JPH11213071A - Work flow managing system corresponding to off-line - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To utilize a work flow system on a terminal in off-line environment by fetching a generated item to the outside of a work flow managing system and returning it onto the flow again to update various kinds of information. SOLUTION: In a job circulating user's data according to the flow 6 of a work flow job, when a user to process by node 8 is under off-line environment or when a user to process by a node 7 accessed from the outside of a private line, etc., a user 10 fetches 11 the item 13 to the outside of the work flow managing system to deliver a user 14 to process under off-line environment. Thereby, the user 14 executes a work flow job based on the item 13 by a terminal under off-line environment. After finishing updating processing executed under off-line environment to information within a data base, the setting of circulating state information is released to return into a processable state like conventional one to continue the work flow job.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a workflow management system in which a plurality of users work in cooperation.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional workflow management system has been developed mainly assuming a small-scale workflow system in an environment connected to a network via a dedicated line or the like.
For access from devices outside the network environment,
Sufficient devices are not provided, and there is no way to retrieve the information being circulated out of the network, perform the process, and then return it to the flow again to continue the process. Also, the specification of the case retrieval range is not provided because provision of the case retrieval means is premised.

[0003]

(1) In the prior art,
Since there is no means to take out the matter out of the network and return it to the flow again, when using the workflow management system, it must be accessed from a terminal connected to the network.

(2) In the prior art, there is no means for taking out an item out of the network and returning it to the flow again. Therefore, it is necessary to keep the line between the server machine and the client machine connected while using the workflow management system. is there.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to make it possible to use a workflow system on a terminal in an offline environment.

[0006]

Means for Solving the Problems (1) In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention generates a case in which control information and user data are combined into one, and outputs the generated case outside the workflow management system. Based on the means that can be taken out and the taken out case, it is returned to the flow again based on the control information included in the case, and when returning the case to the flow, various information is updated based on the user data This is provided with means characterized by the following.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a basic system for realizing the present invention. The system of FIG. 1 uses, as components, a workstation or a PC server that is suitable for managing the entire workflow management system.
4 uses a personal computer (online environment) suitable as a terminal device, 5 uses a personal computer (offline environment) suitable as a terminal device, 2 uses TCP / IP which is a general communication standard,
Third, it can be configured by using a database that enables data sharing by a plurality of users.

[0009] From the node 7 to the node 8 shown in FIG.
When the user to be processed in the node 8 is in an offline environment, or the user to be processed in the node 7 accesses from outside the dedicated line, in the business of circulating the user data according to the workflow business flow 6 flowing to In the case where the case is processed in an environment connected to a network, the user 10 takes the case 13 out of the workflow management system 11 and passes the case 13 to the user 14 who performs the processing in an offline environment. Workflow work can be performed on the terminal 5 under the environment based on the case 13 shown in FIG.

The extraction of the user data shown in FIG. 3 can be performed based on the information in the database shown in FIG. It is determined whether or not the case circulation control information 33 that the user intends to fetch in the database can be fetched, by using the fetching permission flag 41. If the circulating control information 33 can be fetched, the user information 32 is obtained from the circulation processing target user information identifier 39. Then, the attached file information is acquired from the attached file information list identifier 34, the extraction source server information 35 is acquired from the extraction server information identifier 43,
By acquiring the attribute information from the attribute information identifier 38, acquiring the work information 36 from the work information identifier 19, and acquiring the business process information 37 from the business process information identifier 40, the control information shown in FIG. 44 and user data 45 can be extracted.

Unauthorized updating to the circulation control information or the like after the matter is taken out can be prevented by setting the circulation state information 42 during taking out and making the update to the related information impossible.

The user 14 who uses the retrieved case shown in FIG. 2 can be specified by the user ID 15 and the password 16 shown in FIG. The specified user has a title 17, a business process definition name 20, and a work I
Basic information of the case to be processed can be obtained from D21,
By processing the number of attached files 24, the number of attributes 25, the attribute name 26, the attribute value 27, the file name 28, and the file entity 31, it is possible to perform the same workflow work as online. When returning the extracted matter shown in FIG. 2 to the workflow flow 12 again, the extracted workflow management system uses the extracted server name 23 and the extracted server IP address 22 in the matter shown in FIG. It is possible to determine from the database 3 the circulation control information 33 to be returned to the workflow management system based on the circulation control information identifier 18 and the work information identifier 19 by determining whether or not the processing is performed for the process. Based on the circulation control information 33 specified as described above, the update target attribute information 33 is specified, the attribute value 27 set at the time of offline is stored in the database, the number of attached files 24 and the attached file information 34
The file information on the case 13 extracted from the file information is specified, and the attached file information 34 shown in FIG. 4 is updated according to the file state 29 shown in FIG.
The attached file subjected to the processing of the file state 29 is specified by the attached file identifier 30, and the attached file entity is updated. After the processing performed in the offline environment is updated to the information in the database, the setting of the circulation status information 42 is released, and the workflow processing can be continued by returning the processing to a state in which processing similar to the conventional processing is possible.

[0013]

According to the present invention, by providing a means for taking out a case out of the workflow management system and a means for restoring the taken-out case, operability in an online environment is not impaired and a user can select the case. In this way, it is possible to process workflow operations in an offline environment.

(1) By preserving the case in the external storage device by the user, it becomes possible to perform a workflow operation in a place where a communication line cannot be connected.

(2) When a workflow is performed by using a public line by connecting a communication line at the start of a workflow operation, extracting the matter from the workflow management system onto a work terminal, and disconnecting the communication line after extracting the matter. Communication costs can be reduced.

(3) Executing a workflow task of a user who is in an environment where a communication line cannot be connected by storing the retrieved case in a portable storage medium such as an FD and storing the case and passing the storage medium. Becomes possible.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a basic configuration of an apparatus for circulating an electronic document according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the use of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is information available for a case of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is information in a database for composing a case in the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Computer, 2 ... Communication line, 3 ... Database, 4 ... Terminal (online), 5 ... Terminal (offline), 6 ... Workflow work flow, 7 ... Work node, 8 ... Work node, 9 ... Work node, 10 ... Workflow business user, 11 ... Matter retrieval, 12 ... Matter return, 13 ... Matter, 14 ... Workflow business user in offline environment, 15 ... Matter user name, 16 ...
Case user password, 17 ... Arbitrary name for user to specify flow, 18 ... Identifier for system to specify circulation control information, 19 ... Identifier for specifying information related to flow flow, 20 ... Flow Name of the script describing the route through which the information flows, 21... A unique ID for specifying the flow, 22... The IP address of the server through which the circulation is flowing, 23. Number of external files attached to the object, 25: number of attribute information of the circulation, 26: name of attribute attached to the circulation, 27: attribute value attached to the circulation, 28: circulation Name of the file attached to, 29
… Processing contents of the file performed during the matter extraction, 30… identifier for the system to specify attached file information, 31… file entity, 32…
Information about the user, 33 information for controlling the circulation, 34 information about the attached file, 35 information for specifying the server where the circulation exists, 36 information about the flow of the flow, 37 information about the flow route , Information about the attributes belonging to the circulation, 39, an identifier for the system to identify the user information to be circulated, 40, for the system to identify the information of the script that describes the flow route. 41, a flag for the system to determine whether or not the circulation can be taken out; 42, a flag for the system to determine whether or not the circulation is taken out; 43, server information of the circulation , An identifier for the system to specify, 44... The system and the user identify the retrieved case in the case 45, information for the user to perform processing in the offline environment in the case.

Claims (3)

[Claims] In a workflow management system in which a plurality of workstations are connected via a network and exchange electronic documents with each other, circulation information (hereinafter referred to as control information and control information) comprising control information and user data is sent from the workflow management system. By providing means for taking out the circulation information consisting of user data as a case) out of the network and returning the taken out case to the workflow management system again and continuing the flow, it is possible to provide a means other than the terminal connected to the network However, a workflow management system characterized by the ability to process cases. 2. A workflow management system according to claim 1, further comprising means for disconnecting the line after taking out the case when the case is taken out of the environment connected to the network. 3. A workflow management system according to claim 1, wherein a range in which a case can be operated offline can be designated by adding case retrievable range information to the circulation control information.