JPH1021300A - Linking system of work flow system and scheduling system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make a working processing smooth by linking a work flow system added with the processing time limit of a work and the priority of the work and each user's schedule system with each other. SOLUTION: The computer 205 of a server is one or plural computers for a server, and the work flow system 211 is provided with a work flow engine 206 managing the user of a work flow and the assignment of the work to the user and a schedule inquiring part 207 for the giving/receiving of the schedule system 208. Then the work flow engine 206 reads a work flow managing table 209. In this case the work flow engine 206 inquires a user's schedule to the schedule system 208 through the schedule inquiring part 207 and reads the schedule of the user of an asking destination from a schedule managing table 210.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a workflow system for electronically transferring work between small groups or large departments. Specific industrial fields to which the workflow system is applied include an examination system in the insurance and finance industries, an order-shipment system in the manufacturing industry, a slip examination operation, a joint design operation, and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional workflow system, a user (requester) who processes a workflow determines a processing deadline of a work. The requester processes the workflow without knowing the schedule information of the user (requestee) requested to perform the work, and processes and circulates the work without determining whether the work can be processed or not.

[0003]

In the conventional technology, the processing deadline of a work is determined by a user who processes a workflow. The user (request destination) who has been requested to perform the processing may be absent during a business trip or meeting when the processing deadline is reached, or the processing volume of the user (request destination) may be so large that the processing cannot be completed by the processing time. In order to ensure that the work is processed and proceed smoothly, the schedule information of the user (recipient) is utilized to eliminate the situation in which the user (recipient) cannot be processed due to absence or the like, and to process and circulate smoothly.

[0004] It is an object of the present invention to provide a workflow system which solves the above-mentioned problems and facilitates work processing.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention adopts the following constitution in order to solve the above-mentioned problems.

A client computer comprising a workflow man-machine unit for inputting information used by a user in a workflow and a schedule system man-machine unit for a user to input a schedule; a schedule system for managing a schedule of each user; A workflow system that manages users and manages work assignments to users, comprising a server computer, and a network connecting the client computer and the server computer, wherein the workflow system includes a A linkage method that links with the schedule system by inquiring about the user's schedule.

In addition, a configuration is adopted in which the priority of the work is added to the data used in the work flow, and the work flow is processed using the schedule information of the user who has been requested to work or another user in the same role. .

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows the flow of the entire workflow. A portion indicated by a box in the figure is a role (for example, a job title such as an accounting chief or a sales manager). Each role is assigned a user in advance. Each user assigned to a role at the time when the data is transferred by executing the workflow can execute the process. In the example of this figure, after the process is completed by the user R1 of the role 101, the user R2 of the role 102 starts the process.

After the processing of the roll 102 is completed, R3 of the roll 103, roll 1
Any of R4 of 04 starts processing. Depending on the definition of the workflow, the role 103 and the role 104 work together, and the process of the role 105 may be started after both processes are completed. After the processing of R3 and R4 is completed, R5 of the roll 105 starts processing. In the present invention, such a series of work flows are collectively referred to as a workflow.

FIG. 2 is a system configuration diagram of the workflow system of the present invention. In FIG. 2, a client computer 201 is one or a plurality of client computers, and includes a workflow man-machine unit 202 for inputting information used in a workflow and a schedule system man-machine unit for a user to input a schedule. 203 and a network 204.

The server computer 205 is a computer for one or more servers, and the workflow system 211 is a workflow engine 206 for managing workflow users and the assignment of work to the users.
And a schedule inquiry unit 207 for exchanging information with the schedule system 208.

The workflow engine 206 has a workflow management table 209 for managing data used in the workflow. A schedule system 208 for managing the schedule of each user is a schedule management table 210 for managing schedule data of users who can participate in the workflow. have.

The computer handled here may be a personal computer, a UNIX workstation, a mainframe, or a network system combining these.

FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of the workflow management table 209 referred to for the operation of the workflow engine 206 of FIG. 2 in the present invention. This table is managed by the workflow engine 206, and the table includes the case name 301 of the work, the priority 302 of the case to be processed, the role 303 of the work request destination, a list 304 of users assigned to the request destination role, and the work processing. It has a deadline 305. The work processing deadline 305 does not have to be data. There is data 306 input and reference data 306 for the user to execute the work.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the schedule system man-machine section 203 of FIG. 2 according to the present invention. The user enters his or her own schedule. When the user inputs a user name 401 and a week 402, a date 403 is displayed. The user inputs schedules 404, 405, etc. according to the corresponding date. The input data is written to the schedule management table 210.

FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of the schedule management table 210 referred to for the operation of the schedule system 208 of FIG. 2 in the present invention. This table is data managed by the schedule system 208 and input by the schedule system man-machine unit 203. This table contains user name 501, date 50
2. Schedule start time 503, end time 504,
It has a schedule 505.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart in which a requested user can be changed depending on whether or not there is a processing deadline for the requested work. The flowchart 601 is
When the user executes the workflow, the workflow engine 206 reads the workflow management table 209. The flowchart 602 determines whether there is a work processing deadline 305 from the read table.

If there is a time limit, the flow chart 603
Then, the schedule of the user 304 assigned to the role 303 by the schedule system 208 on the server side is read from the schedule management table 210 through the schedule inquiry unit.

It is determined from the schedule extracted in the flowchart 604 whether or not the user has a schedule at the time of the processing expiration. If the schedule can be processed, the schedule system man-machine section 203 on the client side is used in the flowchart 609 for the processing. In addition, the schedule management table 210 is updated and the schedule management table 210 is updated, and the work is transmitted to the workflow man machine unit 202 of the client machine of the request destination user via the network 204 in a flowchart 610.

If the processing in the flowchart 602 has no expiration date, the inquiry of the schedule system is skipped. If the user cannot perform the processing in the determination of the flowchart 604, the schedule management table 210 is read from the schedule system 208 for the schedule of another user in the same role assigned to the request destination (user) 304 in the flowchart 605. From the read table, it is determined whether the processing can be performed based on the presence or absence of the user's schedule at the time of the deadline.

If processing is possible, the workflow engine 20
6 changes the requester, the workflow engine 206 updates the workflow management table 209 in a flowchart 607, sends a requester change message to the requesting user, and performs the processes in the flowcharts 609 and 610. If the requested user cannot process the work by the deadline 305, the workflow engine 206 reports in the flowchart 608 that the requested user cannot perform the processing to the requesting user, and urges the user to review the change of the deadline.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart in the case where there is a priority when processing an operation. In the flowchart 701, the workflow engine 206 reads the workflow management table 209. In the flowchart 702, the workflow engine 206 inquires the schedule system 208 of the user's schedule via the schedule inquiry unit 207, and reads the schedule of the requested user from the schedule management table 210.

It is determined from the table read in the flow chart 703 whether or not the processing can be performed based on the presence or absence of the user's schedule at the time of the expiration date. The flowcharts 712 and 713 have the same functions as the flowcharts 609 and 610.
If the requested user cannot be processed in the flowchart 703, the priority of the work is checked in the flowchart 704 from the table read from the workflow management table 209. If the priority of the work is high, the request destination (role) 3
The schedule management table 210 is read from the schedule system 208 for the schedules of all the other users assigned to 03.

If another user can process the read table before the processing time limit, the workflow engine 206 updates the workflow management table 209 in a flowchart 709 and changes the request destination (user) 304 to a user who can process. After that, the flowchart 71
2. The flowchart 713 is executed. The flowchart 710 sends a message from the workflow engine 206 to the request source similarly to the flowchart 608.

If the priority of the work is not high in the flowchart 704, the schedule management table 210 is read from the schedule system 208 for the schedule of the requested user in the flowchart 706, and the processing deadline is changed to a time close to the deadline 305 in the flowchart 708. ,
Update the workflow management table 209.

In the flowchart 711, a change message is sent to the workflow man-machine section of the client to notify the requesting user that the change has been made.

[0028]

As described above, according to the present invention, the work processing is smoothed by linking the workflow system considering the processing deadline of the work and the priority of the work with the schedule system of each user. Can be.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a workflow model according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a cooperation configuration between a workflow system and a schedule system.

FIG. 3 is a workflow management table.

FIG. 4 is an example of a schedule system man-machine unit.

FIG. 5 is a schedule management table.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a workflow system that changes the assignment of a user depending on whether there is a processing time limit.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a workflow system that changes a time limit depending on the presence or absence of a priority.

[Explanation of symbols]

 201 Client Computer 202 Workflow Man Machine Section 203 Schedule System Man Machine Section 204 Network 205 User Computer 206 Workflow Engine 207 Schedule Inquiry Section 208 Schedule System 209 Workflow Management Table 210 Schedule Management Table

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A client computer comprising a workflow man-machine unit for a user to input information used in a workflow and a schedule system man-machine unit for a user to input a schedule, and a schedule for managing a schedule of each user. A server computer comprising a system, a workflow system for managing users and managing work assignments to users, and a network for connecting the client computer and the server computer. A coordination method characterized by cooperating with the schedule system by inquiring the system of the user's schedule. 2. The cooperation system according to claim 1, wherein the schedule system holds a schedule management table for managing data of a user's schedule, and the workflow system manages data used in the workflow. A cooperation method characterized by holding a management table. 3. The cooperative method according to claim 1, wherein it is determined whether or not the work requested by the user has a processing time limit. If the processing time has a time limit, the schedule of the requested user in the role is determined. The schedule system is inquired to determine whether or not the user can process within the processing time limit. If the process is possible, the schedule of the user in the schedule machine man-machine section is updated, and the user performs the process. If not possible, query the schedule system for the schedule of another user in the same role as the role, determine whether other users can be processed within the processing deadline, if it can be processed,
Change the requested user, update the schedule of the other user in the scheduling system man-machine section, and request that the user cannot process the work unless the other user can process it within the processing deadline. The workflow system having a function of reporting to a user. 4. The cooperative system according to claim 1, wherein the requested user in the role cannot be processed as a result of the inquiry to the schedule system within the processing deadline of the work requested by the user. Investigate the priority of the work, if the priority is high, query the schedule system for the schedule of another user in the same role as the role, and check if the other user can process within the processing deadline. If the processing is possible, the requested user is changed, the schedule of another user in the scheduling system man-machine section is updated, and if the priority is not high, the requested user is Ask the schedule system for free time,
The workflow system having a function of changing a processing deadline of a work during the idle time, and transmitting the change of the deadline to a workflow man-machine unit that has requested the work.