Method and apparatus to present an integrated process modeler

• US 8,930,833 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2006
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siebel Systems Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Siebel Systems Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Levin, Issac Stephen, Degenhardt, Jon Rexford, Suklikar, Atul, Thorson, Peter A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chow, Doon
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHIUSANO, ANDREW TSUTOMU
• Application Number:
  US11/542,281
• Publication Number:
  US 20070028179A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,017 Days
• Field of Search: 717/104, 717/109, 717/113, 717/136, 717/135, 717/105, 715/765, 715/764, 715/763, 715/852, 715/853, 715/854
• US Class Current: 715/763
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/067 Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A method and apparatus for an integrated process modeler is described. The modeler comprises a non-technical interface to permit design of a business process by a non-technical use and a technical interface to implement substeps of the process to automate technical aspects of the process by a technical user, using the same process modeler. The resulting process designed to be used by non-technical employees, to automatically lead the non-technical employees through the business process.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

modeling a business process, wherein said modeling comprises

designing a process, wherein

said process represents a non-technical model of said business process,

said designing is performed using a non-technical user interface, and

said non-technical user interface is configured to permit design of said business process by a non-technical user, and

in response to an indication that said process is complete, transferring access to said process from said non-technical user interface to a technical user interface, wherein

said technical interface is configured to allow a technical user to implement said process, and

said transferring comprises

identifying an element, wherein

 

said element is an incompletely-defined element,

identifying a connector, wherein

 

said connector is an incompletely-defined connector,

said identifying of said element and said identifying of said connector permits completion of said incompletely-defined element and said incompletely-defined connector, and

configuring said technical user interface to be used to complete said incompletely-defined element and said incompletely-defined connector, and

implementing said process, wherein

said implementing implements said process as a technical model of said business process, and

said implementing is performed using said technical user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said modeling further comprises:

editing said process, wherein

said editing is performed using said non-technical user interface.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein

said process is an existing process.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said modeling further comprises:

selecting said existing process from a plurality of existing processes, wherein

a business process library comprises said existing processes.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said transferring comprises:

analyzing said process, wherein

said analyzing is performed in response to said process being checked-in from said non-technical user interface;

if a step is missing from said process, identifying said step as a missing step;

if said process comprises a new element, identifying said new element; and

if said process comprises a new connection, identifying said new connection.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said transferring further comprises:

if said missing step is identified, flagging said missing step;

if said new element is identified, flagging said new element; and

if said new connection is identified, flagging said new connection.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said implementing comprises:

displaying a systems view of said process;

determining whether an element needs to be added to said process; and

if said element needs to be added to said process, indicating said element needs to be added to said process.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said implementing comprises:

identifying an additional element, wherein

said additional element is a non-executable element;

identifying an additional connector, wherein

said additional connector is a non-executable connector; and

wherein

said identifying allows said non-executable element and said non-executable connector to be completed.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said modeling further comprises:

integrating said process with an external service.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said integrating comprises:

defining a source, wherein

said source defines a location of said external service, and

said source further defines an access mode for said external service;

defining a format, wherein

said format defines a first format for addressing said external service, and

said format further defines a second format to be used to transfer data from said external service; and

defining a transform, wherein

said transform defines a transformation between said first format and said second format.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

drilling down to a sub-process and to steps of the sub-process wherein

said drilling down enables displaying and editing the steps of the sub-process.

12. A non-transitory computer program product comprising:

a plurality of instructions, comprising

a first set of instructions, executable on a computer system, configured to model a business process, wherein

said first set of instructions comprise

a first subset of instructions, executable on said computer system, configured to design a process, wherein

 

said process represents a non-technical model of said business process,

 

said designing is performed using a non-technical user interface, and

 

said non-technical user interface is configured to permit design of said business process by a non-technical user, and

a second subset of instructions, executable on said computer system, configured to transfer access to said process from said non-technical user interface to a technical user interface, in response to an indication that said process is complete, wherein

 

said technical interface is configured to allow a technical user to implement said process, and

 

the transfer comprises

 

identifying an element, wherein

 

said element is an incompletely-defined element,

 

identifying a connector, wherein

 

said connector is an incompletely-defined connector, and

 

said identifying of said element and said identifying of said connector permits completion of said incompletely-defined element and said incompletely-defined connector, and

 

configuring the technical user interface to be used to complete said incompletely-defined element and said incompletely-defined connector, and

a third subset of instructions, executable on said computer system, configured to implement said process, wherein

 

said third set of instructions is configured to implement said process as a technical model of said business process, and

 

said implementing is performed using said technical user interface, and

a computer readable storage medium, wherein said instructions are encoded in said computer readable storage medium.

13. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 12, wherein said further first set of instructions comprises:

a fourth subset of instructions, executable on said computer system, configured to edit said process, wherein

said editing is performed using said non-technical user interface, and

said process is an existing process; and

a fifth subset of instructions, executable on said computer system, configured to select said existing process from a plurality of existing processes, wherein a business process library comprises said existing processes.

14. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 12, wherein said second subset of instructions comprises:

a first sub-subset of instructions, executable on said computer system, configured to analyzing said process, wherein

said first sub-subset of instructions are executed in response to said process being checked-in from said non-technical user interface;

a second sub-subset of instructions, executable on said computer system, configured to identify a step as a missing step, if said step is missing from said process;

a third sub-subset of instructions, executable on said computer system, configured to identify a new element, if said process comprises said new element; and

a fourth sub-subset of instructions, executable on said computer system, configured to identify a new connection, if said process comprises a new connection.

15. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 14, wherein said second subset of instructions further comprises:

a fifth sub-subset of instructions, executable on said computer system, configured to flag said missing step, if said missing step is identified;

a sixth sub-subset of instructions, executable on said computer system, configured to flag said new element, if said new element is identified; and

a seventh sub-subset of instructions, executable on said computer system, configured to flag said new connection, if said new connection is identified.

16. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 12, wherein said first set of instructions further comprises:

a fourth subset of instructions, executable on said computer system, configured to display a systems view of said process;

a fifth subset of instructions, executable on said computer system, configured to determine whether an element needs to be added to said process; and

a sixth subset of instructions, executable on said computer system, configured to indicate said element needs to be added to said process, if said element needs to be added to said process.

17. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 12, wherein said first set of instructions further comprises:

a fourth subset of instructions, executable on said computer system, configured to integrate said process with an external service, wherein

said fourth subset of instructions comprises

a first sub-subset of instructions, executable on said computer system, configured to define a source, wherein

said source defines a location of said external service, and

said source further defines an access mode for said external service,

a second sub-subset of instructions, executable on said computer system, configured to define a format, wherein

said format defines a first format for addressing said external service, and

said format further defines a second format to be used to transfer data from said external service, and

a third sub-subset of instructions, executable on said computer system, configured to define a transform, wherein

said transform defines a transformation between said first format and said second format.

18. A computing system comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, wherein

said computer-readable storage medium and said processor are coupled to one another,

said computer-readable storage medium has instructions encoded therein, and

said instructions are configured to cause said processor to perform modeling of a business process by virtue of said instructions comprising

a non-technical interface module, wherein

said non-technical interface module is configured to be employed in designing a process,

said process represents a non-technical model of said business process, and

said non-technical interface module is configured to generate a non-technical user interface, and

said non-technical interface module is configured to permit design of said business process by a non-technical user, and

transfer and flagging logic, wherein

said transfer and flagging logic and said non-technical interface module are coupled to one another, and

said transfer and flagging logic is configured to transfer access to said process from said non-technical user interface to a technical user interface, in response to an indication that said process is complete, wherein

said technical interface is configured to allow a technical user to implement said process, and the transfer comprises

identifying an element, wherein

said element is an incompletely-defined element, identifying a connector, wherein

said connector is an incompletely-defined connector, and

wherein said identifying of said element and said identifying of said connector permits completion of said incompletely-defined element and said incompletely-defined connector, and

configuring the technical user interface to be used to complete said incompletely-defined element and said incompletely-defined connector, and

a technical interface module, wherein

said technical interface module and said transfer and flagging logic are coupled to one another,

said technical interface module is configured to implement said process as a technical model of said business process, and

said technical interface module is configured to generate said technical user interface.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said instructions further comprise:

check-in logic, wherein

said check-in logic and said non-technical interface module are coupled to one another, and

said check-in logic is configured to generate said indication, upon said process being complete.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said instructions further comprise:

validation logic, wherein

said validation logic is coupled to said check-in logic, said transfer and flagging logic, and said non-technical interface module, and

said validation logic is configured to analyze said process by virtue of being configured to determine

whether a step is missing from said process,

whether said process comprises a new element, and

whether said process comprises a new connection.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said instructions further comprise:

integration logic, wherein

said integration logic and said technical interface module are coupled to one another, and

said integration logic is configured to integrate said process with an external service by virtual of being configured to

define a source, wherein

said source defines a location of said external service, and

said source further defines an access mode for said external service,

define a format, wherein

said format defines a first format for addressing said external service, and

said format further defines a second format to be used to transfer data from said external service, and

define a transform, wherein

said transform defines a transformation between said first format and said second format.