Methods and systems for integrating process modeling and project planning
First Claim
1. A method in a data processing system having a workflow comprising a plurality of activities, wherein each of the activities has a duration, and wherein a predecessor one of the plurality of activities occurs before a successor one of the plurality of activities, the method comprising the steps of:
- creating a plan from the workflow, wherein the step of creating the plan comprises the steps of;
creating a predecessor task from the predecessor activity, wherein the step of creating the predecessor task comprises steps of;
receiving an indication of a predecessor start time for the predecessor task;
setting a predecessor end time for the predecessor task equal to the predecessor duration after the predecessor start time; and
receiving user input indicating a predecessor resource assigned to the predecessor task; and
creating a successor task from the successor activity, wherein the step of creating the successor task comprises the steps;
setting a successor start time equal to the predecessor end time;
setting a successor end time equal to the successor duration after the successor start time; and
receiving user input indicating a successor resource assigned to the successor task;
receiving an indication to activate the plan;
activating the plan; and
monitoring the activated plan, wherein the step of monitoring the activated plan comprises the steps of;
notifying the predecessor resource to begin the task at the predecessor start time;
determining when the predecessor task has completed; and
when it is determined that the predecessor task has completed, notifying the successor resource to begin the successor task.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and system consistent with the present invention provide a workflow modeling and project planning integration tool that allows a user to model a business process or workflow, to create and activate a project plan based on the workflow, and to track the progress of the activated project plan. The tool also allows the workflow to be reused to create more than one project plan based on the workflow. Moreover, the tool simultaneously manages the execution of the plans. The integration tool may include a Web-based “Distributed Authoring and Versioning” (WebDAV) server that operates as a virtual file system for computers on a network to allow more than one user on different computer systems to view the same workflow or project plan, monitor the progress of an activated project plan, or simultaneously create and activate different plans from the same workflow.
114 Citations
64 Claims
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1. A method in a data processing system having a workflow comprising a plurality of activities, wherein each of the activities has a duration, and wherein a predecessor one of the plurality of activities occurs before a successor one of the plurality of activities, the method comprising the steps of:
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creating a plan from the workflow, wherein the step of creating the plan comprises the steps of;
creating a predecessor task from the predecessor activity, wherein the step of creating the predecessor task comprises steps of;
receiving an indication of a predecessor start time for the predecessor task;
setting a predecessor end time for the predecessor task equal to the predecessor duration after the predecessor start time; and
receiving user input indicating a predecessor resource assigned to the predecessor task; and
creating a successor task from the successor activity, wherein the step of creating the successor task comprises the steps;
setting a successor start time equal to the predecessor end time;
setting a successor end time equal to the successor duration after the successor start time; and
receiving user input indicating a successor resource assigned to the successor task;
receiving an indication to activate the plan;
activating the plan; and
monitoring the activated plan, wherein the step of monitoring the activated plan comprises the steps of;
notifying the predecessor resource to begin the task at the predecessor start time;
determining when the predecessor task has completed; and
when it is determined that the predecessor task has completed, notifying the successor resource to begin the successor task.
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2. A method in a data processing system having a workflow comprising a plurality of activities, wherein each of the activities has a duration, and wherein a logic one of the plurality of activities has a condition, the method comprising the steps of:
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creating a plan from the workflow, wherein the step of creating the plan comprises the steps of;
creating a logic task from the logic activity, wherein the step of creating the logic task comprises the step of receiving an indication of a start time for the logic task; and
creating a default task from a default one of the plurality of activities, wherein the step of creating the default task comprises the steps of;
setting a default start time equal to the logic start time; and
setting a default end time equal to the default duration after the default start time;
receiving an indication to activate the plan;
activating the plan; and
monitoring the activated plan, wherein the step of monitoring the activated plan comprises the steps of;
determining whether the condition is met; and
when it is determined that the condition is met, creating a non-default task from a non-default one of the plurality of activities, wherein the step of creating the non-default task comprises the steps of;
setting a non-default start time equal to the logic start time, and setting a non-default end time equal to the non-default duration after the non-default start time; and
replacing the default task with the non-default task.
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3. A method in a data processing system, comprising the steps of:
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first creating a workflow that models a process; and
then generating a plan from the workflow that represents an instance of the process. - View Dependent Claims (4)
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5. A method in a data processing system having a workflow that models a process, the method comprising the steps of:
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generating a plan from the workflow that reflects an instance of the process; and
activating the plan to perform the instance of the process. - View Dependent Claims (6)
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7. A method in a data processing system having a virtual file system server connected to a network storage medium, the method comprising the steps of:
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using the virtual file system server to retrieve a workflow from the network storage medium;
creating a plan from the workflow; and
storing the plan on the network storage medium. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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9. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a data processing system to perform a method, the data processing system comprises a virtual file system server connected to a network storage medium, the method comprising the steps of:
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using the virtual file system server to retrieve an activity having a duration from the network storage medium;
creating a task from the activity, wherein the step of creating the task comprises the steps of;
receiving an indication of a start time for the task; and
setting an end time for the task equal to the duration after the start time; and
storing the task on the network storage medium. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a data processing system to perform a method, the data processing system comprises an activity with a duration, the method comprising the steps of:
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creating a task from the activity, wherein the step of creating the task comprises the steps of;
receiving an indication of a start time for the task; and
setting an end time for the task equal to the duration after the start time; and
creating a different task from the activity, wherein the step of creating the different task comprises the steps of;
receiving an indication of a different start time for the task; and
setting an end time for the task equal to the duration after the different start time. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a data processing system to perform a method, the data processing system comprises an activity with a duration, the method comprising the steps of:
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creating a task from the activity, wherein the step of creating the task comprises the steps of;
receiving user input indicating a resource assigned to the task;
receiving an indication of a start time for the task; and
setting an end time for the task equal to the duration after the start time; and
creating a different task from the activity, wherein the step of creating the different task comprises the steps of;
receiving user input indicating a different resource assigned to the different task;
receiving an indication of the start time for the task; and
setting an end time for the different task equal to the duration after the start time. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a data processing system to perform a method, the data processing system comprises a plurality of activities wherein each of the activities has a duration and wherein a predecessor one of the plurality of activities occurs before a successor one of the plurality of activities, the method comprising the steps of:
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creating a predecessor task from the predecessor activity, wherein the step of creating the predecessor task comprises the steps of;
receiving an indication of a start time for the predecessor task; and
setting a predecessor end time for the predecessor task equal to the predecessor duration after the start time; and
creating a successor task from the successor activity, wherein the step of creating the successor task comprises the steps of;
setting a successor start time equal to the predecessor end time; and
setting a successor end time equal to the successor duration after the successor start time. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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52. The computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a data processing system to perform a method, the data processing system comprises a plurality of activities wherein each of the activities has a duration and wherein one of the plurality of activities and another of the plurality of activities start and end at the same time, the method comprising the steps of:
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creating a task from the activity, wherein the step of creating the task comprises the steps of;
receiving an indication of a start time for the task; and
setting an end time for the task equal to the duration after the start time; and
creating another task from the other activity, wherein the step of creating the other task comprises the steps of;
setting another start time for the other task equal to the start time for the task; and
setting another end time equal to the other duration after the start time.
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53. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a data processing system to perform a method, the method comprising the steps of:
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creating a workflow that models a process; and
generating a plan from the workflow that represents an instance of the process. - View Dependent Claims (54)
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55. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a data processing system to perform a method, the data processing system comprises an existing workflow that models a process, the method comprising the steps of:
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generating a plan from the workflow that reflects an instance of the process; and
activating the plan to perform the instance of the process. - View Dependent Claims (56)
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57. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a data processing system to perform a method, the data processing system comprises a virtual file system server connected to a network storage medium, the method comprising the steps of:
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using the virtual file system server to retrieve an existing workflow from the network storage medium;
generating a plan from the workflow; and
storing the plan on the network storage medium. - View Dependent Claims (58)
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59. A data processing system comprising:
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a network storage medium;
a memory device further comprising a program that first creates a workflow that models a process, then generates a plan from the workflow that represents an instance of the process, and then stores the workflow and the plan on the network storage medium; and
a processor for running the program. - View Dependent Claims (60, 61, 62, 63)
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64. A system comprising:
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means for first creating a workflow that models a process; and
means for then generating a plan from the workflow that represents an instance of the process.
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Specification