said task relationship information identifies a parent task and a corresponding child task for the desired process, and said storage means further maintains activator information for identifying said parent task, further comprising director means responsive to the selection of said parent task for enabling the sequential execution of said software event and said non-software event corresponding to said child task to complete the desired process.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein said storage means further maintains qualifier rule information, and further comprising a rough cut means for enabling and disabling said tasks according to said qualifier rule information to limit the display of said tasks to an available subset of said tasks.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein said qualifier rule information includes question information corresponding to an answer assigned to each one of said tasks, and said rough cut means being responsive to said assigned answer to enable only said tasks with said assigned answer to be included in said available subset of said tasks.

6. A system according to claim 4, further including fine cut means for selectively enabling and disabling said subset of said task to enable said subset of said tasks to be further reduced.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein said task relationship information includes task view information indicative of a task view to identify the processes associated with said task view, and said interface means being responsive to said task view information for displaying only said tasks associated with the processes of said task view.

8. A system according to claim 7, further including a task relationship editor for modifying said task relationship information corresponding to said tasks.

9. A system according to claim 7, further including role information identifying a subset of the processes associated with said task view, and said interface means being responsive to said role information for displaying only said tasks associated with said subset of the processes.

10. A system according to claim 1, wherein said task relationship information further includes link information identifying a process related to said desired task, and said interface means being responsive to said selection of said desired task for enabling the display of said related process and for enabling the launching of said desired task.

11. A system according to claim 1, wherein said interface means further displays a link window identifying said related process and for enabling the execution of said related process from said link window.

12. A system according to claim 1, wherein said storage means further maintains documentation information corresponding to said tasks, and said interface means being responsive to said selection of said tasks to display said documentation information corresponding to said tasks.

13. A system according to claim 12, wherein said documentation information includes category information identifying a category associated with said tasks, and said interface means initially determines if said desired task has documentation and subsequently determines if a higher level node has documentation for that category.

14. A system according to claim 12, further including a documentation editor for modifying said documentation information.

15. A system according to claim 1, said storage means further maintaining home page information indicative of a home page interface, and further including an HTML editing tool for customizing said home page information, wherein the customized home page information is available for access by a group of enterprise users.

16. A method for managing a group of processes having a plurality of process steps, comprising:

maintaining task property information indicative of a plurality of tasks to define the process steps, wherein the task property information defines the process steps as software events and as non-software events;

maintaining task relationship information indicative of a relationship between said tasks to define each one of the processes, and maintaining application information defining said software events;

displaying said tasks to enable the selection of said tasks; and

selecting said tasks associated with said desired process and executing said software events and said non-software events corresponding to said selected tasks.

17. A method according to claim 16, further including modifying said task property information and said task relationship information to enable each one of said tasks to be adapted for use in more than one of the processes.

18. A method according to claim 16, further including identifying a parent task and a child task for the desired process, maintaining activator information to identify an activator task, and enabling the sequential execution of said software events and said non-software events corresponding to said child task to complete the desired process.

19. A method according to claim 16, further including maintaining qualifier rule information, and enabling and disabling said tasks according to said qualifier rule information to limit the display of said tasks to an available subset of said tasks.

20. A method according to claim 19, further including identifying question information corresponding to an answer assigned to each one of said tasks, and enabling only said tasks with said assigned answer to be included in said available subset of said tasks.

21. A method according to claim 19, further including selectively enabling and disabling said subset of said tasks to enable said subset of said tasks to be further reduced.

22. A method according to claim 16, further including identifying the processes associated with said task view, and displaying only said tasks associated with the processes of said task view.

23. A method according to claim 22, further including modifying said task relationship information corresponding to said tasks.

24. A method according to claim 22, further including identifying a subset of the processes associated with said task view, and displaying only said tasks associated with said subset of the processes.

25. A method according to claim 16, further including identifying a process related to said desired task, and enabling both the display of said related process and the launching of said desired task.

26. A method according to claim 16, further including identifying said related process in a link window and enabling the execution of said related process from said link window.

27. A method according to claim 16, further including maintaining documentation information corresponding to said tasks, and displaying said documentation information corresponding to said tasks when said task is selected.

28. A method according to claim 27, further including identifying a category associated with said tasks, and initially determining if said desired task has documentation within said category and subsequently determining if a higher level node has documentation for that category.

29. A method according to claim 27, further including modifying said documentation information.

30. A method according to claim 16, further including maintaining home page information indicative of a home page interface, customizing said home page information with an HTML editing tool, and making said customized home page information available for access by a group of enterprise users.