Easy process modeling platform

• US 8,762,187 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2011
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Gu, Jing, Wang, Dong, Wang, Yang
• Primary Examiner(s): Jeanty, Romain
• Application Number:
  US13/293,965
• Publication Number:
  US 20130060596A1
• Time in Patent Office: 957 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7.11
• US Class Current: 705/7.11
• 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

The present disclosure describes methods, systems, and computer program products for generic process modeling. One method includes identifying a business process for execution, the business process defined by one or more process steps, identifying a process routing table associated with the identified business process, at least a portion of the process routing table including one or more entries defining a set of business process rules for the identified business process, identifying a particular entry in the process routing table associated with a current state of the identified business process; and performing at least one action defined by the identified particular entry in the process routing table. In some instances, at least one entry in the process routing table is associated with one of a plurality of process patterns, with each process pattern comprising a reusable, predefined operation.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method performed by one or more processors for generic process modeling, the method comprising the following operations:

identifying, by the one or more processors, a business process for execution, the business process defined by one or more process steps;

identifying, by the one or more processors, a process routing table associated with the identified business process, at least a portion of the process routing table including one or more entries defining a set of business process rules for the identified business process;

identifying, by the one or more processors, a particular entry in the process routing table associated with a current state of the identified business process;

performing, by the one or more processors, at least one action defined by the identified particular entry in the process routing table;

changing the state of the identified business process to an updated state after performing the at least one action defined by the identified particular entry in the process routing table;

determining whether the updated state of the identified business process is associated with completion of the identified business process;

based on a determination that the updated state of the identified business process is not associated with completion of the identified business process;

identifying a new particular entry in the process routing table associated with the updated state of the identified business process; and

performing at least one action defined by the identified new particular entry in the process routing table; and

based on a determination that the updated state of the identified business process is associated with completion of the identified business process, completing the identified business process.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one particular entry in the process routing table is associated with one of a plurality of process patterns, each process pattern comprising a reusable, predefined operation.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one action defined by the identified particular entry in the process routing table is a particular process pattern.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the process routing table comprises a table of rows and columns, each row defining an individual rule associated with a particular business process.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the process routing table comprises at least one of the following:

a database table, a spreadsheet table, or an XML file.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the process routing table comprises an editable table.

7. The method of claim 6, the method further comprising the following operations:

receiving a request from a user to edit the process routing table;

determining whether the requesting user is authorized to modify the process routing table;

based on a determination that the requesting user is authorized to modify the process routing table, presenting an editable version of the process routing table to the requesting user via a user interface; and

updating the process routing table based on at least one modification received from the requesting user via the user interface.

8. The method of claim 7, where the requesting user is associated with a mobile device, wherein presenting the editable version of the process routing table to the requesting user via the user interface comprises presenting the editable version of the process routing table to the requesting user via a user interface of the mobile device.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising, based on a determination that the requesting user is unauthorized to modify the process routing table, presenting a rejection notification to the requesting user via the user interface.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the process routing table associated with the identified business process and identifying the particular entry in the process routing table associated with the current state of the identified business process are performed by a central rule engine.

11. A computer program product for generic process modeling, the computer program product comprising computer readable instructions embodied on tangible, non-transitory media, the instructions operable when executed to:

identify a business process for execution, the business process defined by one or more process steps;

identify a process routing table associated with the identified business process, at least a portion of the process routing table including one or more entries defining a set of business process rules for the identified business process;

identify a particular entry in the process routing table associated with a current state of the identified business process;

perform at least one action defined by the identified particular entry in the process routing table;

chance the state of the identified business process to an updated state after performing the at least one action defined by the identified particular entry in the process routine table;

determine whether the updated state of the identified business process is associated with completion of the identified business process;

based on a determination that the updated state of the identified business process is not associated with completion of the identified business process, identify a new particular entry in the process routine table associated with the updated state of the identified business process; and

based on a determination that the updated state of the identified business process is associated with completion of the identified business process, complete the identified business process.

12. The product of claim 11, wherein at least one particular entry in the process routing table is associated with one of a plurality of process patterns, each process pattern comprising a reusable, predefined operation.

13. The product of claim 12, wherein the at least one action defined by the identified particular entry in the process routing table is a particular process pattern.

14. The product of claim 11, wherein the process routing table comprises a table of rows and columns, each row defining an individual rule associated with a particular business process.

15. The product of claim 14, wherein the process routing table comprises at least one of the following:

a database table, a spreadsheet table, or an XML file.

16. The product of claim 11, wherein the process routing table comprises an editable table.

17. The product of claim 16, the instructions further operable when executed to:

receive a request from a user to edit the process routing table;

determine whether the requesting user is authorized to modify the process routing table;

based on a determination that the requesting user is authorized to modify the process routing table, present an editable version of the process routing table to the requesting user via a user interface; and

update the process routing table based on at least one modification received from the requesting user via the user interface.

18. The product of claim 11, wherein identifying the process routing table associated with the identified business process and identifying the particular entry in the process routing table associated with the current state of the identified business process are performed by a central rule engine.

19. A system comprising:

one or more computers; and

a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium coupled to the one or more computers having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising;

identifying a business process for execution, the business process defined by one or more process steps;

identifying a process routing table associated with the identified business process, at least a portion of the process routing table including one or more entries defining a set of business process rules for the identified business process;

identifying a particular entry in the process routing table associated with a current state of the identified business process;

performing at least one action defined by the identified particular entry in the process routing table;

change the state of the identified business process to an updated state after performing the at least one action defined by the identified particular entry in the process routing table;

determine whether the updated state of the identified business process is associated with completion of the identified business process;

based on a determination that the updated state of the identified business process is not associated with completion of the identified business process identify a new particular entry in the process routing table associated with the updated state of the identified business process; and

based on a determination that the updated state of the identified business process is associated with completion of the identified business process, complete the identified business process.