Mechanism for facilitating dynamic visual workflow and task generation in an on-demand services environment

• US 8,660,881 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2011
• Issued: 02/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Wood, Stephen, Bailey, Samuel William
• Primary Examiner(s): Jeanty, Romain
• Application Number:
  US13/310,545
• Publication Number:
  US 20120143648A1
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7.11, 705/7.26
• US Class Current: 705/7.26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0633 Workflow analysis

Abstract

In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for facilitating dynamic generating of visual workflow and corresponding tasks in an on-demand services environment. In one embodiment and by way of example, a method includes receiving a request to perform a business process at a computing system. The performing of the business process may include creating a new business process relating to workings of an organization. The method may further include interpreting content of the request, and dynamically generating a visual workflow in response to the interpretation of the content of the request. The visual workflow may be used to perform the business process.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, at a first computing device, a request to perform an organizational process, wherein the organizational process includes a task relating to workings of an organization and is capable of being performed via a visual workflow at a second computing device;

interpreting content of the request;

dynamically updating one or more components relating to the visual workflow based on the interpretation of the content of the request;

transmitting, from the first computing device, the updated one or more components to the second computing device such that a current version of the visual workflow is upgraded to a new version of the visual workflow, wherein the new version incorporates the updated one or more components;

automatically contacting the organization in response to a calling request embedded in the received request; and

dynamically recommending one or more visual blocks capable of being inserted into the visual workflow and displayed via a user interface in response to a block request embedded in the received request, wherein the one or more visual blocks include one or more of a decision block, a true block, a false block, an if-yes block, and an if-no block.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising performing, at the second computing device, the organizational process using the new version of the visual workflow.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first and second computing devices comprise one or more of mobile computing devices, personal digital assistant (PDA), a handheld computer, an e-reader, a tablet computer, a notebook, a netbook, a desktop computer, a server computer, a cluster-based computer, and a set-top box, wherein the organization comprises one or more of a business organization, a government agency, a non-profit organization, and an educational institution.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein dynamically upgrading includes automatically performing one or more of adding the one or more components to the visual workflow, removing the one or more components from the visual workflow, and revising the one or more components, wherein the one or more components are transmitted from the first computing device to the second computing device over a network including a cloud network.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the task comprises a business task relating to a business process of the organization, wherein the business task relates to one or more of organizational administration, human resources, sales, new or existing business methodologies, new or existing products, and marketing plans.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein upgrading to the new version comprises revising the user interface at the according to the updated one or more components incorporated into the new version of the visual workflow, wherein the user interface includes a graphical user interface (GUI).

7. A system comprising:

a first computing device having a processing device and a memory coupled to the processing device, the memory to store instructions relating to a mechanism, and a processing device to execute the instructions, wherein the mechanism to perform one or more operations comprising;

receiving a request to perform an organizational process, wherein the organizational process includes a task relating to workings of an organization and is capable of being performed via a visual workflow at a second computing device;

interpreting content of the request;

dynamically updating one or more components relating to the visual workflow based on the interpretation of the content of the request, wherein the visual workflow is used to perform the business process;

transmitting the updated one or more components to the second computing device such that a current version of the visual workflow is upgraded to a new version of the visual workflow, wherein the new version incorporates the updated one or more components;

automatically contacting the organization in response to a calling request embedded in the received request; and

dynamically recommending one or more visual blocks capable of being inserted into the visual workflow and displayed via a user interface in response to a block request embedded in the received request, wherein the one or more visual blocks include one or more of a decision block, a true block, a false block, an if-yes block, and an if-no block.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more operations further comprise performing, at the second computing device, the organizational process using the new version of the visual workflow.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the first and second computing devices comprise comprises one or more of mobile computing devices, personal digital assistant (PDA), a handheld computer, an e-reader, a tablet computer, a notebook, a netbook, a desktop computer, a server computer, a cluster-based computer, and a set-top box, wherein the organization comprises one or more of a business organization, a government agency, a non-profit organization, and an educational institution.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein dynamically upgrading includes automatically performing one or more of adding the one or more components to the visual workflow, removing the one or more components from the visual workflow, and revising the one or more components, wherein the one or more components are transmitted from the first computing device to the second computing device over a network including a cloud network.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the task comprises a business task relating to a business process of the organization, wherein the business task relates to one or more of organizational administration, human resources, sales, new or existing business methodologies, new or existing products, and marketing plans.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein upgrading to the new version comprises revising the user interface at the according to the updated one or more components incorporated into the new version of the visual workflow, wherein the user interface includes a graphical user interface (GUI).

13. A non-transitory machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to carry out one or more operations comprising:

receiving, at a first computing device, a request to perform an organizational process, wherein the organizational process includes a task relating to workings of an organization and is capable of being performed via a visual workflow at a second computing device;

interpreting content of the request;

dynamically updating one or more components relating to the visual workflow based on the interpretation of the content of the request;

transmitting, from the first computing device, the updated one or more components to the second computing device such that a current version of the visual workflow is upgraded to a new version of the visual workflow, wherein the new version incorporates the updated one or more components;

automatically contacting the organization in response to a calling request embedded in the received request; and

dynamically recommending one or more visual blocks capable of being inserted into the visual workflow and displayed via a user interface in response to a block request embedded in the received request, wherein the one or more visual blocks include one or more of a decision block, a true block, a false block, an if-yes block, and an if-no block.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the one or more operations further comprise performing, at the second computing device, the organizational process using the new version of the visual workflow.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the first and second computing devices comprise comprises one or more of mobile computing devices, personal digital assistant (PDA), a handheld computer, an e-reader, a tablet computer, a notebook, a netbook, a desktop computer, a server computer, a cluster-based computer, and a set-top box, wherein the organization comprises one or more of a business organization, a government agency, a non-profit organization, and an educational institution.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein dynamically upgrading includes automatically performing one or more of adding the one or more components to the visual workflow, removing the one or more components from the visual workflow, and revising the one or more components, wherein the one or more components are transmitted from the first computing device to the second computing device over a network including a cloud network.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the task comprises a business task relating to a business process of the organization, wherein the business task relates to one or more of organizational administration, human resources, sales, new or existing business methodologies, new or existing products, and marketing plans.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein upgrading to the new version comprises revising the user interface at the according to the updated one or more components incorporated into the new version of the visual workflow, wherein the user interface includes a graphical user interface (GUI).