Workflow administration tools and user interfaces

• US 7,792,871 B1
• Filed: 12/29/2005
• Issued: 09/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Services Automobile Association, USAA (United Services Automobile Association)
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: Massie, Robert Andrew, Bureau, Scott, McChesney, Kelly Suzanne, Baltazar, Tina De Hoyos
• Primary Examiner(s): Jalil; Neveen Abel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chbouki; Tarek
• Application Number:
  US11/321,646
• Time in Patent Office: 1,713 Days
• Field of Search: 707/102, 707/104
• US Class Current: 707/802
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0633 Workflow analysis

Abstract

Various embodiments include systems, methods, and user interfaces that provide abilities to administer data in a workflow system. In some embodiments, the workflow system is a portion of a larger system, such as a document management system.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor operable to execute instructions;

a storage device;

a memory device holding data including instructions operable on the processor to manage one or more databases with data stored in the storage device, the instructions operable to manage;

a workflow database including template records, wherein a given template record defines a workflow process for one or more document types in a document management system, wherein the given template record includes;

a form code to associate the given template record with a document type; and

one or more entities involved in the workflow processing of the document type;

a template record administration user interface including template record fields, wherein the template record fields include a form code field and one or more entity fields to each identified entity involved in a workflow process defined by a template record, wherein the template record administration user interface is operable to;

receive input into the template record fields,

generate a script, the execution of which will cause input received in the template record fields to be stored as a template record in the workflow database, and

submit the script to the workflow database;

a document database, wherein each document in the document database includes a document identifier; and

a package database, wherein a package includes;

one or more document identifiers,

a template record identifier associated with the one or more document identifiers, and

data identifying deadlines by which certain actions need to be performed;

a group database including;

data identifying entities that will perform an action;

data identifying users associated with the entities; and

data identifying entities that have processed the package; and

a workflow process management module, including instructions operable on the processor and stored in the memory, wherein the workflow process management module process is operable to;

monitor packages in the package database to identify entities that have processed packages based on the data identifying entities that have processed packages,

identify a next entity to receive a given package as a function of entities defined in a workflow route of a template record referenced by the given package template record identifier; and

route the given package to the identified next entity.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the template records are stored in the workflow database across two or more relationally related workflow database tables.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the template record administration user interface is further operable to retrieve an existing template record from the workflow database.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more entities are units within a larger entity.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more entity fields of the template record administration user interface each include an order field, wherein the order fields define an order which documents are routed to certain entities in a workflow route.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more possible values for one or more of the template record fields are provided for user selection by the template record administration user interface.

7. A method comprising:

maintaining a workflow database on a document management server including template records, wherein a given template record defines a workflow process for one or more document types in a document management system, wherein the given template record includes;

a form code to associate the given template record with a document type, and

one or more entities involved in the workflow processing of the document type;

providing a template record administration user interface, to a client computer, the client computer being communicatively coupled to the document management server through a network, the template record administration user interface including template record fields which define a workflow process, wherein the template record fields include a form code field and one or more entity fields to identify an entity involved in a workflow process defined by a template record, wherein the template record administration user interface is operable to;

receive input into the template record fields,

generate a script, the execution of which will cause input received in the template record fields to be stored as a template record in the workflow database, and

submit the script to the workflow database;

maintaining a document database on the document management server, wherein each document in the document database includes a document identifier;

maintaining a package database on the document management server, wherein a package includes;

one or more document identifiers,

a template record identifier associated with the one or more document identifiers, and

data identifying deadlines by which certain actions need to be performed;

maintaining a group database including;

data identifying entities that will perform an action,

data identifying users associated with the entities, and

data identifying entities that have processed the package; and

executing a workflow process management process on the document management server, wherein the workflow process management process includes;

monitoring packages in the package database to identify entities that have processed packages based on the data identifying entities that have processed packages,

identifying a next entity to receive a given package as a function of entities defined in a workflow route of a template record referenced by the given package template record identifier; and

routing the given package to the identified next entity.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

storing template records in the workflow database across two or more relationally related workflow database tables.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the template record administration user interface is further operable to retrieve an existing template record from the workflow database.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more entities are units within a larger entity.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more entity fields of the template record administration user interface each include an order field, wherein the order fields define an order which documents are routed to certain entities in a workflow route.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

providing one or more possible values for one or more of the template record fields for selection by a template record administration user interface user.

13. A tangible machine-readable medium, with instructions thereon that when processed, result in a machine:

maintaining a workflow database including template records, wherein a given template record defines a workflow process for one or more document types in a document management system, wherein the given template record includes;

a form code to associate the given template record with a document type, and

one or more entities involved in the workflow processing of the document type;

providing a template record administration user interface including template record fields which define a workflow process, wherein the template record fields include a form code field and one or more entity fields to each identify an entity involved in a workflow process defined by a template record, wherein the template record administration user interface is operable to;

receive input into the template record fields,

generate a script, the execution of which will cause input received in the template record fields to be stored as a template record in the workflow database, and

submit the script to the workflow database;

maintaining a document database, wherein each document in the document database includes a document identifier;

maintaining a package database, wherein a package includes;

one or more document identifiers,

a template record identifier associated with the one or more document identifiers, and

data identifying deadlines by which certain actions need to be performed;

maintaining a group database including;

data identifying entities that will perform an action,

data identifying users associated with the entities, and

data identifying entities that have processed the package; and

executing a workflow process management process, wherein the workflow process management process includes;

monitoring packages in the package database to identify entities that have processed packages,

identifying a next entity to receive a given packages as a function of entities defined in a workflow route of a template record referenced by the given package template record identifier; and

routing the given package to the identified next entity.

14. The tangible machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions, when processed, further result in the machine:

storing template records in the workflow database across two or more relationally related workflow database tables.

15. The tangible machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the template record administration user interface is further operable to retrieve an existing template record from the workflow database.

16. The tangible machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the one or more entity fields of the template record administration user interface each include an order field, wherein the order fields define an order which documents are routed to certain entities in a workflow route.

17. The tangible machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions are further operable to result in the machine:

providing one or more possible values for one or more of the template record fields for selection by a template record administration user interface user.