ADAPTIVE BUSINESS PROCESS AUTOMATION

• US 20110270794A1
• Filed: 04/29/2010
• Published: 11/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Geva, Amir, Drory, Tal, Walach, Eugene
• Granted Patent: US 8,396,815 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 706/52
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 7/02 using fuzzy logic computing arrangements based on biological models G06N3/00; computing arrangements using knowledge-based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product are provided for process automation. The method includes: monitoring one or more workstations including monitoring screen contents and user actions at the workstation; and analysing the screen contents and user actions into monitored functional events. The method further includes: providing multiple focal states as defined sequences of functional events with one or more facilitating scripts associated with a focal state, wherein a facilitating script provides one or more automatic actions; and matching a sequence of monitored functional events to a defined sequence of functional events of a focal state. The one or more automatic actions of a facilitating script associated with the matched focal state are then applied.

Claims

1. A method for process automation, comprising:

monitoring one or more workstations including monitoring screen contents and user actions at the workstation;

analysing the screen contents and user actions into monitored functional events;

providing multiple focal states as defined sequences of functional events with one or more facilitating scripts associated with a focal state, wherein a facilitating script provides one or more automatic actions;

matching a sequence of monitored functional events to a defined sequence of functional events of a focal state; and

applying the one or more automatic actions of a facilitating script associated with the matched focal state;

wherein said steps are implemented in either;

computer hardware configured to perform said identifying, tracing, and providing steps, or computer software embodied in a non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable storage medium.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein matching a sequence of monitored functional events to a focal state includes fuzzy matching.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, including requesting user confirmation before applying the one or more automatic actions of a facilitating script.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, including requesting a user selection of one of multiple facilitating scripts associated with a matched focal state.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein providing multiple focal states and facilitating scripts includes providing pre-defined focal states and facilitating scripts as input by an administrator.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein providing multiple focal states includes:

analysing monitored screen contents and user actions to determine repeated functional events; and

automatically defining a focal state as a sequence of the monitored functional events.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein providing a facilitating script for a focal state, includes:

analysing monitored user actions after the functional events of a focal state; and

automatically defining a facilitating script with actions corresponding to the monitored user actions.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, including adapting a facilitating script including:

evaluating a cost function of a system to which a facilitating script is applied; and

adapting a facilitating script to improve the cost function.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, including iterating the steps of evaluating and adapting to optimize the facilitating script.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, including monitoring multiple workstations involved in a single business process.

11. A computer program product for process automation, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to;

monitor one or more workstations including monitoring screen contents and user actions at the workstation;

analyse the screen contents and user actions into monitored functional events;

provide multiple focal states as defined sequences of functional events with one or more facilitating scripts associated with a focal state, wherein a facilitating script provides one or more automatic actions;

match a sequence of monitored functional events to a defined sequence of functional events of a focal state; and

apply the one or more automatic actions of a facilitating script associated with the matched focal state.

12. A system for process automation, comprising:

a processor;

a monitoring agent for monitoring one or more workstations including monitoring screen contents and user actions at the workstation;

a current set module for analysing the screen contents and user actions into monitored functional events;

a focal state provider for providing multiple focal states as defined sequences of functional events and a facilitating script provider providing one or more facilitating scripts associated with a focal state, wherein a facilitating script provides one or more automatic actions;

a matching module for matching a sequence of monitored functional events to a defined sequence of functional events of a focal state; and

an applying module for applying the one or more automatic actions of a facilitating script associated with the matched focal state.

13. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the matching module applies fuzzy matching of a sequence of monitored functional events to a focal state.

14. The system as claimed in claim 12, including a user input mechanism for providing user confirmation before applying the one or more automatic actions of a facilitating script.

15. The system as claimed in claim 12, including a user input mechanism for user selection of one of multiple facilitating scripts associated with a matched focal state.

16. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the focal state provider and the facilitating state provider provide pre-defined focal states and associated facilitating scripts as defined by an administrator.

17. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the focal state provider:

analyses monitored screen contents and user actions to determine repeated functional events; and

automatically defines a focal state as a sequence of the monitored functional events.

18. The system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the facilitating script provider:

analyses monitored user actions after the functional events of a focal state; and

automatically defines a facilitating script with actions corresponding to the monitored user actions.

19. The system as claimed in claim 12, including an adaptive mechanism to adapt facilitating scripts including:

a cost function evaluation module for evaluating the cost to the system of applying a facilitating script;

an adaptive algorithm module; and

a perturbation mechanism for changing the facilitating script to improve the cost function.

20. The system as claimed in claim 19, wherein the adaptive mechanism iterates the adaptation of the facilitating script to optimize the facilitating script for the system.

21. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the monitoring agent monitors multiple workstations involved in a single business process.