Systems and methods for remote role-based collaborative work environment

• US 7,184,966 B1
• Filed: 12/30/1999
• Issued: 02/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honeywell Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Samad, Tariq, Parsonnet, Brian, Desborough, Lane D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jeanty; Romain
• Application Number:
  US09/474,948
• Time in Patent Office: 2,616 Days
• Field of Search: 705 7- 8, 705/1, 705 36- 38, 705/26, 700/100, 700/102, 709/206
• US Class Current: 705/7.26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A network between customers generating service requests and vendors capable of electronically fulfilling the service requests includes a system for monitoring, controlling, and administering work flows associated with the service requests. A main controller creates and controls a first work flow record associated with a first service request for storage in a storage device. The main controller also receives work flow elements including messages, data files, software applications, and documents from a first customer and a first vendor associated with the first work flow, stores the work flow elements in the storage device, and transfers the work flow elements to the first customer and the first vendor. An accounting controller associated with the main controller identifies fees associated with the first work flow and stores fee data associated with the fees in the first work flow record.

Claims

1. For use in connection with a network that provides communications between a plurality of customers generating service requests and a plurality of vendors that fulfill said service requests, a system for monitoring and controlling work flows associated with said service requests between said plurality of customers and said plurality of vendors comprising:

a main controller that;

creates a first work flow record used to control a first work flow associated with a first service request;

stores said first work flow record in a storage device associated with said main controller;

receives from a first customer within said plurality of customers and a first vendor within said plurality of vendors at least one of messages, data files, software applications, and documents, said first customer and said first vendor associated with said first work flow;

stores said at least one of messages, data files, software applications, and documents in said storage device in association with said work flow record; and

transfers one or more of said at least one of messages, data files, software applications, and documents to at least one of said first customer and said first vendor, wherein said first work flow is at least partially developed or executed by said receiving, storing and transferring said at least one of messages, data files, software applications, and documents; and

an accounting controller associated with said main controller that identifies at least one fee associated with said first work flow and that stores fee data associated with said at least one fee in said first work flow record;

wherein said first work flow record comprises a primary work flow record associated with said first service request and a secondary work flow record associated with a second service request, the second service request associated with said first work flow.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first work flow record comprises a plurality of work flow definitions defining at least one process step to be performed by at least one of said main controller, said accounting controller, a first customer processing device associated with said first customer, and a first vendor processing device associated with said first vendor.

3. The system as set forth in claim 2 wherein at least one of said plurality of work flow definitions is modifiable by said first customer.

4. The system as set forth in claim 2 wherein at least one of said plurality of work flow definitions is modifiable by said first vendor.

5. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said second service request is generated by said first vendor in response to said first service request generated by said first customer.

6. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said accounting controller further identifies at least one additional fee associated with a second work flow and stores second fee data associated with said at least one additional fee in said first work flow record, the second work flow associated with the second service request.

7. The system as set forth in claim 6 wherein said accounting controller stores fee data associated with said first work flow in said primary work flow record and stores fee data associated with said second work flow in said secondary work flow record.

8. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein a first service associated with said first service request is performed by a customized computer-executable application generated by said first vendor, wherein said customized computer-executable application performs specific operations designed by said first vendor to meet unique requirements of said first customer.

9. For use in connection with a network that provides communications between a plurality of customers generating service requests and a plurality of vendors that fulfill said service requests, a system for monitoring and controlling work flows associated with said service requests between said plurality of customers and said plurality of vendors comprising:

a main controller that;

creates a first work flow record used to control a first work flow associated with a first service request;

stores said first work flow record in a storage device associated with said main controller;

receives from a first customer and a first vendor associated with said first work flow at least one of messages, data files, software applications, and documents;

stores said at least one of messages, data files, software applications, and documents in said storage device; and

transfers one or more of said at least one of messages, data files, software applications, and documents to at least one of said first customer and said first vendor; and

an accounting controller associated with said main controller that identifies at least one fee associated with said first work flow and that stores fee data associated with said at least one fee in said first work flow record;

wherein a first service associated with said first service request is performed by a customized computer-executable application generated by said first vendor, wherein said customized computer-executable application performs specific operations designed by said first vendor to meet unique requirements of said first customer;

wherein said main controller transfers said customized computer-executable application from a first data processing device associated with said first vendor to at least one of a second data processing device associated with said main controller and a third data processing device associated with said customer, wherein said main controller transfers said customized computer-executable application to said at least one of said second data processing device and said third data processing device to cause said customized computer-executable application to execute more efficiently; and

wherein said first work flow record comprises a primary work flow record associated with said first service request and a secondary work flow record associated with a second service request, the second service request associated with said first work flow.

10. A network comprising:

a plurality of customer data processing devices that generate service requests created by a plurality of customers;

a plurality of vendor data processing devices associated with a plurality of vendors that fulfill said service requests; and

a system for monitoring and controlling work flows associated with said service requests between said plurality of customers and said plurality of vendors comprising;

a main controller that;

creates a first work flow record used to control a first work flow associated with a first service request;

stores said first work flow record in a storage device associated with said main controller;

receives from a first customer within said plurality of customers and a first vendor within said plurality of vendors at least one of messages, data files, software applications, and documents, said first customer and said first vendor associated with said first work flow;

stores said at least one of messages, data files, software applications, and documents in said storage device in association with said work record; and

transfers one or more of said at least one of messages, data files, software applications, and documents to at least one of said first customer and said first vendor, wherein said first work flow is at least partially developed or executed by said receiving, storing and transferring said at least one of messages, data files, software applications, and documents; and

an accounting controller associated with said main controller that identifies at least one fee associated with said first work flow and stores fee data associated with said at least one fee in said first work flow record;

wherein said first work flow record comprises a primary work flow record associated with said first service request and a secondary work flow record associated with a second service request, the second service request associated with said first work flow.

11. The network as set forth in claim 10 wherein said first work flow record comprises a plurality of work flow definitions defining at least one process step to be performed by at least one of said main controller, said accounting controller, a first customer processing device associated with said first customer, and a first vendor processing device associated with said first vendor.

12. The network as set forth in claim 11 wherein at least one of said plurality of work flow definitions is modifiable by said first customer.

13. The network as set forth in claim 12 wherein at least one of said plurality of work flow definitions is modifiable by said first vendor.

14. The network as set forth in claim 10 wherein said second service request is generated by said first vendor in response to said first service request generated by said first customer.

15. The network as set forth in claim 10 wherein said accounting controller identifies at least one additional fee associated with a second work flow and stores second fee data associated with said at least one additional fee in said first work flow record, the second work flow associated with the second service request.

16. The network as set forth in claim 15 wherein said accounting controller stores fee data associated with said first work flow in said primary work flow record and stores fee data associated with said second work flow in said secondary work flow record.

17. The network as set forth in claim 10 wherein a first service associated with said first service request is performed by a customized computer-executable application generated by said first vendor, wherein said customized computer-executable application performs specific operations designed by said first vendor to meet unique requirements of said first customer.

18. A network comprising:

a plurality of customer data processing devices that generate service requests created by a plurality of customers;

a plurality of vendor data processing devices associated with a plurality of vendors that fulfill said service requests; and

a system for monitoring and controlling work flows associated with said service requests between said plurality of customers and said plurality of vendors comprising;

a main controller that;

creates a first work flow record used to control a first work flow associated with a first service request;

stores said first work flow record in a storage device associated with said main controller;

receives from a first customer and a first vendor associated with said first work flow at least one of messages, data files, software applications, and documents;

stores said at least one of messages, data files, software applications, and documents in said storage device; and

transfers one or more of said at least one of messages, data files, software applications, and documents to at least one of said first customer and said first vendor; and

an accounting controller associated with said main controller that identifies at least one fee associated with said first work flow and stores fee data associated with said at least one fee in said first work flow record;

wherein a first service associated with said first service request is performed by a customized computer-executable application generated by said first vendor, wherein said customized computer-executable application performs specific operations designed by said first vendor to meet unique requirements of said first customer;

wherein said main controller transfers said customized computer-executable application from a first data processing device associated with said first vendor to at least one of a second data processing device associated with said main controller and a third data processing device associated with said customer, wherein said main controller transfers said customized computer-executable application to said at least one of said second data processing device and said third data processing device to cause said customized computer-executable application to execute more efficiently;

wherein said first work flow record comprises a primary work flow record associated with said first service request and a secondary work flow record associated with a second service request, the second service request associated with said first work flow.

19. For use in a network that provides communications between a plurality of customers generating service requests and a plurality of vendors that fulfill the service requests, a method of monitoring and controlling work flows associated with the service requests between the plurality of customers and the plurality of vendors comprising the steps of:

creating a first work flow record used to control a first work flow associated with a first service request;

storing the first work flow record in a storage device;

receiving from a first customer within said plurality of customers and a first vendor within said plurality of vendors at least one of messages, data files, software applications, and documents, said first customer and said first vendor associated with said first work flow;

storing the at least one of messages, data files, software applications, and documents in the storage device in association with said work record;

transferring one or more of the at least one of messages, data files, software applications, and documents to at least one of the first customer and the first vendor, wherein said first work flow is at least partially developed or executed by said receiving, storing and transferring said at least one of messages, data files, software applications, and documents; and

identifying at least one fee associated with the first work flow and storing fee data associated with the at least one fee in the first work flow record;

wherein said first work flow record comprises a primary work flow record associated with said first service request and a secondary work flow record associated with a second service request, the second service request associated with said first work flow.

20. The method as set forth in claim 19 wherein the first work flow record comprises a plurality of work flow definitions defining at least one process step to be performed by at least one of a first network processing device associated with the network, a first customer processing device associated with the first customer, and a first vendor processing device associated with the first vendor.

21. The method as set forth in claim 20 wherein at least one of the plurality of work flow definitions is modifiable by the first customer.

22. The method as set forth in claim 20 wherein at least one of the plurality of work flow definitions is modifiable by the first vendor.

23. The method as set forth in claim 19 wherein the second service request is generated by the first vendor in response to the first service request generated by the first customer.

24. The method as set forth in claim 19 including the further steps of:

identifying at least one additional fee associated with a second work flow, the second work flow associated with the second service request; and

storing second fee data associated with the at least one additional fee in the first work flow record.

25. The method as set forth in claim 24 wherein fee data associated with the first work flow is stored in the primary work flow record and fee data associated with the second work flow is stored in the secondary work flow record.

26. The method as set forth in claim 19 wherein a first service associated with the first service request is performed by a customized computer-executable application generated by the first vendor, wherein the customized computer-executable application performs specific operations designed by the first vendor to meet unique requirements of the first customer.

27. For use in a network that provides communications between a plurality of customers generating service requests and a plurality of vendors that fulfill the service requests, a method of monitoring and controlling work flows associated with the service requests between the plurality of customers and the plurality of vendors comprising the steps of:

creating a first work flow record used to control a first work flow associated with a first service request;

storing the first work flow record in a storage device;

receiving from a first customer and a first vendor associated with the first work flow at least one of messages, data files, software applications, and documents;

storing the at least one of messages, data files, software applications, and documents in the storage device;

transferring one or more of the at least one of messages, data files, software applications, and documents to at least one of the first customer and the first vendor;

identifying at least one fee associated with the first work flow and storing fee data associated with the at least one fee in the first work flow record;

performing a first service associated with the first service request by a customized computer-executable application generated by the first vendor, wherein the customized computer-executable application performs specific operations designed by the first vendor to meet unique requirements of the first customer; and

transferring the customized computer-executable application from a first data processing device associated with the first vendor to at least one of a second data processing device associated with the network and a third data processing device associated with the customer, wherein the customized computer-executable application is transferred to the at least one of the second data processing device and the third data processing device to cause the customized computer-executable application to execute more efficiently;

wherein said first work flow record comprises a primary work flow record associated with said first service request and a secondary work flow record associated with a second service request, the second service request associated with said first work flow.