Document processes of an organization

• US 8,234,136 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2005
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: McDougall, Scott Hanly, Morrison, John Neil, Finlayson, Ian Thomas, Denne, Jason Donald
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nga B.
• Application Number:
  US11/216,494
• Publication Number:
  US 20060053168A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,526 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7, 705/8, 705/9
• US Class Current: 705/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/186 Templates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A method and system for documenting processes and controls of an organization involve storing information describing the processes of the organization in a database and then accessing the database with a suitable user interface application. Preferably the user interface application is a web browser and the data in the database is provided to users as a series of web pages. Using the user interface application, users can review the documented processes, report errors, request changes, generate reports, and so forth. Users with suitable access privileges can modify the data in the database using the user interface application. An external auditor can audit the processes and controls of the organization from his own office by accessing the database over a network such as the Internet.

Claims

1. A system for documenting the processes and controls of an organization, comprising:

a database for storing information describing the steps of processes and controls of an organization, wherein the database stores different versions associated with a particular process, one version varying from another based on a process change request; and

a web server computer in communication with the database for receiving information from the database and for formatting that information as a plurality of linked web pages, the web pages comprising;

a process web page for displaying information representing the steps of a selected process of the organization and comprising a link to a list of documents relating to the selected process and a link to a list of financial statement categories affected by the process;

a flowchart web page for displaying information describing a selected process in the form of a flowchart;

a report web page, which in response to a process selection from a user, automatically generates and displays a summary report summarizing a problem with the selected process; and

a change request web page, which in response to a process selection and change request input from a user, processes the change request.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one web page comprises an indication of a risk associated with the selected process, the process having at least one step, the indication of risk representing an overall assessment of the risk calculated from at least one of the process steps.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the flowchart indicates a responsible entity associated with each step of the selected process.

17. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the process webpage, in response to a version selection from a user, displays a historical version of the selected process corresponding to the version selection.

3. A system for documenting processes and controls of an organization comprising:

a database storing information describing the steps of processes of an organization, each process comprising at least one procedure to be followed when carrying out the process and any controls associated with the or each procedure, wherein the database stores different versions associated with a particular process, one version varying from another based on a process change request; and

a computer programmed to receive information describing the steps of a process from the database and having a user interface application thereon, the user interface application programmed to display the information describing the steps of a process and, in response to an input from a user, programmed to display a summary report summarizing a problem with the process and to save the summary report to the database.

4. A system as claimed in claim 3 wherein the database is accessible over a public network and the user interface application is further configured to display, in response to an input from an auditor, a summary report summarizing a problem with a process, retrieved from the database over the public network.

5. A system as claimed in claim 3 wherein the user interface application is further programmed to display, in response to an input from a reviewer, a saved summary report summarizing a problem with a process.

6. A system as claimed in claim 3 wherein the user interface application is further programmed to receive from a reviewer, an input indicating approval of a summary report summarizing a problem with a process.

7. A system as claimed in claim 3 wherein the user interface application is a web browser and wherein the computer is programmed to receive the information describing the steps of a process formatted as at least one web page.

8. A system as claimed in claim 7 wherein the at least one web page comprises a viewing web page for viewing the information describing the steps of a process and a summary reporting web page for receiving from the user the summary report summarizing the problem with the process, the viewing web page having a link to the summary reporting web page.

9. A system as claimed in claim 3 wherein the summary report comprises a request for a change to the process.

10. A system as claimed in claim 3 wherein a reviewer is informed by an email automatically generated by the user interface application when a summary report summarizing a problem with a process has been saved to the database.

11. A system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the at least one web page comprises an indication of a risk associated with the process, the indication of risk representing an overall assessment of the risk, calculated from at least one of the process procedures.

18. A system as claimed in claim 3 wherein the user interface application is further programmed to display, in response to a version selection from a user, a historical version of the selected process corresponding to the version selection.

12. A method of documenting processes and controls of an organization comprising:

storing in a database, information describing the steps of processes of an organization, each process comprising at least one procedure to be followed when carrying out the process and any controls associated with the or each procedure;

storing in the database, different versions associated with a particular process, one version varying from another based on a process change request;

at a web server computer in communication with the database, generating a plurality of linked web pages, the web pages comprising;

a process web page for displaying information representing the steps of a selected process of the organization and comprising a link to a list of documents relating to the selected process and a link to a list of financial statement categories affected by the process;

a flowchart web page for displaying information describing a selected process in the form of a flowchart;

a report web page, which in response to a process selection from a user, automatically generates and displays a summary report summarizing a problem with the selected process; and

a change request web page, which in response to a process selection and change request input from a user, processes the change request.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12 further comprising generating a report web page, which in response to a selection from a user, displays a saved summary report summarizing a problem with a process.

14. A method as claimed in claim 12 further comprising informing a reviewer when a summary report summarizing a problem with a process has been saved to the database by:

automatically generating an email message to the reviewer informing him that a summary report summarizing a problem with a process has been saved to the database; and

sending the email message to the reviewer.

15. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the at least one web page comprises an indication of a risk associated with the process, the indication of risk representing an overall assessment of the risk calculated from at least one of the process steps.

19. A method as claimed in claim 12 wherein the report web page is further configured to receive information from an auditor relating to the summary report.

20. A method as claimed in claim 12 wherein the report webpage is configured to accept from the user an input indicating approval of the summary report.

21. A method as claimed in claim 12 wherein the flowchart indicates a responsible entity associated with each step of the selected process.

22. A method as claimed in claim 12 wherein the process webpage, in response to a version selection from a user, displays a historical version of the selected process corresponding to the version selection.