Workflow method, system, and data structure

A computer system comprising a processor and a computer readable memory unit coupled to the processor, said memory unit containing software that when executed by the processor perform a method for implementing a workflow, said workflow dividing a general work task of an enterprise into activities and associated relationships with respect to a plurality of participating roles in the workflow, said method comprising:

• generating a checklist file for each participating role, each checklist file stored in a first database, each checklist file specifying activities of each participating role and at least one relationship element for each activity of each participating role, wherein the at least one relationship element of a first activity in the checklist file of a first participating role of the plurality of participating roles comprises a dependency relationship;
• and
• generating a plurality of checklist instances, each checklist instance being stored in a second database, each checklist instance corresponding to an associated checklist file and recording a status of each activity and of each relationship element in the associated checklist.

A computer program product, comprising a computer usable storage medium having computer software that when executed by a computer system causes the computer system to perform a method for implementing a workflow, said workflow dividing a general work task of an enterprise into activities and associated relationships with respect to a plurality of participating roles in the workflow, said method comprising:

• generating a checklist file for each participating role, each checklist file stored in a first database, each checklist file specifying activities of each participating role and at least one relationship element for each activity of each participating role, wherein the at least one relationship element of a first activity in the checklist file of a first participating role of the plurality of participating roles comprises a dependency relationship;
• and
• generating a plurality of checklist instances, each checklist instance being stored in a second database, each checklist instance corresponding to an associated checklist file and recording a status of each activity and of each relationship element in the associated checklist.

A workflow data structure for managing a plurality of participating roles and a status of each participating role in a workflow, said workflow dividing a general work task of an enterprise into activities and associated relationships with respect to the participating roles, said workflow data structure comprising:

• a checklist file for each participating role, each checklist file stored in a first database, each checklist file specifying activities of each participating role and at least one relationship element for each activity of each participating role, wherein the at least one relationship element of a first activity in the checklist file of a first participating role of the plurality of participating roles comprises a dependency relationship;
• and
• a plurality of checklist instances, each checklist instance being stored in a second database, each checklist instance corresponding to an associated checklist file and recording a status of each activity and of each relationship element in the associated checklist.