Systems and methods for performing workflow

• US 8,566,125 B1
• Filed: 09/20/2004
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Genworth Holdings, Inc. (Genworth Financial Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Genworth Holdings, Inc. (Genworth Financial Incorporated)
• Inventors: Metzger, Michael David, Russell, Diane Marie, Bryant, Mary Kathryn, Perry, Timothy P. J., Helt, David John
• Primary Examiner(s): NIQUETTE, ROBERT R
• Application Number:
  US10/944,184
• Time in Patent Office: 3,319 Days
• Field of Search: 705/4, 705 35- 45, 719/316
• US Class Current: 705/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

The systems and methods of the invention provide a workflow system for processing a financial application in an automated manner. The workflow system may include an interface portion, the interface portion inputting application information into the workflow system for processing by the workflow system and a workflow looping portion. The workflow looping portion may include performing underwriting processing to effect underwriting of the application based on the application information, performing issue processing to effect issue of the application, and performing settlement processing to effect settlement of the application. A rules logic portion may be provided to control the implementation of rules applied to the processing of the application as the application passes through the automated processing. The performing underwriting processing, performing issue processing and performing settlement processing are each performed in an automated manner to constitute automated processing of the application, such that the automated processing includes the performing underwriting processing, performing issue processing and performing settlement processing.

Claims

1. A workflow system for processing an insurance application in an automated manner, the workflow system in the form of a tangibly embodied processing machine constituting a physical structure, the workflow system comprising:

an interface portion tangibly disposed in the processing machine and constituting a physical structure, the interface portion inputting application information into the workflow system for processing by the workflow system;

a workflow looping portion tangibly disposed in the processing machine and constituting a physical structure, the workflow looping portion performing processing, the processing including, in sequence;

performing underwriting processing to effect underwriting of the insurance application based on the application information, the performing underwriting processing including;

monitoring the underwriting processing to determine whether the underwriting processing is completed, and

forwarding the insurance application to perform issue processing subsequent to the determining that the underwriting processing is completed;

performing issue processing to effect issue of the insurance application, the performing issue processing including;

monitoring the issue processing to determine whether the issue processing is completed; and

forwarding the insurance application to perform settlement processing subsequent to the determining that the issue processing is completed; and

performing settlement processing to effect settlement of the insurance application, the performing settlement processing including;

monitoring the settlement processing to determine whether the issue processing is completed; and

a rules logic portion tangibly disposed in the processing machine and constituting a physical structure, the rules logic portion controlling the implementation of rules applied to the processing of the insurance application as the insurance application passes through the automated processing; and

wherein the performing underwriting processing, performing issue processing and performing settlement processing are each performed in an automated manner to constitute automated processing of the insurance application, such that the automated processing includes the performing underwriting processing, performing issue processing and performing settlement processing.

2. The workflow system of claim 1, further including a wait state portion, the wait state portion imposing wait states on the automated processing such that the automated processing is suspended until the wait state imposed by the wait state portion is ended.

3. The workflow system of claim 2, wherein the wait state portion imposes the wait state because the wait state portion identifies that there is insufficient information available to underwrite the insurance application, the wait state being imposed in the underwriting processing.

4. The workflow system of claim 3, wherein the wait state portion ends the wait state once information is received to cure the insufficient information, and subsequently, the workflow looping portion re-starts the underwriting processing.

5. The workflow system of claim 4, wherein the received information is a document.

6. The workflow system of claim 2, wherein the wait state portion imposes the wait state because the wait state portion identifies that there is a required task to be performed by a person.

7. The workflow system of claim 2, wherein the wait state portion imposes the wait state because the wait state portion identifies that required is the resolution of at least one selected from the group consisting of a case management issue, a legal issue and an administrative issue.

8. The workflow system of claim 1, wherein the workflow system further includes a task logic portion, the task logic portion identifying, based on particulars of an insurance application, a need for completion of a task to effect the automated processing.

9. The workflow system of claim 8, wherein the task is associated with a document used in the automated processing.

10. The workflow system of claim 9, wherein the task is a discrepancy in the document requiring human intervention.

11. The workflow system of claim 8, wherein the task logic portion identifies the task as an item requiring human review.

12. The workflow system of claim 8, wherein the task logic portion identifies the task based on:

identifying a change to information used in the automated processing by a first person; and

identifying that a second person is required to review the change under the automated processing, the task being a verify task.

13. The system of claim 8, further including:

a wait state portion, the wait state portion imposing a wait state on the automated processing such that the automated processing is suspended until the wait state imposed by the wait state portion is ended; and

the wait state portion imposes the wait state because there is a task to be performed; and

wherein the task logic portion effects form validation processing, the form validation processing;

identifying a change in a changed document in the automated processing;

wiping clean all tasks associated with the changed document;

scrubbing information in the changed document; and

checking the changed document for deficiencies.

14. The workflow system of claim 8, wherein the task logic portion making an association to effect completion of the task;

and

the making an association to effect completion of the task includes the task logic portion associating the identified task to a person.

15. The workflow system of claim 8, wherein the task logic portion making an association to effect completion of the task;

and

the making an association to effect completion of the task includes the task logic portion associating the identified tasks to a group.

16. The workflow system of claim 8, wherein the task logic portion making an association to effect completion of the task;

and

the making an association to effect completion of the task includes the task logic portion disposing the task for access by at least one of a person and a group.

17. The workflow system of claim 8, wherein the task logic portion generates indicia that is associated with an insurance application, and provides for a user to access the workflow system, and identify their need to perform the task, based on the indicia.

18. The workflow system of claim 17, wherein the task logic portion places information in a queue so as to identify the task to a person, who is identified to complete the task.

19. The workflow system of claim 1, further including a case management portion, the case management portion allowing a user to enter instructions to terminate processing of an insurance application in the workflow system;

and

the case management portion forwarding the insurance application to an external system, outside the workflow system, based on the instructions; and

the insurance application being forwarded to the external system for further processing in the external system.

20. The workflow system of claim 1, further including a case management portion, the case management portion monitoring the status of insurance applications undergoing automated processing in the workflow system, the case management portion, upon user request, outputting information to the user regarding the status of such insurance applications.

21. The workflow system of claim 20, wherein the case management portion inputs external application status information, the external application status information being input from at least one external system regarding the processing of insurance applications in the at least one external system, the case management portion, upon user request, outputting the external application status information for review.

22. The workflow system of claim 1, further including a rules logic portion, the rules logic portion effecting processing on the application information relating to entity information to assist in data entry of the entity information;

and

wherein the entity information includes at least one selected from the group consisting of owner information and beneficiary information.

23. The workflow system of claim 22, wherein the rules logic portion:

analyzes the entity information to determine a corresponding template;

presents the template to a data entry operator; and

interfaces with the data entry operator to input the entity information into the workflow system using the template.

24. The workflow system of claim 23, wherein the template is selected from a group of templates, each template in the group of templates respectively corresponding to a type of designation.

25. The workflow system of claim 24, wherein the type of designation is one selected from an individual, trust and estate.

26. The workflow system of claim 1, wherein the workflow looping portion processes a replacement application, the replacement application being an insurance application that replaces a previously existing insurance application;

the workflow system further including rules logic portion, the rules logic portion;

determining the type of replacement associated with the replacement application; and

identifies replacement regulations for use in the automated processing of the replacement application.

27. The workflow system of claim 26, wherein the rules logic portion automatically sends replacement co-notices and policy summaries associated with the automated processing of the replacement application.

28. The workflow system of claim 1, further including a customer profile-interaction portion, the customer profile-interaction portion:

identifying that an interaction with a customer is going to occur in the automated processing;

retrieving customer profile information from a database; and

providing the customer profile information for use in the workflow system in the interacting with the customer.

29. The workflow system of claim 1, further including a business coordinator portion, the business coordinator portion effecting interfacing of the workflow system with at least one external system, the external workflow system being outside the workflow system.

30. The workflow system of claim 29, wherein the effecting interfacing of the workflow system with at least one external system includes the business coordinator portion:

analyzing indicia associated with a new document input into the workflow system; and

based on the analyzing the indicia, determining a destination at which the document should be processed; and

generating information so that the document is available at the destination.

31. The workflow system of claim 1, wherein the business coordinator portion coordinates operations between the workflow system and the at least one external system.

32. The workflow system of claim 29, wherein the business coordinator portion outputs application information to the at least one external system for the external processing by the at least one external system.

33. The workflow system of claim 32 wherein the business coordinator portion coordinates re-entry of the insurance application that was outputted for external processing.

34. The workflow system of claim 32, wherein the outputting the application information to the at least one external system is done automatically based on application of rules.

35. The workflow system of claim 32, wherein the outputting the application information to the at least one external system is done subsequent to a humane user review of the insurance application being output.

36. The workflow system of claim 1, further including an imaging system that presents images to a user, the image system comprising:

an image request handling subsystem for outputting images to at least one image viewing client that interfaces with a user;

a plurality of image systems each providing for the permanent storage of images;

at least one cache that provides for temporary storage of images;

an image adaptor layer, the image adaptor layer providing an interface layer between the plurality of image systems and both the image request handling subsystem and the at least one cache; and

an image format handling layer that performs format change processing to the image adaptor layer.

37. A non-transitory computer readable medium that processes an insurance application in an automated manner, the computer readable medium tangibly embodied in a processing machine constituting a physical structure, the computer readable medium comprising:

an interface portion tangibly disposed in the processing machine and constituting a physical structure, the interface portion inputting application information into the work-flow system for processing by the workflow system;

a workflow looping portion tangibly disposed in the processing machine and constituting a physical structure, the workflow looping portion including;

performing underwriting processing to effect underwriting of the insurance application based on the application information, the performing underwriting processing including;

monitoring the underwriting processing to determine whether the underwriting processing is completed, and

forwarding the insurance application to perform issue processing subsequent to the determining that the underwriting processing is completed;

performing issue processing to effect issue of the insurance application, the performing issue processing including;

monitoring the issue processing to determine whether the issue processing is completed; and

forwarding the insurance application to perform settlement processing subsequent to the determining that the issue processing is completed; and

performing settlement processing to effect settlement of the insurance application, the performing settlement processing including;

monitoring the settlement processing to determine whether the issue processing is completed; and

a rules logic portion tangibly disposed in the processing machine and constituting a physical structure, the rules logic portion controlling the implementation of rules applied to the processing of the insurance application as the insurance application passes through the automated processing; and

wherein the performing underwriting processing, performing issue processing and performing settlement processing are each performed in an automated manner by the computer readable medium to constitute automated processing of the insurance application, such that the automated processing includes the performing underwriting processing, performing issue processing and performing settlement processing.

38. A method for processing an insurance application in an automated manner, the method implemented on a tangibly embodied physical processing machine constituting a physical structure, the method comprising:

inputting, by the physical processing machine, application information into the workflow system for processing by the workflow system;

effecting workflow looping processing, by the physical processing machine, the workflow looping processing including;

performing underwriting processing to effect underwriting of the insurance application based on the application information, the performing underwriting processing including;

monitoring the underwriting processing to determine whether the underwriting processing is completed, and

forwarding the insurance application to perform issue processing subsequent to the determining that the underwriting processing is completed;

performing issue processing to effect issue of the insurance application, the performing issue processing including;

monitoring the issue processing to determine whether the issue processing is completed; and

forwarding the insurance application to perform settlement processing subsequent to the determining that the issue processing is completed; and

performing settlement processing to effect settlement of the insurance application, the performing settlement processing including;

monitoring the settlement processing to determine whether the issue processing is completed; and

controlling, by the physical processing machine, the implementation of rules applied to the processing of the insurance application as the insurance application passes through the automated processing, the rules controlling processing of the insurance application; and

wherein the performing underwriting processing, performing issue processing and performing settlement processing are each performed in an automated manner to constitute automated processing of the insurance application, such that the automated processing includes the performing underwriting processing, performing issue processing and performing settlement processing.