Workflow administration tools and user interfaces

• US 7,792,872 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:
  US11/321,716
• 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 on the processor to manage;

a template database including template records, wherein;

a given template record defines a workflow process for one or more document types in a document management system, and each template record includes;

a template record identifier, and

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

a queue database including queue records, wherein;

a queue identifier,

data identifying a group that will perform an action, and

data identifying rules for assignment to a specific group member; and

a template-queue database including template-queue records that each define an assignment of one or more queue records to a template record, wherein a template-queue record includes a template identifier, one or more queue identifiers, and an order column wherein the order column identifies a workflow order for routing to a plurality of queues simultaneously; and

a package database, wherein a package includes;

one or more document identifiers,

a template record identifier, and

data identifying queues that have processed the package;

provide a template-queue assignment user interface including two or more template-queue record fields, wherein the template-queue record fields include a template identifier and one or more queue identifiers, wherein the template-queue assignment user interface is operable to;

receive input into the template-queue record fields to associate a template identifier of a template with one or more queue identifiers of respective queues,

generate a script, the execution of which causes input received in the template-queue record fields to be stored as a template-queue record in the template-queue database, and

submit the script to the template-queue database; and

provide a workflow process management module, wherein the workflow process management module is operable to;

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

identify a next queue 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 queue.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the template-queue and the template database are tables within a single database.

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

4. The system of claim 1, wherein a work unit is one or more persons capable of performing a unit of work.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the template-queue records include a sequence field, wherein queue records assigned to a single template are sequentially ordered by the sequence field according to a queue workflow requirement.

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

7. A method comprising:

maintaining a template 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, and

each template record includes;

a template identifier, and

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

maintaining a queue database including queue records, wherein;

a queue identifier,

data identifying a group that will perform an action, and

data identifying rules for assignment to a specific group member;

maintaining a template-queue database on the document management server including template-queue records that each define an assignment of one or more queue records to a template record, wherein a template-queue record includes a template identifier, one or more queue identifiers, and an order column wherein the order column identifies a workflow order for routing to a plurality of queues simultaneously;

maintaining a package database, wherein a package includes;

one or more document identifiers,

a template record identifier, and

data identifying queues that have processed the package;

providing a template-queue assignment user interface, to a client computer, the client computer being communicatively coupled to the document management server through a network, the template-queue assignment user interface including two or more template-queue record fields, wherein the template-queue record fields include a template identifier and one or more queue identifiers, wherein the template-queue assignment user interface is operable to;

receive input into the template-queue record fields to associate a template identifier of a template with one or more queue identifiers of respective queues,

generate a script, the execution of which causes input received in the template-queue record fields to be stored as a template-queue record in the template-queue database, and

submit the script to the template-queue database; and

providing a workflow process management module, wherein the workflow process management module is operable to;

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

identify a next queue 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 queue.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the template-queue and the template database are tables within a single database.

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

10. The method of claim 7, wherein a work unit is one or more persons capable of performing a unit of work.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the template-queue records include a sequence field, wherein queue records assigned to a single template are sequentially ordered by the sequence field according to a queue workflow requirement.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein each template record includes a template record identifier, the method further comprising:

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

13. The method of claim 7, wherein one or more possible values for one or more of the template-queue record fields are provided for user selection by the template-queue assignment user interface.

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

maintaining a template database including template records, wherein;

a given template record defines a workflow process for one or more document types in a document management system, and

each template record includes;

a template identifier, and

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

maintaining a queue database including queue records, wherein;

a queue identifier,

data identifying a group that will perform an action, and

data identifying rules for assignment to a specific group member;

maintaining a template-queue database including template-queue records that each define an assignment of one or more queue records to a template record, wherein a template-queue record includes a template identifier, one or more queue identifiers, and an order column wherein the order column identifies a workflow order for routing to a plurality of queues simultaneously;

maintaining a package database, wherein a package includes;

one or more document identifiers,

a template record identifier, and

data identifying queues that have processed the package;

providing a template-queue assignment user interface including two or more template-queue record fields, wherein the template-queue record fields include a template identifier and one or more queue identifiers, wherein the template-queue assignment user interface is operable to;

receive input into the template-queue record fields to associate a template identifier of a template with one or more queue identifiers of respective queues,

generate a script, the execution of which causes input received in the template-queue record fields to be stored as a template-queue record in the template-queue database, and

submit the script to the template-queue database; and

providing a workflow process management module, wherein the workflow process management module is operable to;

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

identify a next queue 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 queue.

15. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the template-queue assignment user interface is further operable to retrieve an existing template-queue record from the template-queue database.

16. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein a work unit is one or more persons capable of performing a unit of work.

17. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the template-queue records include a sequence field, wherein queue records assigned to a single template are sequentially ordered by the sequence field according to a queue workflow requirement.

18. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein each template record includes a template record identifier, the instructions further operable to result in the machine:

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, and

data identifying queues that have processed the package; and

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

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

identifying a next queue 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 queue.

19. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein one or more possible values for one or more of the template-queue record fields are provided for user selection by the template-queue assignment user interface.