US 2003/0171947 A1 · system and method for enterprise-wide business process management

Abstract

Implementing a business process management system across an entire enterprise. An exemplary computer-based system for implementing business processes can access data existing on one or more of the computer platforms of an enterprise to implement workflows by a workflow engine. A business process can be broken into business rules that define the process. These business rules can then be categorized into work element categories and translated into workflow elements. Data for supporting the workflow can be identified, including sources of that data within the enterprise. Delegates can be designed to implement each individual workflow element. For example, a delegate can be designed to support the retrieval of data from a computer platform other than the platform hosting a workflow engine. These delegates, which typically comprise XML documents, can be assembled and operated as workflow elements to form the workflow processed by the workflow engine.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A method for implementing a business process on a computer system comprising the steps of:

developing at least one business rule that describes the business process;
for each business rule, developing an element of a workflow that implements the business process;
determining at least one data item for implementing each workflow element;
and
identifying sources of each data item from a plurality of computer systems, wherein at least one of computer systems comprises an operating system different from the operating system used on the computer system comprising a workflow engine that operates on a workflow representing the business process.

2 more elements

A method for implementing a business process for an enterprise, wherein the business process comprises at least one business rule, comprising the steps of:

developing a workflow element from each business rule of the business process;
identifying each source of data items for the workflow elements;
defining a delegate to perform each workflow element;
arranging each delegate to form the workflow, wherein the workflow corresponds to an order of the business rules in the business process;
and
operating a workflow engine that processes the workflow, wherein at least one of the workflow elements specifies the retrieval by the workflow engine of one of the data items from one of the identified sources and at least one of the sources of data items comprises a computer system other than a computer system comprising the workflow engine that operates on a workflow representing the business process.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

system and method for enterprise-wide business process management

Life of this patent

system and method for enterprise-wide business process management

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims23