Method for constructing a process-driven system

• US 7,171,647 B1
• Filed: 02/17/2000
• Issued: 01/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mood Enterprises Limited (CACI International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: The Salamander Organization Limited (Salamander Enterprises Ltd.)
• Inventors: Whittington, Richard Paul, Smith, Simon Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Chaki; Kakali
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wood; William H.
• Application Number:
  US09/506,189
• Time in Patent Office: 2,539 Days
• Field of Search: 717104-109, 717124-125, 717/102, 717/120, 717/123, 717110-113, 345762-763, 345/223, 707/103.R, 709/223, 705/1
• US Class Current: 717/105
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0633 Workflow analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A method for creating a process-driven information system. The method comprises the steps of creating a process model or models comprising one or more elements which are available in a browser-compatible format, creating one or more software components which are accessible in a browser compatible format and generating a process-driven information system comprising one or more elements of the process model which act as the user interface to the one or more software components. This method allows the rapid creation by non-technical users of process models describing the working of an organization with the models being used as the user interface for directing the operation of a collection of software components.

Claims

1. A method for creating and deploying a process-driven information system, said method comprising the following steps:

(a) creating a plurality of process models, each including a plurality of elements in a process driven information system, said plurality of elements being displayed on a display screen and representing the work carried out by personnel in an organization, said mode forming a component of a hierarchical arrangement of cross referenced processes;

(b) using said model to identify requirements for software application and information support components for said processes;

(c) finding or creating one or more software application and information support components as support for said processes;

(d) deploying the process-driven information system, with said software application and information system, with said software application and information support components accessible from designated elements in said processes, each element giving access to the software application or information support component;

(e) selection by a user of one of said process models to be displayed on a screen to access said software application and information support components to direct operation of said software application and information support components, and wherein said plurality of elements of all of said process model are provided in a tool which uniquely identifies each of the said plurality of elements and which maps each of said plurality of elements to an application and information in the form of one or more software components so as to allow user access from the process model which is displayed on the screen to the one or more software components and wherein the user access of a particular software component is achieved by the user interacting with the screen to select, via a user selection tool, one of the elements graphically displayed to the user on the screen, whereupon the software component linked to the selected element is generated on screen for use by the user; and

(f) the steps (a)–

(d) are periodically repeated in a review cycle in which the process models and resources are revised and re-published as a new version and each of the process models which is available for selection include a plurality of elements and when one of said process models is selected for display on the display screen, all of the elements for that model are displayed on screen and the elements which are displayed upon each selection of a process model are selected with respect to that selected process model and vary from process model to process model.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein said process model is part of a set of general purpose graphical business models.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein said process model is accessible via a web browser.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein said one or more software application and information support components are in the form of arbitrary alternative web pages and web-based resources.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein said process model is used to educate users within an organization as to how the organization processes functions.