U.S. patent application number 12/551120 was filed with the patent office on 2010-07-01 for software system for managing information in context.
Invention is credited to David Austin, Sharon Flank, David Ian Forbes.
Application Number | 20100169233 12/551120 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36126713 |
Filed Date | 2010-07-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100169233 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Forbes; David Ian ; et
al. |
July 1, 2010 |
SOFTWARE SYSTEM FOR MANAGING INFORMATION IN CONTEXT
Abstract
A software system that uses the rigor and rules of business
process automation to capture and structure organizational
expertise, processes, and procedures--the non-automatable
activities and actions of an organization--into a single, common,
enterprise-wide, information framework. The capture function is
engineered for usability and structured to reflect the patterns and
semantics of business users rather than imposing software or
process terminology. The produced framework generates a
process-driven, centralized taxonomy of information and resources
as business requirements are captured. The framework delivers users
an organization-specific context to activities and information to
be used for learning, training, reference, improvisation,
collaboration, and operations. Said system has application in
disseminating policies, procedures and compliance; business
continuity; improved productivity and culture; training and
learning; increasing the return on existing and requirements
gathering for future IT investments; employee attrition, retention,
and on boarding; capturing and managing knowledge and intellectual
capital; and continuous improvement and process reengineering.
Inventors: |
Forbes; David Ian; (Falls
Church, VA) ; Flank; Sharon; (Washington, DC)
; Austin; David; (Falls Church, VA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
COOLEY LLP;ATTN: Patent Group
Suite 1100, 777 - 6th Street, NW
WASHINGTON
DC
20001
US
|
Family ID: |
36126713 |
Appl. No.: |
12/551120 |
Filed: |
August 31, 2009 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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11225138 |
Sep 13, 2005 |
7584161 |
|
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12551120 |
|
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60609845 |
Sep 15, 2004 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
705/348 ;
715/738 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 10/067 20130101;
G06Q 10/0637 20130101; G06Q 10/10 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/348 ;
715/738 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 10/00 20060101
G06Q010/00 |
Claims
1. A processor-readable medium storing code representing
instructions to cause a processor to perform a process, the code
comprising code to: provide a graphical user interface via a web
browser, including a plurality of objects, the objects being
associated with activities and sub-activities of a business
process; define a business process by using code to: update the
graphical user interface in response to a manipulation of at least
one object from the plurality of objects, the updating being
performed via a web browser; and limit the manipulation of the at
least one object based on a set of predetermined criteria; and
display the defined business process via the web browser.
2. The processor-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the code
includes Java-based code.
3. The processor-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising
code to track the manipulation of the at least one object.
4. The processor-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising
code to provide an object manager application configured to allow
editing, creation, and deletion of available objects for
manipulation purposes.
5. A processor-readable medium storing code representing
instructions to cause a processor to perform a process, the code
comprising code to: receive a signal defining a first taxonomy of a
plurality of nodes relating a plurality of activities and
sub-activities; receive a signal defining a second taxonomy of a
plurality of nodes relating a plurality of business objects;
receive a signal defining a relationship between at least one of
the plurality of activities and sub-activities from the first
taxonomy and at least one of the plurality of business objects from
the second taxonomy, the relationship being defined such that at
least a portion of the at least one of the plurality of business
objects can be accessed from the at least one of the plurality of
activities and sub-activities based on the relationship; define a
business process by updating the graphical user interface in
response to a signal manipulating one of the plurality of
activities and sub-activities or one of the plurality of business
objects; and display on a graphical user interface the defined
business process.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation application of U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 11/225,138 entitled "Software System
for Managing Information In Context" filed Sep. 13, 2005 (now U.S.
Pat. No. 7,584,161), which claims priority to and the benefit of
Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/609,845 entitled
"Software System for Managing Information in Context" filed Sep.
15, 2004, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in
their entireties.
BACKGROUND
[0002] 1. Field of Invention
[0003] This invention relates to using software for improving
productivity; specifically, using organizational business processes
as a means to identify, organize, connect to and deliver
information when and where it is precisely relevant and needed.
[0004] 2. Description of Prior Art
[0005] Organizations of many different types share the challenge of
making sense of vast amounts of information and making it available
to their staff, customers, partners and other audiences. Many
attempts have been made to address this issue--information
management approaches include Web and network-based search
technologies and content and document management systems that index
information across the organization, and store information in
structured repositories. While these approaches have merit, they
can actually contribute to productivity loss as they increase the
amount of information that workers must navigate and evaluate.
Ultimately, these approaches do not succeed as they place the onus
on the end user to discover a meaningful context to information as
it relates to them, in their organization, in their job. Other
technology approaches include automating processes and the
information that flows along those processes--but these rarely
scale to consider or incorporate other processes independent of the
automated flow and do not consider other information types that are
not intrinsically part of the information flow and that cannot be
automated. These systems are often highly complex to learn, use and
maintain. No existing approach explicitly and intentionally
utilizes process logic to build a single enterprise framework that
codifies information context and structure so that contextual
interaction with that information can be delivered to the end user
exactly when and where it is needed.
SUMMARY
[0006] The present invention is an enterprise software platform
that uses the rigor of business process (a sequential decomposition
of related or dependent activities or steps; future references to a
process should also be understood to include activities and
sub-activities) to capture and manage information in
context--seamlessly integrating strategy, people, content,
knowledge and infrastructure into a single common software
framework.
[0007] Rather than depending on software experts and process
consultants to assist in set up and ongoing support, the present
invention requires input only from people who know their jobs, or
are credible experts in their fields--subject matter experts (SME).
Since the present invention was designed for ease of knowledge
capture, a system user can, in a structured way, precisely extract
process expertise from hands-on experts (who sometimes have the
most useful tacit knowledge, but are perhaps lacking in
communication and organizing skills) as well as domain experts who
generally have a less granular but broader and more strategic
perspective.
[0008] The present invention has broad impact on an organization,
in areas such as but not limited to: policies, procedures and
compliance; business continuity; improved productivity and culture;
training and learning; increasing the value of infrastructure
investments, and requirements gathering for future IT investments;
employee attrition, retention and onboarding; capturing and
managing knowledge and intellectual capital; and continuous
improvement and process reengineering.
OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES
[0009] A fundamental difference from other systems for managing
information and business processes is that the present invention
was created to address the fact that most organizational activities
(80-90% by some estimates) require communication and
collaboration--human interaction, reasoning, improvisation,
judgment and decision-making. Most technological systems, however,
ignore this aspect of the organization, instead focusing on the
10-20% that can be automated--thus controllable--by eliminating the
human component. Automation's value is in the fact that it applies
logic and rules, providing structure, consistency and
repeatability. The present invention leverages automation
principles (business process logic, business rules) but applies
them toward codifying communication-centric and collaborative
processes and activities, then providing a mechanism for connecting
to and accessing the content and information. The present invention
leverages process logic, or a systematic, common vocabulary for
representing activities, sub-activities and their relationships and
relevancy to information types, by these key means:
[0010] 1. The present invention utilizes business process logic to
capture, structure and standardize subject matter expertise, tasks
and activities into a process taxonomy, or a hierarchical
relationship of activities. Key to this innovation is that it is
done in a highly usable way, unlike previous and existing
approaches to capturing process information, so that anyone can use
the innovation with little or no training. In doing so, the present
invention approaches business process modeling in an entirely new
and unique way.
[0011] 2. The present invention utilizes business process logic to
define and manage business objects, types or classes of information
and resources that have different kinds of relationships with other
information and resources (or objects) as well as attributes and
instantiations (or examples, also known as assets). The business
objects are ordered into a master taxonomy, or a hierarchical
relationship. Key to this innovation is the reuse of the master
taxonomy across many process taxonomies, dramatically reducing the
redundancy of object instances, or assets. The business objects
also have other kinds of relationships to each other, including but
not limited to, space (here, there, anywhere), time (new goo), form
(blue goo, gooey). These relationships enable clarity and
communication of dependencies, impact and change throughout the
process taxonomies.
[0012] 3. The present invention uses the output or result of items
1 & 2 to deliver organization context (the combination of
process information and business objects) whenever and however
useful and relevant to users for the following purposes, among
others, but not limited to, learning, training, reference, workflow
and operations. Users literally navigate by processes, going
activity by activity, and at each activity are given access to
information and resources directly relevant to that specific
activity. Delivery methods include, but are not limited to, Web
browsers, personal digital assistants, cellular phones, email, word
processors and spreadsheets. For this invention, Web browser should
be understood to mean any device capable of communication with
other devices via Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol
(TCP/IP) or similar protocols, wire-line or wireless.
[0013] The present invention provides a fluid and scalable
framework for managing change, so as the ways people do things
change, the software easily adapts--and is adapted--by the users
themselves. The present invention can be configured and modified at
different tiers, so processes and procedures can be scaled to adapt
and conform to geographic variants (laws, terrain, weather,
language, customs, culture, etc.) and still managed by the end
users rather than software administrators.
[0014] While the previous elements are at the heart of the present
invention, in the preferred embodiment, there are additional
aspects that distinguish it from prior art. These include:
[0015] 1. Ease of use in process modeling: Unconstrained by subject
matter or functional bias (unlike most software systems that are
driven by a specific business requirement), a key aspect of the
present invention is in the creation of a business process modeling
toolset that looks nothing like traditional toolsets, namely highly
complex and confusing with painful learning curves. For example, in
the present invention, the preferred structure for a process or
activity is indicated by using red, yellow and green stoplight
colors as visual cues for the user, and inheritances of business
objects in relation to processes or activities are presented to aid
in decision-making so that decisions are not made in a void. The
toolset of the present invention was designed by interaction design
and usability experts specifically for exceptionally high
ease-of-use by the person who has the greatest knowledge about what
they do (albeit generally in an ambiguous, tacit form)--the SME.
The toolset helps gently and painlessly extract a rich, thorough
"snapshot" of what people do, how they do it, and the precise
information resources needed every single step of the way. Should
the SME not desire to be hands-on, it can just as easily be done by
interview. Unlike other approaches to knowledge capture, the
benefit of process logic is that it extracts expertise in a highly
structured way.
[0016] 2. Adaptable to any business process: Because the present
invention incorporates a platform that uses business process logic
as a mechanism for capturing and communicating "how to," it is
highly flexible and adaptable. Business processes are organic, and
change and evolve frequently, driven by new ideas, innovations,
policies, laws and regulations. This ease of change is at the heart
of the present invention--unlike most hard coded software
technologies. The present invention can be used to develop a set of
"best" principles and practices that can be disseminated broadly,
then customized at the departmental or regional levels, reflecting
the unique operating environments of all the parts of an
organization or entity. For example, resources and technology can
be shared nationally, and resources exclusively useful at the local
level can be added and only shared at the local level. The present
invention adapts to and constrains information requirements for
sub-audiences, sharing selective subsets of information and
resources as required or desired.
[0017] 3. Seamlessly integrates with other systems: The
elegance--and Achilles heel--of most systems is that they are built
to solve a specific, discrete problem (consider Voice over Internet
Protocol (VOIP), email, Global Positioning Systems (GPS)). Precise
vendor knowledge and expertise is aggressively applied, creating a
rich and focused system. The flaw is that these highly focused
solutions were not built (or imagined) to scale and include or
incorporate not-directly related data, processes and semantics from
other processes or functional areas. The present invention's
capability for seamlessly integrating disparate systems was born
from that frustration, that a significant portion of IT budgets go
to software code-level integration and reintegration of new
technology systems and upgrades because they were not built to be
interoperable. This is a burdensome requirement for IT environments
that must constantly adapt to new and useful technology. The
present invention's breakthrough was enabled by the nature of
processes it supports--communicative and collaborative processes.
They do not require the deep data sharing code-level integration of
automation. Communication and collaboration utilize associations
and connections to communicate understanding and facilitate
decision-making. The present invention delivers "when I am doing
this, I need this system, this regulation, this form, and this
person" in a single interface that requires little or no training
to operate (FIG. 3).
[0018] 4. Rapidly deployable subject matter expertise: Unlike most
approaches to capturing expertise, processes and resources, which
usually employ a rigorous review and requirements loop prior to
implementation of a support system, SME input to the present
invention instantly becomes output to system users via a Web
browser, so knowledge captured from experts becomes immediately
available to all users. Additionally, new examples or assets within
the present invention are instantly available. Another benefit of
knowledge capture, is the creation of a "shopping list" of required
information and resources, which can be used for collection or
creation.
DRAWING FIGURES
[0019] The invention will be described with respect to a drawing in
several figures, of which:
[0020] FIG. 1 shows the present invention's interconnection of
process taxonomies with object taxonomies and that they are
accessed by, created and delivered in, a common interface.
[0021] FIG. 2 shows the architecture of the preferred
embodiment.
[0022] FIG. 3 shows a desktop Web browser information retrieval
screen of the preferred embodiment along with corresponding flow
diagram.
[0023] FIG. 4 shows a mobile Web browser information retrieval
screen of the preferred embodiment.
[0024] FIG. 5 shows the flow of the authoring process of the
preferred embodiment.
[0025] FIG. 6 shows the process authoring screen of the preferred
embodiment.
[0026] FIG. 7 shows the process hierarchy management screen of the
preferred embodiment.
[0027] FIG. 8 shows the context authoring screen of the preferred
embodiment, in three stages.
[0028] FIG. 9 shows the taxonomy manager screen of the preferred
embodiment.
[0029] FIG. 10 shows the taxonomy hierarchy manager screen of the
preferred embodiment.
[0030] FIG. 11 shows the audit manager screen of the preferred
embodiment.
DESCRIPTION
[0031] The critical innovation in the present invention comes from
the convergence of two key technologies--automation (or business
processes) and categorization (or information and content taxonomy
management) into a common interface (FIG. 1). This innovation
allows organizations to use business logic and rules as a framework
for structuring content and related resources, then use business
logic and rules for information retrieval, thus providing an
organizational-specific context for users.
[0032] Thus, the present invention has two key components. First is
the authoring toolset, which, using business process logic,
captures SME knowledge and expertise in a rich and thorough manner.
The captured expertise is structured into a process taxonomy
(optimized by converging the expertise of many into one single
"best practice"), which in turn defines the precise information and
resources needed. The information and resource taxonomy then
connects to actual instances of those resources, no matter where
they are--internet/Web, Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network
(WAN), offline or elsewhere.
[0033] The second key component is delivery of expertise, process
and resources via Extensible Markup Language (XML) in the preferred
embodiment. Delivery can be customized for everything from email,
Personal Digital Assistants (PDA) and cell phone to cash registers
and Point of Service (POS) kiosks, and enables users to operate in
real time around mission critical information, resources and
applications. As they interact with the system, user actions are
tracked and aggregated, providing keen insight into areas of high
value, and areas in need of improvement and refinement.
[0034] The present invention is built on open standards, not just
in the software code (in the preferred embodiment J2EE, XML/XSLT,
JSP, SQL), but in the kernel, the engine that drives the platform,
as well. In the preferred embodiment, it is based on the Integrated
Definition (IDEF) business process language, and it is the only
process language that is a Federal Information Processing Standard
(FIPS). Since, in the preferred embodiment, the process output is
XML, it is highly flexible in how that data can be shared with
other systems.
[0035] In the preferred embodiment, the present invention is a
scalable, Web-native, J2EE-compliant platform (FIG. 2) designed to
capture, organize, distribute and enable operations around business
activities and information.
[0036] The present invention provides a unique, flexible approach
to managing information. The system-wide object taxonomy is
dynamic, so it can be easily modified and updated. It only
references asset metadata--allowing for seamless changes and
upgrades of systems and resources. The system-wide object taxonomy
is re-used across many processes, so that redundancy of asset
instances is nonexistent.
[0037] Context Retrieval
[0038] Contextual retrieval of information in the present invention
includes, but is not limited to, a simple three-panel layout (FIG.
3). In the preferred embodiment, the features are organized in a
simple manner as described below, but this invention includes the
possibility of other layouts as well. On the left, users select a
process then navigate through the process, one activity at a time.
When an activity is selected, the middle panel displays a narrative
or description of the selected activity. On the right are business
objects clustered by role or relevance to the activity. In the
preferred embodiment, there are six roles; inputs, or things that
drive or initiate the activity; guidelines, or things that
constrain or regulate the activity; content, or information-rich
things that are utilized, like templates, documents and media;
tools, things like hardware and software that are used performing
the activity; people who are involved in performing the activity;
and outputs, or the expected results or outcome of the activity.
Selecting a business object from the right resets the middle panel
to display a list of assets that are representative of the object.
Displayed with the assets is object-defined metadata, including but
not limited to title, author, image, description, owner and
location. Users select an asset to access it. The literal intent of
this function is to ensure users are always exactly two clicks from
the precise information and resources they need to perform the
currently selected activity. The first click makes the user select
an object, or type of resource (and forces them to consider the
relevance and relationship to the current activity), and the second
click delivers the example or asset associated with the resource
itself.
[0039] Context retrieval delivers process and business object
taxonomies via various modalities, including, but not limited to,
internet browser (FIG. 3), a PDA, a cellular phone (FIG. 4), gaming
interfaces and digital appliances.
[0040] Context retrieval includes, but is not limited to, the
following modes: Learn mode for training and testing around process
and object information and data; Read mode, which displays process
and object information and data for access and retrieval; and Work
mode, which is an instantiation of process and object information
and data into an active workflow that supports specific project and
team engagements. Users can toggle between the different modes so
they can extract meaning from the process and object information
and resources in the way that is most useful to them at that point
in time.
[0041] Learn Mode: This is the full view of each process and
relevant objects. Everything is exposed, and users may or may not
be forced to click through them all. This function provides testing
at each process level, enforcing access of each object and asset.
Once each element has been accessed/tested, the next activity node
becomes available. Testing can also be applied before the next node
is activated.
[0042] Read Mode: This provides access to process and object
information for reference and retrieval. This is more streamlined
that the Learn mode, as users should be able to find exactly what
they need when they need it. Visually clutter is minimized, and the
user is able to easily configure preferences, including functions
and layout.
[0043] Work Mode: This allows for referential processes to be
instantiated so that users can follow them step by step as they do
their jobs. Upon each step's completion relevant process members
are notified, by methods including but not limited to, email and
text message. Assets are no longer "examples," but specifically
relevant to the instantiation. Managers can monitor project status
and receive notification when deadlines are missed and projects
completed.
[0044] Context retrieval sub functions common to some or all modes
include:
[0045] Frequent Activities: Ability to designate and shortcut to
frequently accessed activities, objects and information.
[0046] Interaction and Collaboration: Capability to send to others
user-customized information and linkages to specific processes and
objects via devices including, but not limited to, email, text
messaging, bulletin boards, threads, blogs, wikis and
whiteboards.
[0047] All Text: Alternate representation of process object
information and data that satisfies the standards set by Section
508 (29 U.S.C. 794d).
[0048] Process Search: Utilizes natural language, by incorporating
synonyms and related terms, or a taxonomy, such as WordNet, to do a
fuzzy match (best available choice with related terms permitted) on
the process terms, to search process and object information and
resources for similar concepts. Search can be filtered by object
characteristics (for example, search for processes that only
include an employee object and a certain keyword type). Search
results can be refined by their semantic relationships to other
activities and objects (i.e., these are a kind of this, this is a
kind of this, show me more like this). Search can be constrained by
range as well (e.g., only provide results when these search terms
occur within 100 words/the same sentence/same paragraph).
[0049] Process Media: A graphical representation of processes and
objects utilizing existing media types (images, motion) to
represent keywords and concepts captured into processes and
objects. For example, a process named "Bake Cake" provides the user
an option to pull related images of cakes from an online archive to
display.
[0050] Context Authoring
[0051] The underlying logic that drives context authoring is
derived from a business process language that provides a system
view of the organization. The benefit of a system view is that it
not only identifies types of information and data, but dependencies
and impacts between process activities as well. In the preferred
embodiment, this language is IDEF, a language developed by the
United States Air Force, or IDEF-like, as explained below.
[0052] The present invention has evolved the IDEF language
substantially, as in its traditional form it is represented by a
four-sided box, thus is constrained to four dimensions of
information. The present invention has expanded that to a core set
of six, but is configurable to an unlimited number and is
unconstrained by graphical boundaries. The present invention has
also greatly simplified the IDEF language so that training and
expertise is no longer required to be able to apply IDEF principles
and logic.
[0053] In the preferred embodiment, context authoring is reduced to
two primary functions (FIG. 5). The user first creates a new
process in the Activity Manager (FIG. 6), then is encouraged to
decompose the process into greater and greater detail and
precision, creating sub-activities and sub-sub-activities. Each
sub-activity can be described in detail via customizable metadata
(including, but not limited to, description, name, definition,
creator, scope, point-of-view, owner). Then, in the Context Manager
(FIG. 8), the user associates objects that represent information
types that are precisely relevant to the sub-activities. The user
starts at the root, or top, of the process and adds high-level
objects. The user then goes to the sub-activities, as they have
inherited the assigned parent objects and now are in a pending
state. The user reviews the pending objects (the assumption is
objects relevant to the parent are most likely relevant to the
child, either as is, or in a more granular form), and either
rejects them, approves them or refines one or more of them. These
approved objects then inherit to the sub-activities of the current
sub-activity, and so on.
[0054] Context authoring utilizes many devices and techniques to
simplify the user experience--while the underlying logic enforces
hard rules, interface components "suggest" and "prompt" soft rules.
These include a graphical view, in which limitations on process are
incorporated into the user interface, using techniques including,
but not limited to, color; shape; semantics, including use of
verb-noun syntax; limiting or including recommendations limiting
the number of steps; or prompts to reuse existing business objects,
or differentiate them explicitly from new ones; graphical or
textual recommendations or prompts. Graphical icons are used to
capture repeating functionality into a logical set, so that the
user can concentrate on the business text, for example, icons
showing first name, middle name, and last name by darkening the
corresponding first, middle, and last sections.
[0055] Recommendations are provided to a user graphically using
software, by providing both hard rules (requirements); and soft
rules (suggestions), including such techniques as the following;
alt-tags or title tags to provide help suggestions, tutorials, or
prompts, when graphical icons are "moused over" or otherwise
summoned; limiting field names to nouns, process names to verbs;
color, shape, quantity, length, and other factors that can all be
enforced by the user interface (e.g. rules for writing a certain
type of business document: if the user writes a section that is too
long, it turns yellow; if advertising copy exceeds the "Standard
Advertising Unit" of 2 1/16'' in width, the copy turns yellow).
[0056] For terminology management, if a term previously used in the
document is mis-capitalized, it turns red, e.g. if the user tries
to write Teacher preparation packet instead of Teacher Preparation
Packet. If a term is used that is related to one in the corporate
glossary or the semantic net, it turns yellow, so that, for
example, the user knows to check if Intelligent Information Systems
Division should have been changed to Intelligent Information
Systems Unit.
[0057] Context authoring sub functions include:
[0058] Activity Suggest: Utilizes natural language semantic
expansion to suggest alternative, logical verb/noun combinations
for process and process activity labels.
[0059] Process/Activity owner: Provides history around who created
and updated a process and when it was created and updated.
[0060] Author Note: User input, comments and feedback regarding
authorship of the specific process/activity.
[0061] Process/Activity Metric: Allows the user to set time
reference regarding a process. In the retrieval function, it is a
reference point in "learn" and "read" modes, but it triggers alerts
and notifications in "work" mode.
[0062] Process Security: Manages group/user access levels for the
process.
[0063] Activity Hierarchy Manager (FIG. 7): Allows reorganization
of a single process hierarchy and enforces process language logic
in doing so. This is a key function for managing process structure,
and, in the preferred embodiment, includes the following rules:
[0064] 1. When an activity is moved, all its sub-activities (and
their sub-activities), if any, should move with it.
[0065] 2. When an activity is moved, all inherited objects and
their sub-activities should be removed from the activity and all
its sub-activities.
[0066] 3. When an activity is moved, all objects directly added
should remain and should still inherit to any sub-activities (and
any objects added to the sub-activities should remain/inherit as
well).
[0067] 4. When an activity is moved, it should inherit all approved
objects from its new activity in pending mode.
[0068] 5. When an activity is moved, it should be placed as the
last sequenced activity of all activities previously displayed.
[0069] 6. If a user tries to move an activity to the same/current
parent, an alert states, "This activity is already a sub-activity
of the root you selected."
[0070] 7. If a user tries to move an activity to be a sub-activity
of itself, an alert states, "Cannot make an activity a sub-activity
of itself."
[0071] 8. Any root activity in a given hierarchical branch cannot
be made equal or less than any of its sub-activities; when this is
attempted, an alert states, "Cannot make an activity a sub-activity
of itself."
[0072] 9. Other than rules 6-8, an activity can be moved
anywhere.
[0073] Process Hierarchy Manager: Allows for the merger of multiple
process hierarchies and enforces process logic in doing so. This
includes the same rules as for the Activity Hierarchy Manager, but
also allows for merging objects from the moved process with similar
or like objects from the new root process.
[0074] Send To: In the Context Manager, the user can send objects
from one activity where they occur as output to another activity
where they become an input or guideline.
[0075] Object Removal Impact Assessment: Assessment of impact on
the process when objects are removed.
[0076] Process Validator: Reports on validity and quality of
process once completed; makes recommendations for areas for
improvement.
[0077] Process Copy: Makes a copy of process structure but reuses
source process system objects and assets.
[0078] Process Instantiation: Creates a copy of a process that
references a source process but allows for unique users and assets
(this is utilized in Work, or project mode). Changes to the source
process occur in the instantiations as well.
[0079] Process Snapshot: Captures a process and all associated
information (usage, objects, assets) for archiving and copying. A
restore function merges processes, objects and assets back into the
system.
[0080] Object Taxonomy Management
[0081] The taxonomy manager function (FIG. 9) allows users to
easily build, manage and manipulate the object hierarchy. Users can
create new objects, define them, and place them in their proper
order within the taxonomy. The present invention's ease of use,
which contrasts with other taxonomy tools, is enabled by the
business process taxonomies as they define and drive the creation
of the object taxonomy. Thus, objects in the taxonomy are highly
relevant to the processes being performed. Most information
taxonomies are built using predefined taxonomical constructs (e.g.
Library of Congress Classification, by department or silo, or from
the information and content "up," blurring the relevance to tasks
performed by the enterprise. Key concepts as they relate to the
object taxonomy include:
[0082] Association: a defined relationship between an object and an
activity.
[0083] Creation: objects can be created as root objects, or as
subtypes of other objects. An object consists of a name and a
definition. Objects are ordered alphabetically.
[0084] Modification: object name and definition can be updated.
This does not affect any activities they are associated with.
[0085] Deletion: objects can be deleted from the system, and in
doing so removed from all activities they are associated with.
[0086] A key function is the ability to manipulate the taxonomy
using the Object Hierarchy Manager (FIG. 10). There are two ways of
doing this: the first maintains object relationships and the
second, out of necessity, breaks them.
[0087] 1. When a root object is moved to become a subtypes of, or
merged with another object:
[0088] a. All of the root object's subtypes move with it and become
sub-subtypes of the new root object or subtypes of the merger (this
impacts objects that have been added/approved but have no
coordinate objects, having siblings will change the approved icon
to approved sub-types).
[0089] b. The moved/merged root object stays associated with all
processes to which it has been added (inherent in being a root
object, it cannot be inherited).
[0090] c. The moved/merged root object's subtypes stay associated
to all processes/activities they have been inherited to, including
all actions performed (approve, reject, refine).
[0091] 2. When a subtypes is moved to or merged with a new root
object (including the root):
[0092] a. It is removed from any activities where it was inherited
via the old root object.
[0093] b. It remains in all activities where it was directly
added.
[0094] Object Asset Management
[0095] Unlike other systems for managing information and content
types, the present invention assumes a resource, or asset, can be
anything and exist anywhere. Thus metadata is used for not only
description, but physical or virtual location well. Assets are
instantiations, or examples of an object (the object identified as
a proposal could have one or more assets like newproposal.txt,
proposal.com, or proposal application).
[0096] Business objects and their assets may be used to connect
various aspects of an organization's existing or future technology
infrastructure (including, but not limited to, links to
advertisements, business objects, libraries, and software), e.g.
the object called Customers can point to a sales forces automation
tool.
[0097] Interaction and collaboration may be performed using
business objects including, but not limited to, advertisements,
audio, video, images, text, forms, links to objects, software,
links to software, links on the Web, links on a network, and
physical objects. Interaction and collaboration may include, but
are not limited to:
[0098] a. Training
[0099] b. Learning
[0100] c. Project management
[0101] d. Compliance
[0102] e. Customer service
[0103] f. Monitoring
[0104] g. Search and retrieval
[0105] The present invention provides security, or control over
access to information down to the asset level. These include, but
are not limited to, how an asset is represented (launched by
itself; replaces current window; if process is an asset, resets
screen) who can access the asset and update it, and who is alerted
when an expiration date is soon to be reached or is reached.
[0106] Asset permissions can utilize asset metadata to synchronize
with system information, for example, an asset can have a "zip
code" characteristic (like 22042, or 75284), which would leverage
the user profile "zip code" attribute to only display to the user
assets that match his or her home zip code. Asset metadata can also
be cross-referenced with other asset metadata, for example, so that
a text message could be linked to a cellular telephone number.
[0107] Auditing and Tracking
[0108] The present invention records all user activity within the
system in real time. The reporting interface (FIG. 11) allows users
to filter data by variables including, but not limited to, users,
individually or in aggregate; processes, individually or in
aggregate; date range. This function can provide a digital audit
trail for compliance purposes, as well as provide explicit and
implicit insight into the value and usefulness of organization
processes so they can be improved and reengineered in real
time.
[0109] Presentation and Interpretation of Information
[0110] By design, the present invention strives to maximize
usability whenever possible, not only in authoring and management
of the system, but in day-to-day usage as well. One way this is
addressed is by making all textual aspects re-definable, certainly
for foreign language versions, but perhaps just as importantly, for
semantic alignment with the unique combination of functional and
subject matter expertise that define an organization. When a system
"sounds" like the organization, it is more likely to be
adopted.
[0111] Correspondingly, when a system looks like the organization,
adoption increases as well. Thus, the present invention is quickly
modified visually, changing colors to layouts.
[0112] The present invention also allows for configuration around
presentation of information, so that too much or too little can be
controlled based on the business requirements. For example, if the
present invention is utilized for communicating policies, two of
the roles, inputs and outputs can be suppressed so they are not a
distraction to the user.
CONCLUSIONS, RAMIFICATIONS AND SCOPE
[0113] The present invention is a unique hybrid platform that
converges many technologies and approaches, including business
process modeling and thought, taxonomical and ontological
techniques and methodologies, business object mapping, semantics
and metadata definition.
[0114] The present invention addresses the challenge of making
sense of an organization's information and making it available to
its various constituencies. It is an enterprise technology platform
that uses the rigor of business process to manage information in
context, seamlessly integrating strategy, people, content,
knowledge and infrastructure into a single common software
framework. It leverages automation principles (business process
logic, business rules), applying them toward codifying processes
and activities that depend on communication and collaboration.
[0115] The present invention leverages process logic, or a
systematic, common vocabulary for representing activities,
information, and their relationships, by these key means:
[0116] 1. It uses business process logic to capture, structure and
standardize subject matter expertise, tasks and activities into a
process taxonomy, in a highly usable way.
[0117] 2. It uses business objects, ordered into a master taxonomy,
or hierarchical relationship, that are associated with real world
instances, or assets.
[0118] 3. Connected, these means deliver organizational context
(the intersection of process information and objects), whenever and
however useful and relevant to users, providing better access to
information and, ultimately, enhancing productivity.
* * * * *