Workflow system and method with skip function
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsKazuyuki Tsuda, Hiroyasu Ohsaki, Ryohichi Yoshimura
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Delay in a workflow is avoided by introducing a skip operation upon execution of the workflow. Additionally, a person in charge of the workflow eventually participates in the workflow process even if he/she has been skipped. The workflow design defines skippable activities, in advance, as well as re-execution points in order to reassign the skipped activities.
Claims15
A workflow system, comprising:
- design computer terminals for designing a workflow;
- operation computer terminals for executing said workflow;
- and a workflow server for managing said workflow connected to said design computer terminals and operation computer terminals via a network, wherein said design computer terminals design the workflow by defining in advance skippable activities and re-execution points to perform reassignment to the skipped activities, and wherein said workflow server performs skip processing and reassignment processing for said operation computer terminals based on said workflow designed by said design computer terminals.
A workflow system, comprising:
- computer terminals for executing a workflow;
- and a workflow server for managing said workflow connected to said computer terminals via a network, wherein said workflow server comprises:
- means for assigning transactions to predetermined operators, who operate said computer terminals, based on a workflow definition defining a process flow;
- means for performing skip processing automatically or manually according to directions from said computer terminals, for one of said operators to whom the transaction is assigned;
- and means for reassigning the skipped transaction to said one of said operators skipped by said means for performing skip processing.
A workflow server for managing a workflow connected to a plurality of computer terminals, comprising:
- means for assigning to a predetermined person a transaction performed as a business process transaction;
- means for performing skip processing to skip the transaction assigned to said person;
- and means for assigning re-execution of the transaction to the skipped persons at predetermined timing in said workflow.
7-9. (canceled)
An information processing apparatus for defining a workflow to be executed by a plurality of computer terminals connected to a network, comprising:
- a plurality of nodes corresponding to business processes assigned to persons in charge of execution of the workflow;
- means for establishing a flow using paths to connect the plurality of nodes;
- means for establishing at least one skippable node among said plurality of nodes;
- and means for establishing at least one recovery node in said flow to define points on the workflow where transactions are to be re-executed for said least one skippable node.
12-15. (canceled)
A method for executing a workflow executed at a plurality of computer terminals connected to a network, the method comprising the steps of:
- assigning activities that are performed as transactions of business processes in the workflow to predetermined persons who operate the computer terminals;
- performing skip processing to skip at least one activity assigned to said persons;
- and assigning re-execution of the at least one activity skipped to said persons whose assigned activities have been skipped, at a predetermined time in said workflow.
A computer-readable storage medium for storing a program code executable by a computer, the program code comprising the steps of:
- establishing nodes serving as business processes that are assigned to persons in charge of execution of a workflow;
- determining whether said nodes established are skippable;
- and establishing at least one recovery node where the persons in charge of the nodes determined to be skippable can re-execute the business processes, if skipped.
A computer-readable storage medium for storing a program code executable by a computer, the program code comprising the steps of:
- assigning activities that are performed as a transaction of business processes in a workflow to predetermined persons in charge;
- performing skip processing to skip one or more activities assigned to said persons;
- and assigning re-execution of the skipped activities to said persons whose assigned activities have been skipped, at a predetermined time in said workflow.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.