Intelligent service management and process control using policy-based automation and predefined task templates

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having a computer readable program stored therein, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on a computing device, causes the computing device to:

• receive, from a source component, a workflow in an environment in which the workflow is to be performed;
• receive, from the source component, required context information and state information of the environment in which the workflow is to be performed;
• identify two or more tasks and task attributes associated with each task in the two or more tasks in the workflow;
• compare the each task within the two or more tasks in the workflow to a set of predefined task templates in order to identify a task template associated with the task;
• utilize the identified two or more task templates for the corresponding two or more tasks to thereby define the workflow based on the identified two or more task templates from the set of predefined task templates;
• convert the each task in the identified two or more task templates to a work order thereby creating two or more work orders that conform to the identified two or more task templates;
• apply one or more automation rules to the context information and the state information of the environment as well as the task attributes associated with the each task in the two or more tasks identified from the workflow to generate an individualized automation level setting for each work order of the two or more work orders, wherein the computer readable program causes the computing device to apply the one or more automation rules to the context information, the state information, and the task attributes to generate the individualized automation level setting for each of the two or more work orders comprises evaluating the context information and the state information according to conditions specified in the one or more automation rules and setting each individualized automation level setting to a first setting based on the context information and the state information satisfying the conditions specified in the one or more automation rules and setting each individualized automation level setting to a second setting based on the context information and the state information not satisfying the conditions specified in the one or more automation rules;
• and
• perform the each work order of the two or more work orders in the environment in which the workflow is to be performed in accordance with its associated individualized automation level setting, wherein the individualized automation level setting specifies a degree of automation to be used when performing the work order.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
• receive, from a source component, the workflow in an environment in which the workflow is to be performed;
• receive, from the source component, required context information and state information of the environment in which the workflow is to be performed;
• identify two or more tasks and task attributes associated with each task in the two or more tasks in the workflow;
• compare the each task within the two or more tasks in the workflow to a set of predefined task templates in order to identify a task template associated with the task;
• utilize the identified two or more task templates for the corresponding two or more tasks to thereby define the workflow based on the identified two or more task templates from the set of predefined task templates;
• convert the each task in the identified two or more task templates to a work order thereby creating two or more work orders that conform to the identified two or more task templates;
• apply one or more automation rules to the context information and the state information of the environment as well as the task attributes associated with the each task in the two or more tasks identified from the workflow to generate an individualized automation level setting for each work order of the two or more work orders, wherein the instructions cause the processor to apply the one or more automation rules to the context information, the state information, and the task attributes to generate the individualized automation level setting for each of the two or more work orders comprises evaluating the context information and the state information according to conditions specified in the one or more automation rules and setting each individualized automation level setting to a first setting based on the context information and the state information satisfying the conditions specified in the one or more automation rules and setting each individualized automation level setting to a second setting based on the context information and the state information not satisfying the conditions specified in the one or more automation rules;
• and
• perform the each work order of the two or more work orders in the environment in which the workflow is to be performed in accordance with its associated individualized automation level setting, wherein the individualized automation level setting specifies a degree of automation to be used when performing the work order.