System and method for triggering a process on an enterprise system

• US 8,386,292 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2005
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Moser, Martin K.
• Primary Examiner(s): LOFTIS, JOHNNA RONEE
• Application Number:
  US11/318,436
• Publication Number:
  US 20070162913A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,617 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7.27
• US Class Current: 705/7.27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A system and method for triggering a process in an enterprise system. The present invention includes a computer-implemented method, in which an application triggers the execution of a process in response to an external signal indicating a status change. An alternate method includes executing a process in response to an external signal and providing a user interface to each user associated with the process so the user can manage the user'"'"'s process data. Examples of implementations of the present invention include a credit card system, an RFID tag system, an electronic tollgate system, an automated callback system, and an inventory transport system.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for managing business processes in an enterprise system, comprising:

in response to at least one external signal indicating a status change, identifying a source of the external signal;

searching a database of stalled business processes to match an identifier of the source with a stalled business process;

if a match is detected, automatically executing with the processor the stalled process using data associated with the status change;

notifying a user associated with the executed business process through a communications device that the process has been executed; and

executing additional stalled business processes concurrently with the stalled business process, wherein the stalled business process and the additional stalled business processes remain static when underlying applications of the enterprise system are interchanged.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

notifying at least one user associated with the external signal of the status change through the communications device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the executing comprises:

providing interaction between users associated with the external signal.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the external signal from a device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the status change is a change in a device, a condition, an application, a user, or a system.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

executing a process associated with the device, the condition, the application, the user, or the system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the process represents a business task.

8. A system comprising:

a server running on an enterprise system and housing an integration platform;

an external signal source;

a processor in communication with the source, the processor configured to;

identify a source of an external signal;

search a database of stalled business processes to match an identifier of the source with a stalled business process;

if a match is detected, automatically trigger execution of the stalled process in response to the external signal from the source, the process associated with the identifier;

executing additional stalled business processes concurrently with the stalled business process;

at least one application housed on a storage medium, the at least one application run by the server and being executed by the processor to trigger execution of the process, wherein the stalled business process and the additional stalled business processes remain static when the at least one application is interchanged with another application; and

a communication device in communication with the processor to notify at least one user regarding the process execution.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the external signal source is a credit card reader, an RFID receiver, an instant messaging device, an electronic tollgate receiver, or an inventory scanner.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is to trigger execution of an account updating process, a purchasing process, a callback process, a billing process, or a routing process.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the communication device is a telephone, a personal digital assistant, a computer, or a pager.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the communication device is connected to the processor through a network.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the external signal source is a wired signal device.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the external signal source is a wireless signal device.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein the communications device is a wired communications device.

16. The system of claim 8, wherein the communications device is a wireless communications device.

17. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one application executes a plurality of business processes upon receipt of the external signal.

18. The system of claim 8, wherein an additional server may be run on the enterprise system, the additional server interacting with the server during execution of the process.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the additional server is a user server.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the additional server provides data to customers or suppliers.

21. A method for managing user processes, comprising:

in response to at least one external signal, identifying a source of the external signal;

searching a database of stalled business processes to match an identifier of the source with a stalled business process;

if a match is detected, automatically executing with the processor a stalled process comprising at least one application associated with the external signal, wherein the stalled process is associated with the identifier;

notifying a user associated with the executed business process through a communications device that the process has been executed;

providing a user interface through a computer medium to the user associated with the process to manage the user'"'"'s process data; and

executing additional stalled business processes concurrently with the stalled business process, wherein the stalled business process and the additional stalled business processes remain static when the at least one application is interchanged with another application.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the process further comprises functionality to control data flow through the at least one application.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the user interface for each user is tailored to the user'"'"'s requirements of the executed process.