JPH11215178A - Method and electronic mail system for controlling nonroutine work flow - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable each concerned department in charge of an item requiring responses from the departments to recognize the present processed state of the item when the department prepares its response to the item. SOLUTION: When, for example, it is not able to prepare a response to an item requiring the response at a site B even when the item is transmitted to the site B from a site A by electronic mail, the item is further transmitted to a site C by electronic mail, but it is informed to the site A from the site B by electronic mail. When the response to the item is prepared at the site C, the item is transmitted to the site A by electronic mail and it is informed to the site B by electronic mail.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a system in which, among three or more departments having different contents, at least one of the departments in charge responds directly or indirectly to the other department by e-mail. The departments in charge that were directly and indirectly involved in the response request matter from the time they were sent to the time when the response was processed, determine how the response request matter is currently being processed by each of those departments. The present invention relates to an atypical workflow control method that can be easily grasped and managed, and further relates to an atypical workflow control e-mail system capable of such grasping and managing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, taking the example of software development and its maintenance and management, if a problem or the like has occurred during software development or its maintenance, it may be a problem. The fact is that processing slips and the like (hereinafter referred to as processing slips) are issued as paper. The processing form is raised by the issuer (problem discoverer, etc.), and is sequentially transmitted and processed to the receptionist first, and then from the receptionist to the processing specialist through the intermediate processing person. By doing so, the solution of the problem processing and its management have been achieved. However, when the processing slip is transmitted and processed in such a manner, it becomes difficult to quickly process and manage the processing slip. This is because, as a processing delay factor in problem processing, for example, considering that a software development project is deployed at multiple points or that a processing slip is stuck at a certain point for a long time, Depending on the number of persons to be handled, the person presenting the processing slip is currently unable to know which person is in charge of the processing slip and in what state the problem handling for that processing slip is in progress. This is because it is generally not easy to check the processing status as the number of persons in charge of the processing slips is increased.

[0003] In recent years, with the rapid spread of personal computers and the expansion of networks, it has been considered that processing is rapidly performed by electronic transmission means such as electronic mail or groupware instead of paper. . As the electronic transmission means, for example, automatic distribution of electronic mail according to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-230415 has been known. In this case, for example, a document issued in a company organization is automatically circulated as an e-mail with a desired circulating destination sequence pattern.

[0004]

However, in the simple processing by e-mail, the person in charge of the processing first determines the content of the processing, and if the processing is not possible, the processing is further performed. In addition to being able to decide whether to request the person in charge, the person in charge of the process may be requested by another person in charge, and the person in charge of the problem or the first request may be requested. At present,
The person in charge of the requested process and the status of the process cannot be centrally managed.

The automatic distribution of e-mails disclosed in the above-mentioned publication is, in other words, the same as the workflow processing method in a system generally called groupware, in which a pre-defined distribution destination order pattern is used. Since the destination route is fixed by setting, it is very effective for document circulation where the destination route is originally set in advance. It is also relatively easy to determine if it has been circulated. However, for case processing such as problems during software development and maintenance, it is not so important to fix the destination pattern. It is desirable that the destination is determined optimally each time with flexibility. Even if the next assignee is optimally determined, it is necessary to centrally manage which person is currently in charge of the case processing and in what kind of processing status. .

[0006] A first object of the present invention is that, among three or more responsible departments whose responsible content is at least different from each other, a response request matter generated in any one of the responsible departments is directly or indirectly sent by e-mail to one of the other responsible departments. When a response is sent to the relevant department, each of the departments directly and indirectly involved in the response request case can easily grasp and manage the current status of the response request case. Provide a workflow control method. A second object of the present invention is to provide an atypical workflow control e-mail system capable of such grasping and management.

[0007]

A first object of the present invention is that each time a department in charge takes a case which cannot be processed only by the department in charge of itself, the case is registered as an unfinished case and an appropriate One of the other departments is selected and registered as a destination, and the subject is transmitted as an answer request matter to the destination by e-mail together with the original sender identification information with the own department being the original sender, and Each time a response request matter is received from another department in charge, if the response request matter cannot be processed by the department in charge, the response request matter is registered as an unfinished matter and then Any other department in charge is selected and registered as a destination as a relay source, and the response request matter is sent to the destination by e-mail together with the identification information of the original source and the relay source. Requested matter And that the original request source and the relay source are directly and indirectly notified by e-mail to each of the original sender and the relay sender that the response request was sent to the destination, Means that the contents of the response processing are sent directly and indirectly to each of the original sender and the relay sender by e-mail as an answer matter, and each other department notifies that the answer request matter has been sent to the destination. Is managed and registered as that for the answer request matter,
The destination route information including at least the original source identification information is updated, and each time an answer case is received from another department in charge, the unfinished case registered as for the answer case is updated as a completed case. Is achieved by

A second object of the present invention is to provide an electronic mail communication processor corresponding to a responsible department so that three or more departments having at least different contents can communicate with each other via the electronic mail communication processor. Each time a case occurs that cannot be processed only by the department in charge of itself, the case is registered as an unfinished case, and any one of the other departments in charge is selected and registered as a transmission destination. A function of transmitting the matter as an answer request matter to the destination by e-mail together with the original sender identification information with the own department as the original sender, every time an answer request matter from another department is received,
If the answer request item cannot be processed by the department in charge, the response request item is registered as an unfinished item, and then one of the other departments in charge, using the department in charge of the relay as a relay source, is sent to the destination. After being selected and registered as, the response request matter is transmitted as an answer request matter to the transmission destination by e-mail together with the identification information of the original transmission source and the relay transmission source, and the response request case is transmitted to the transmission destination. To the original sender and the relay sender directly and indirectly by e-mail. A function to send directly and indirectly by e-mail.Every time the department in charge notifies that the response request item has been sent to the destination, it is managed and registered as the response request item. A function to update the destination route information including the original transmission source identification information, a function to update an unfinished matter registered as one for the answer matter as a completed matter every time a reply matter is received from another department in charge, This is achieved by providing each of the following.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to FIGS. First, prior to the specific description of the present invention, if the terms used in the specific description are defined in advance, a form of the same format is created for a certain type of matter processing, and the form management is performed. It is assumed that the unit is defined as a folder, and a group of system users to whom the same folder can be referred to is defined as a site (corresponding to a department in charge). In each site, a folder is created in the database, and for each case, the presence or absence of a response, an incomplete / completed process, and the like are grasped and managed.

Now, the present invention will be described in detail. FIG. 1 shows a case management system (corresponding to a general electronic mail communication processing device corresponding to a department in charge, specifically a personal computer) 101 according to the present invention. 1 shows a schematic configuration of an example. In this case, in the case management system 101 in each site, every time the answer request case 131 is received by e-mail,
After the transfer path information (reception case) is added by the list display (main) program 111, the folder 113 is accessed. If there is a folder 113 to be registered as an unfinished matter, it is registered as a matter file 122 in that folder.
If the folder does not exist, a folder management file 121 is newly created, and a case file 122
It is registered as. Each of the registered case files 122 can be freely displayed, edited, output, etc. within the site by the list display program 111 and the form editing program 112.

[0011] By the way, if the unregistered matter registered in this way can be processed in the site, a response is created by the form editing program 112 and the unfinished matter is determined as a completed matter. After being updated as
The transfer route information (answer case) is added by the list display program 111, and is transmitted as an answer case 134 to another site by e-mail. If the unfinished matter cannot be processed in the site, the list display program 111 adds transfer route information (requested matter), and the response request matter 133.
Are sent to other sites by e-mail. On the other hand, when the response case 132 is received by e-mail from another site, the list display program 11
1, the transfer path information (reception case) is added, and the case file 122 in the folder is updated as a completed case. The answer case 132 is further transmitted to another site as an answer case 134 as necessary. It has become something. It is assumed that each of the answer request matter and the answer matter includes the transfer route information and the form data (specific contents of the matter).
These cases are transmitted and received between each site by e-mail.

FIG. 2 also shows the flow of a response request case on the site and a response case for it. In this case, the response request matter 131 from the external site is registered as an unfinished matter in the case file in the folder 113 after the file input / output processing unit 201 adds an attribute indicating acceptance to the transfer route information. In addition, the answer request matter 202 generated in the site is similarly registered as an unfinished matter in the matter file in the folder 113.
If the unregistered cases cannot be answered in the site, a file is output via the file input / output processing unit 201 so that a response request can be made to another external site. In addition, an attribute indicating a request is added to the transfer route information, and the unfinished case is a response request case 1
33 is transmitted to an external site by e-mail. On the other hand, when the answer process 203 for those unfinished cases is performed in the site, the unfinished case in the folder 113 is updated as a completed case, but the unfinished case is for a response request case from an external site. In this case, a file is output via the file input / output processing unit 201. At this time, the attribute indicating the answer is added to the transfer route information, and the transfer route information is transmitted to the external site as the answer case 134.
When the answer case 132 is received from an external site, the file input / output processing unit 201 adds an attribute indicating acceptance to the transfer route information, and the unfinished case in the folder is updated as a completed case. Has become. If the answer case 134 is not for the answer request case generated at the own site, the answer case 132 is further transmitted to the external site as the answer case 134.

Here, various keywords used in the transfer route information will be described. Table 1 shows attributes of one example of the keywords.

[0014]

[Table 1]

In this case, the transmission of the matter to the other site is divided into “request” and “response”, the reception of the matter from the other site is “accepted”, and the keyword shown in Table 1 is transmitted by e-mail. Is added to and saved in the transfer route information in the case sent and received by.

FIG. 3 shows a flow of processing when an answer request matter is received from a certain site from another site, and the contents automatically processed in the matter management system. In this case, first, when there is a reception 301 of the answer request matter, at the end of the transfer path information file in which the transfer path information is written, the keyword “receives” indicating reception and necessary information such as the source site, date and time, etc. The addition 311 is to be performed. Next, registration 302, 321 of the received form data in the case as a new / unfinished case in a folder in the case management system is performed. After that, for the unfinished matter, a determination 303 is made as to whether or not the answer process can be performed in the site. If the answer process is performed, the form data of the unfinished matter registered in the folder is set as the answer matter. Update 304,3
22 is performed, and transmission 305 as a response case is performed. At the time of the transmission 305, the keyword “re” indicating the answer is added at the end of the transfer route information file.
turns ”and necessary information 313 are added. If the answer processing is disabled in the site, the update 323 of the form data of the case as a transfer case is performed. Performed and transferred to another site 30
6 is being performed. At the time of the transfer 306, a keyword “sends” indicating the transfer and addition 312 of necessary information are performed at the end of the transfer path information file.

Here, as a specific example, a test section in a software development is generated at a site A, a system integration section is a site B, and a software design section for realizing each function is a site C. An example of a case where the answer request matter is once transmitted to the site B, further transmitted to the site C, and the answer process is performed, and the process at that time will be specifically described as follows.

That is, it is assumed that a problem found at the site A is reported to the site B, and a request for a countermeasure is made to the site C as a specialized department. 3 shows an outline of a process performed when a certain response request matter process generated in the above is requested to the site B. As shown in the figure, if any problem occurs during the software test at the site A, the case processing system 101 in the site A registers the problem once in a folder as a response request case, and the response request processing is performed electronically. Mail 401
Is requested by the site B. The e-mail 401 transmitted from the site A to the site B includes transfer path information 411 indicating a transfer path and form data 412 as request contents.
Is received by the site B case management system 101, as a request reception process, a keyword indicating reception is added to the transfer route information 411, and is temporarily registered in a folder in the site B. .

FIG. 5 also shows transfer route information 4 when e-mail 401 is transmitted from site A to site B.
11, 501 is shown as an example. As illustrated, the transfer path information 501 in this example includes “transmission date”,
Items such as “transmission time”, “source site name”, “attribute”, “destination site name”, and “item name (within the source site)” are added in a predetermined order. At 13:10:14 on September 12, 1997, it is indicated that the processing of the answer request matter registered as the problem 0001 in the site A was requested from the site A to the site B.

FIG. 6 shows the form data 412 in the electronic mail 401 transmitted from the site A to the site B.
Shows a display example when displayed by the form editing program 112. The form data 412 in the CSV format or the like can be displayed as a fixed format form at any time by the form editing program 112.

FIG. 7 also shows an e-mail 4 from site A.
01 shows an example of the transfer route information when the case B is received by the case management system 101 in the site B and the reception process is performed. As shown, the transfer route information 5 shown in FIG.
After “01”, a row 701 indicating that the response request processing has been received at the site B is newly added. In this example, at site B, the case from site A is 1997
It can be seen that it was registered as problem 0005 at 13:35:08 on September 12, 2008.

FIG. 8 shows an outline of processing when a response request item from site A to site B cannot be answered within site B but is further transmitted to site C. As shown, the case management system 101 in site B
The attributes of the case once registered in the folder are updated as a response request case to the site C, and the transfer route information 811 and the form data 812 are transmitted by e-mail 801 in the same manner as shown in FIG. Site C
It is to be sent to. At this time, in the case management system 101 within the site B, if site information other than the own site B and the transfer destination (transmission destination) site C exists in the transfer route information 811, only the transfer route information 811 also exists there. Is to be transmitted. In this example, since the “request from site A” exists as site information in the transfer route information 811, the transfer route information 81 is automatically sent from the case management system 101 in the site B to the site A.
1 is being transmitted. The transfer route information 81
1 is received by the site A, the attribute of the corresponding case registered in the case management system 101 in the site A is automatically updated. However, it can be easily and quickly known on the in-site case management system 101 that the transmission from the site B to the site C is unnecessary.

FIG. 9 shows an example of the transfer route information 811 when the site B requests the site C for further case processing. As shown in the figure, information 901 "Request from Site B to Site C" is newly added after information "Request from Site A" and "Reception at Site B". As described above, the transfer path information 811 at this time is also transmitted from the site B to the site A in the form of a communication by the e-mail 802.

FIG. 10 shows a case list displayed by the list display program 111 when a case requested from the site A to the site B is registered in a folder of the case management system 101 in the site B. It shows a display example. In this example, from the left, “date” 1001, “source”, “source case name”, “registered name in own site”,
The items are displayed in the order of “processing” 1002, “transfer destination”, and “answer”. Site A, as shown as 3
It can be seen that the response request case from is currently registered as an unprocessed case.

FIG. 11 shows a display example when the list display program 111 displays a list of cases registered in the folder in the site B immediately after the request for a response request from the site B to the site C. It is shown. FIG.
"Date" 1101, "Process" 1102
Each item is updated, and a “transfer destination” 1103 is newly added. In this way, when the request is transmitted from the own site to the other site, in this example, three items are updated, and the transfer route information is notified from the other site by e-mail at the own site. When it is received, among the data in the folder,
One item has been updated automatically. If the response matter is received from another site and there is form data as the content of the response processing in the own site,
“Answer” as an item is displayed as having an answer.

FIG. 12 shows an e-mail 80 from site B.
1 shows an example of transfer route information when a case 1 is received by the case management system 101 in the site C and is subjected to a reception process. As shown in the figure, at the end of the transfer route information shown in FIG.
201 is newly added.

FIG. 13 shows an outline of processing in a case where a response request item from the site B is processed in the site C and then the response item is directly transmitted to the site A.
In this case, it is possible to transmit a response case from the site C to each of the sites A and B by the e-mail function, and it is also possible to transmit a response case from the site C to the site A via the site B. When there are a large number of relay source sites between the sites A and C, it is desirable that the answer item be directly transmitted from the site C to the site A as the transmission source by the electronic mail 1301. this is,
This is because it is not only troublesome to confirm the transfer route information at the site C, but to return the answer item to all the sites involved in the transmission and reception of the answer request item, and there is a possibility that a contact omission may occur. Also, from the viewpoint of the traffic on the network and the capacity of the folder in the site, etc., considering the existence of sites that do not particularly require a response,
This is because it is desirable that the answer case be transmitted directly to the site A of the transmission source. Even if the answer case is transmitted only to the source site A, the transfer route information including information indicating that the answer process has been completed at the site C and the answer case has been transmitted to the site A even at the site C. 1311, the transfer route information 1311 may be automatically transmitted to the remaining sites (the site B corresponds to the site B in this example) by the electronic mail 1302. With this, at the site B, when the communication from the site C by the transfer route information 1311 is received, the completion of the answer process for the corresponding answer request matter is known. If the contents of the answering matter are required at site B, it is sufficient to inquire any of sites A and C.

FIG. 14 shows an example of the transfer route information 1311 in the case where the answer case is directly transmitted from the site C to the site A. As shown in the figure, information 1401 indicating that an answer case has been transmitted to site A has been added to the transfer route information up to that time, after the answer process has been performed at site C.

As described above, the answer request item from the transmission source site is managed at each transmission destination site. In this example, for the sake of simplicity, the case where the number of sites is three is shown. However, in general, the present invention can be applied to the case where the number of sites is three or more. There is nothing. In the above description, the attributes of the case to be processed are requested, answered, and accepted.
Although they are divided into two types, more detailed management is possible by increasing the types of attributes. Further, in the above description, specific examples are taken for various problems in software development, but the present invention is applicable to various other fields. For example, the sales department handling a certain appliance is Site A, the hardware design department is Site B, and the software design department is Site C. When the market or a customer requests the addition of a function for a certain electrical appliance, the sales department Inquires of the hardware design department whether it is feasible and when it will be possible, while the hardware design department that has received the request also considers whether it is possible to answer within its own department. If a response from the software design department is required, make a further request to the software design department,
It is also applicable to such cases.

[0030]

As described above, according to the first aspect, the response request matter generated in any one of the three or more departments in charge of at least different areas is directly and indirectly sent by e-mail. Is sent to any of the other departments in charge, and when the answer is processed, each of the departments directly and indirectly involved in the answer request case can easily determine what processing status the answer request case is currently in. Atypical workflow control methods that can be grasped and managed
In the case of the second aspect, the atypical workflow control e-mail systems capable of grasping and managing such information are obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an example of a site correspondence case management system according to the present invention;

[FIG. 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a flow of a response request matter and a response matter thereto in the site.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a processing flow when an answer request matter is received from another site at a certain site and contents automatically processed in the matter management system;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an outline of processing when a certain case processing that has occurred at a transmission source site is requested to another site;

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of transfer path information at that time;

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a display example of a form data by a form editing program.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of transfer route information when a response request matter from a transmission source site is received at its own site and is subjected to a reception process;

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an outline of processing when a response request matter from a transmission source site is requested via another site and further to another different site;

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of transfer path information at that time;

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a display example of a case list by a list display program when a request case received from a transmission source site is registered in the own site;

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a display example of a case list display program when a request case received from a transmission source site is transmitted to another different site via the own site and transmitted to the site;

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of transfer route information when a request matter received from a transmission source site is transmitted via its own site to another different site, and is subjected to reception processing;

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an outline of a process when a response request is sent from a relay transmission source site in a site having a response request item and the response request is directly transmitted to the transmission source site;

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of transfer path information at that time;

[Explanation of symbols]

101: case management system (general communication processing device for e-mail), 111: list display (main) program, 11
2: Form editing program, 113: Folder, 121 ...
Folder management file, 122 ... Matter file

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Masami Mineo 180, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture

Claims (2)

[Claims] [Claim 1] When there are three or more departments in charge of which are at least different from each other, each of the departments in charge generates a case which cannot be processed only by the department in charge of itself.
The case is registered as an unfinished case, an appropriate one of the other departments is selected and registered as a transmission destination, and the own department is the original transmission source, and the case is sent together with the original transmission source identification information by e-mail. Is sent to the destination as a response request matter, and every time a response request matter is received from another department in charge, if the response request matter cannot be answered by its own department,
After the answer request matter is registered as an unfinished matter, any appropriate other department in charge is selected and registered as a transmission destination with the department in charge of itself as a relay transmission source, and the response request matter is registered as an original transmission source, The reply request matter is transmitted to the destination by e-mail together with the identification information of each relay transmission source as an answer request matter, and the fact that the response request matter was transmitted to the destination is directly and indirectly transmitted to the original transmission source and the relay transmission source, respectively. If you are contacted by e-mail, but you can process the response in your own department, the content of the response process will be sent directly and indirectly by e-mail to each of the original sender and relay sender as a response matter, and the other department will reply Each time it is notified that the requested matter has been sent to the destination, the destination route information including at least the original sender identification information, which is managed and registered as for the answer requested matter, is updated, An irregular workflow control method in which an unfinished matter registered as a response to an answer matter is updated as a completed matter each time an answer matter is received from another department in charge. 2. An atypical workflow control e-mail system in which at least three or more departments in charge of at least different areas are communicably connected to each other via an electronic mail communication processing device. Every time an email communication processor encounters an issue that cannot be handled by the department in charge,
The case is registered as an unfinished case, an appropriate one of the other departments is selected and registered as a destination, and the own department is used as an original transmission source, and the case is sent together with the original transmission source identification information by e-mail. The function to transmit as a response request matter to the destination by the above, every time a response request matter is received from another department in charge, if the response request matter can not be processed by the department in charge of itself, the response request matter is After being registered as an unfinished matter, one of the appropriate departments in charge is selected and registered as a transmission destination with the department in charge of itself as a relay transmission source, and the response request case is designated as an original transmission source and a relay transmission source respectively. A response request matter is sent to the destination by e-mail together with the identification information, and the fact that the response request matter has been sent to the destination is directly and indirectly notified to each of the original sender and the relay sender by e-mail. On the other hand, when the answering process can be performed by the department in charge, the response processing contents are sent directly and indirectly by e-mail to each of the original sender and the relay sender as answer cases. A function to update the destination route information that contains at least the original sender identification information, which is managed and registered as the response request matter, every time the destination is notified that the request has been sent. An irregular workflow control e-mail system having a function of updating an unfinished matter registered as a response to a response matter as a completed matter each time a matter is received.