Workflow decision management with workflow modification in dependence upon user reactions

• US 8,010,700 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2005
• Issued: 08/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Muirhead, Richard W., Reddington, Francis X., Brown, William A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lin; Kenny S
• Application Number:
  US11/264,716
• Publication Number:
  US 20070116013A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,128 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/240, 709/244
• US Class Current: 709/244
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer program products are provided for workflow decision management. Embodiments include maintaining a device state history; identifying a device usage pattern in dependence upon the device state history; identifying a workflow scenario in dependence upon the device usage pattern; identifying a workflow in dependence upon the workflow scenario; executing the workflow; identifying a user reaction to the execution of the workflow; identifying an unsuccessful device-controlling action in dependence upon the user reaction; and modifying the workflow in dependence upon the identified unsuccessful device-controlling action. Typical embodiment also include recording, as a representation of a negative user reaction, a determined change between the device attribute value set by executing the workflow and the current value of the device attribute in a user reaction log.

Claims

1. A method for workflow decision management, the method comprising:

maintaining a device state history;

identifying a device usage pattern in dependence upon the device state history;

identifying a workflow scenario in dependence upon the device usage pattern;

identifying a workflow in dependence upon the workflow scenario;

executing the workflow;

identifying a user reaction to the execution of the workflow including recording in a device state history a device attribute value set by executing the workflow, reading a current value of the device attribute a predetermined period of time after executing the workflow, and determining whether there is a change between the device attribute value set by executing the workflow and the current value of the device attribute a predetermined period of time after executing the workflow; and

recording, as a representation of a negative user reaction, a determined change between the device attribute value set by executing the workflow and the current value of the device attribute in a user reaction log;

identifying an unsuccessful device-controlling action in dependence upon the user reaction including identifying in dependence upon entries in the user reaction log a device ID for a device having a threshold number of recorded representations of negative user reactions, and identifying a device-controlling action of a workflow administering the device identified by the device ID; and

modifying the workflow in dependence upon the identified unsuccessful device-controlling action including removing the identified unsuccessful device-controlling action from the workflow.

2. A system for workflow decision management, the system comprising:

a computer processor;

a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, the computer memory having disposed within it computer program instructions capable of;

maintaining a device state history;

identifying a device usage pattern in dependence upon the device state history;

identifying a workflow scenario in dependence upon the device usage pattern;

identifying a workflow in dependence upon the workflow scenario;

executing the workflow;

identifying a user reaction to the execution of the workflow including recording in a device state history a device attribute value set by executing the workflow, reading a current value of the device attribute a predetermined period of time after executing the workflow, and determining whether there is a change between the device attribute value set by executing the workflow and the current value of the device attribute a predetermined period of time after executing the workflow; and

recording, as a representation of a negative user reaction, a determined change between the device attribute value set by executing the workflow and the current value of the device attribute in a user reaction log;

identifying an unsuccessful device-controlling action in dependence upon the user reaction including identifying in dependence upon entries in the user reaction log a device ID for a device having a threshold number of recorded representations of negative user reactions, and identifying a device-controlling action of a workflow administering the device identified by the device ID; and

modifying the workflow in dependence upon the identified unsuccessful device-controlling action including removing the identified unsuccessful device-controlling action from the workflow.

3. A computer program product for workflow decision management, the computer program product embodied on a computer-readable non-transmission medium, the computer program product comprising:

computer program instructions for maintaining a device state history;

computer program instructions for identifying a device usage pattern in dependence upon the device state history;

computer program instructions for identifying a workflow scenario in dependence upon the device usage pattern;

computer program instructions for identifying a workflow in dependence upon the workflow scenario;

computer program instructions for executing the workflow;

computer program instructions for identifying a user reaction to the execution of the workflow including computer program instructions for recording in a device state history a device attribute value set by executing the workflow, computer program instructions for reading a current value of the device attribute a predetermined period of time after executing the workflow, and computer program instructions for determining whether there is a change between the device attribute value set by executing the workflow and the current value of the device attribute a predetermined period of time after executing the workflow; and

computer program instructions for recording, as a representation of a negative user reaction, a determined change between the device attribute value set by executing the workflow and the current value of the device attribute in a user reaction log;

computer program instructions for identifying an unsuccessful device-controlling action in dependence upon the user reaction including computer program instructions for identifying in dependence upon entries in the user reaction log a device ID for a device having a threshold number of recorded representations of negative user reactions, and computer program instructions for identifying a device-controlling action of a workflow administering the device identified by the device ID; and

computer program instructions for modifying the workflow in dependence upon the identified unsuccessful device-controlling action including computer program instructions for removing the identified unsuccessful device-controlling action from the workflow.