Flexible infrastructure for managing a process

• US 6,892,376 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2001
• Issued: 05/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: McDonald, John T., Petherbridge, Philip E.
• Primary Examiner(s): INGBERG, TODD D
• Application Number:
  US09/814,043
• Publication Number:
  US 20040015818A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,512 Days
• Field of Search: 717/103, 717/101, 705/8, 705/9, 709/201
• US Class Current: 717/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management

Abstract

This invention relates to providing a flexible infrastructure for managing a process. This is done by defining a workflow type, building a workflow pointer that defines the location of a database within a network, and coding subforms for the defined workflow type. Role documents are defined and customized, process flow documents are built for the defined workflow type, and action control documents are built for determining what happens to the defined workflow type.

Claims

1. A method of providing a flexible infrastructure for managing a process, comprising:

defining a workflow type;

building a workflow pointer that defines the location of a database within a network, said database including a set of database templates, and said database template including defined features;

coding subforms for the defined workflow type;

displaying the subforms to application users;

accessing the database templates to build a set of documents, including

i) defining and customizing role documents,

ii) building process flow documents for the defined workflow type, and

iii) building action control documents for determining what happens to the defined workflow type; and

running a set of agents to generate files that map application defined workflows into pages and actions that can be called and execute; and

wherein the method is administratively maintained through a single point of control.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of defining the workflow type includes the step of building a set of keyword documents into the database that uniquely identify the workflow type.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of defining and customizing role documents includes the step of building a set of role definition keywords and role documents that control the workflow type.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the defined workflow type uses the process flow documents to determine what action a given user may perform within a given workflow document.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the action control document run is defined by the process flow documents.

6. A method according to claim 1, comprising the further steps of:

a user accessing a development shell; and

the development shell then using a Determine Action Agent to gain control and to query a Status Action View to determine what actions the user is authorized to take.

7. A method according to claim 6, comprising the further steps of:

the user selecting one of said actions;

routing control to a Take Action Agent; and

using the Take Action Agent to process the selected action and return control to the user.

8. A method according to claim 7, for modifying a given workflow having computer code, and wherein the role documents, the process flow documents and the action control documents enable the given workflow to be modified without changing any of the code.

9. A system for providing a flexible infrastructure for managing a process, comprising:

means for defining a workflow type;

a database including a set of database templates, said database templates including defined features;

means for building a workflow pointer that defines the location of the database within a network;

means for coding subforms for the defined workflow type;

means for displaying the subforms to application users;

means for accessing the database templates to build a set of documents, including

i) means for defining and customizing role documents,

ii) means for building process flow documents for the defined workflow type, and

iii) means for building action control documents for determining what happens to the defined workflow type; and

means for running a set of agents to generate files that map application defined workflows into pages and actions that can be called and executed; and

wherein the system is administratively maintained through a single point of control.

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein the means for defining the workflow type includes means for building a set of keyword documents into the database that uniquely identify the workflow type.

11. A system according to claim 9, wherein the means for defining and customizing role documents includes means for building a set of role definition keywords and role documents that control the workflow type.

12. A system according to claim 9, wherein the defined workflow type uses the process flow documents to determine what action a given user may perform within a given workflow document.

13. A system according to claim 9, wherein the action control document run is defined by the process flow documents.

14. A program storage device readable by machine and tangibly embodying a set of instructions for the machine to perform method steps for providing a flexible infrastructure for managing a process, said method steps comprising:

defining a workflow type;

building a workflow pointer that defines the location of a database within a network, said database including a set of database templates, and said database templates including defined features;

coding subforms for the defined workflow type;

displaying the subforms to application users;

accessing the database templates to build a set of documents, including

i) defining and customizing role documents;

ii) building process flow documents for the defined workflow type, and

iii) building action control documents for determining what happens to the defined workflow type; and

running a set of agents to generate files that map application defined workflows into pages and actions that can be called and executed; and

wherein the method steps are administratively maintained through a single point of control.

15. A program storage device according to claim 14, wherein the step of defining the workflow type includes the step of building a set of keyword documents into the database that uniquely identify the workflow type.

16. A program storage device according to claim 14, wherein the step of defining and customizing role documents includes the step of building a set of role definition keywords and role documents that control the workflow type.

17. A program storage device according to claim 14, wherein the defined workflow type uses the process flow documents to determine what action a given user may perform within a given workflow document.

18. A program storage device according to claim 14, wherein the action control document run is defined by the process flow documents.