Workflow management software overview

• US 7,275,039 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2001
• Issued: 09/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Coding Solutions Topco, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Michael Setteducati
• Inventors: Setteducati, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Jeanty; Romain
• Application Number:
  US10/381,662
• Publication Number:
  US 20040039623A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,184 Days
• Field of Search: 705/8, 705/9, 718/102, 718/103
• US Class Current: 705/7.24
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06314 Calendaring for a resource
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A workflow management system and method for managing an operation on a population of entities, comprises the steps of storing a set of events expected to occur during the operation in a workflow rules table (140) and storing a set of dispositions in the same rules table (140), wherein each of said dispositions represents a status corresponding to an entity. The method also includes the step of correlating by a dispositioner (260) each of said events with at least one disposition and determining disposition of each of said entities in response to occurrence of one of said expected events. In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, the method further comprises the step of setting at least one of the dispositions as a pause indicating that an entity is in a waiting status. The method also comprises the step of setting at least one of said dispositions as a task indicating that an entity requires a work to be performed. The values corresponding to most recent event and most recent dispositions for each one of said entities is stored in an event disposition storage unit (290).

Claims

1. A workflow management process, said process comprising the steps of:

storing a plurality of workflow rule entries for determining dispositions of a population of entities wherein said dispositions correspond to a status of an entity among said population of entities, wherein at least some of said dispositions indicate that an action is scheduled;

within some of said rule entries, utilizing a plurality of variables, wherein each variable corresponds to a characteristic of said entity;

within some of said rule entries, defining specifications for assigning and combining constants and said plurality of variables;

within some of said rule entries including pointers for directing said operation to another one of said rule entries;

within some of said rule entries, including conditional connectors containing one or more Boolean expression that compares said specifications, said conditional connectors employing a corresponding one of said pointers referencing an associated workflow rule entry based on the outcome of said Boolean expression;

navigating said workflow rule entries by employing said pointers based on a corresponding rule for each one of said entries and if a disposition type entry is reached, ending said navigation, wherein the value specified for said disposition type entry is assigned as the disposition of a corresponding entity; and

defining temporary variable workflow entries each containing one of said specifications and pointers, such that during said navigating step when said temporary variable workflow is encountered, a value is assigned to said temporary variable based on the corresponding specification, wherein said temporary variable is available during subsequent navigation.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the step of:

utilizing a visual interface for maintaining said workflow rules, said visual interface providing a visual representation of said workflow rules.

3. The method in accordance with claim 2 further comprising the step of converting said symbols generated by said visual interface to an entry within said workflow rule table.

4. The method in accordance with claim 2 further comprising the step of utilizing symbols as diagramming nodes, wherein a plurality of said symbols each correspond to one of said workflow rule entries.

5. The method in accordance with claim 4 further comprising the step of representing each one of said pointers within said workflow rule entries as connecting lines from one symbol to the other.

6. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the step of using said specifications to define a value of said dispositions.

7. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the step of defining various types of dispositions for representing workflow statuses.

8. The method in accordance with claim 7 further comprising the step of defining task type dispositions corresponding to work to be performed relating to said population of entities.

9. The method in accordance with claim 7 further comprising the step of defining alert type dispositions corresponding to an alert status relating to said population of entities.

10. The method in accordance with claim 7 further comprising the step of defining document type dispositions corresponding to documents to be generated relating to said population of entities.

11. The method in accordance with claim 7 further comprising the step of defining process type dispositions corresponding to electronic processes to be performed relating to said population of entities.

12. The method in accordance with claim 7 further comprising the step of defining a pause type disposition corresponding to an inaction status wherein said population of entities is in a waiting state.

13. The method in accordance with claim 7 further comprising the step of defining a stop type disposition corresponding to said population of entities wherein no further work is to be performed.

14. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the step of defining connector workflow entries configured to be referenced by said pointers.

15. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the step of establishing subroutines, said subroutines represented as a separate section of logic within said workflow rule entries referenced from multiple locations within said workflow rules, and navigating to a workflow rule entry from which it was referenced after completing navigation within said separate section of logic.

16. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

defining a set of possible event as a workflow rule entry, each event corresponding to each of said entities;

determining the status of the most recent event for each entity for which a disposition is being determined;

locating a workflow rule entry corresponding to said most recent event; and

employing a pointer within said workflow rule entry to begin said navigating step.

17. The method in accordance with claim 16 further comprising the steps of:

establishing predefined outcomes each associated with a selectable event; and

allowing an end user to select an event from said predefined outcomes.

18. The method in accordance with claim 17 further comprising the step of navigating said workflow rule entries in response to said selection of an event by said end user.

19. The method in accordance with claim 18 further comprising the step of ordering the presentation of a list of said predefined outcomes based on the order that events associated with the outcomes are referenced in said workflow rule entries.

20. The method in accordance with claim 18 further comprising the step of defining other-events workflow rule entry allowing an end user to select any valid event defined as a workflow rule.

21. The method in accordance with claim 16 further comprising the steps of:

defining event attributes so as to receive a request for information relating to an event in the workflow from an end-user interface;

requiring said end user to supply said information corresponding to said attributes.

22. The method in accordance with claim 21, wherein said event attribute is a waiting period specified by an end user;

said wait period provided as a variable value employed in said specifications of said workflow rule entries.

23. The method in accordance with claim 16 further comprising the step of computing elapsed time since occurrence of various events to be used within said specifications.

27. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the step of defining a plurality of tracks relative to said population of entities, so as to allow concurrent activities to be scheduled for performance on an entity.

28. The method in accordance with claim 27 further comprising the step of:

activating separate tracks based on specifications.

29. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the step of said conditional connectors employing one of said pointers referencing an associated workflow rule entry when a result of said Boolean expression is met and employing a different one of said pointers referencing an associated workflow rule entry when said result is not met.

30. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said navigating step continues until a disposition is reached.

31. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein each of said entities include a corresponding disposition.

32. A method for conducting a plurality of tasks defined by a workflow management method as claimed in claim 1.

33. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said navigating step continues until a disposition is reached.

34. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said actions is selected from the group consisting of manual work, letter generation and email generation.

35. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the step of adding at least one disposition qualifier so as to delineate said workflow population into desired sub-groups.

36. The method in accordance with claim 35, further comprising the step of using said specifications to define values of said disposition qualifiers.

38. The method in accordance with claim 35 further comprising the steps of:

defining a track pointer workflow entry enabling initiation of an activity in a separate track during said navigation step.

39. The method in accordance with claim 38 further comprising the step of defining a track connector workflow rule entry referenced by a pointer contained within said track pointer workflow entry.

40. The method in accordance with claim 39 further comprising the step of said track connector workflow rule entry containing a weight attribute designating a priority for said track connector workflow rule entry, to determine which workflow rule entry takes priority within a track when navigation occurs to multiple workflow rule entries as a result of one or more track connectors.

24. The method in accordance with step 16, further comprising a step of adding at least one event qualifier so as to delineate said events into desired sub-groups.

26. The method in accordance with claim 24 further comprising the step of providing a selection of event qualifiers, wherein at least one of them is selected in response to an occurrence of an event.

25. The method in accordance with step 24 further comprising the step of accepting a plurality of tasks initiated by external entities, each of said tasks corresponding to an Inquiry.

37. A workflow management process, said process comprising the steps of:

storing a plurality of workflow rule entries for determining dispositions of a population of entities wherein said dispositions correspond to a status of an entity among said population of entities, wherein at least some of said dispositions indicate that an action is scheduled;

within some of said rule entries, utilizing a plurality of variables, wherein each variable corresponds to a characteristic of said entity;

within some of said rule entries, defining specifications for assigning and combining constants and said plurality of variables;

within some of said rule entries including pointers for directing said operation to another one of said rule entries;

within some of said rule entries, including conditional connectors containing one or more Boolean expression that compares said specifications, said conditional connectors employing a corresponding one of said pointers referencing an associated workflow rule entry based on the outcome of said Boolean expression;

navigating said workflow rule entries by employing said pointers based on a corresponding rule for each one of said entries and if a disposition type entry is reached, ending said navigation, wherein the value specified for said disposition type entry is assigned as the disposition of a corresponding entity;

establishing a plurality of tracks relative to an entity among said entities;

defining dispositions relative to said entity specific to said established tracks so as to allow multiple concurrent activities to be scheduled to be performed relative to said entity; and

defining an attribute within each corresponding workflow rule entry said attribute identifying a track said workflow rule entry belongs.

41. A workflow management process, said process comprising the steps of:

storing a plurality of workflow rule entries for determining dispositions of a population of entities wherein said dispositions correspond to a status of an entity among said population of entities, wherein at least some of said dispositions indicate that an action is scheduled;

within some of said rule entries, utilizing a plurality of variables, wherein each variable corresponds to a characteristic of said entity;

within some of said rule entries, defining specifications for assigning and combining constants and said plurality of variables;

within some of said rule entries including pointers for directing said operation to another one of said rule entries;

within some of said rule entries, including conditional connectors containing one or more Boolean expression that compares said specifications, said conditional connectors employing a corresponding one of said pointers referencing an associated workflow rule entry based on the outcome of said Boolean expression;

navigating said workflow rule entries by employing said pointers based on a corresponding rule for each one of said entries and if a disposition type entry is reached, ending said navigation, wherein the value specified for said disposition type entry is assigned as the disposition of a corresponding entity;

defining a disposition for each of said entities;

allocating a value for said defined dispositions, said value representing whether an action is scheduled;

monitoring number of entities with different active disposition values so as to measure workloads relating to said workflow management;

monitoring number of entities having inactive disposition values so as to ensure all entities are accounted for; and

monitoring number of entities having inactive disposition values by type of inactivity based on value of a corresponding disposition so as to ensure reasonableness of number of entities with such disposition values.