OA19404A - Method for authorizing approval processes and approval nodes thereof for user. - Google Patents

Abstract

A method for authorizing an approval process and approval node thereof for a user is provided. The method for authorizing an approval process a user comprises: selecting a user in a system; displaying all approval processes in the system, and displaying current usage permission states of the selected user with respect to the approval processes; and authorizing usage permissions of the approval processes to the selected user. All of the approval processes or all approval nodes in the system are displayed after the user is selected, without omitting any approval process or any approval node, thereby facilitating quick authorization of related permissions to the user.

Description

[0051] The following describes technical solutions of the présent invention in further detail with reference to accompanying drawings, but the protection scope of the présent invention is not limited to the following.

[0052] [Embodiment 1] As shown in FIG. 4, a method for authorizing an approval process for a user comprises: SI 1 : selecting a user in a system.

[0053] For example, a rôle 1 in FIG. 5 is selected as the user.

[0054] The user includes one or more of rôles, the user, an employée, and a group/class.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 6, the rôle is an independent individual not a group/class, during the same period, one rôle can only be related to a unique user, while one user is related to one or more rôles. The user obtains permissions of the related rôle. When or after the rôle is created, a department is selected for the rôle, so that the rôle belongs to the department. The rôle is authorized according to its work content, the name of the rôle is unique in the department, and the number of the rôle is unique in the system.

[0056] Définition of a rôle: A rôle does not hâve the nature of a group/class/a category/a post/a position/a type of work or the like, but has a non-collective nature. The rôle is unique and is an independent individual. Applied in an enterprise or an institution, the rôle is équivalent to a post number (the post number herein is not a post, and one post may hâve multiple employées at the same time, but one post number can only correspond to one employée during the same period).

[0057] For example, in a company system, the following rôles may be created: a general manager, a deputy general manager 1, a deputy general manager 2, a manager of Beijing sales department I, a manager of Beijing sales department II, a manager of Beijing sales department III, a Shanghai sales engineer 1, a Shanghai sales engineer 2, a Shanghai sales engineer 3, a Shanghai sales engineer 4, a Shanghai sales engineer 5, and so on. The relation between users and rôles is as follows: if Zhang San, the company's employée, serves as a deputy general manager 2 of the company and also serves as a manager of Beijing sales department I, the rôles to which Zhang San needs to be related are the deputy general manager 2 and the manager of Beijing sales department I, and Zhang San owns the permissions ofthe two rôles.

[0058] The concept of conventional rôles is a group/class/a post/a position/a type of 5 work in nature, and one rôle can correspond to multiple users. However, in the présent application, the concept of rôle is équivalent to a post number/a work station number, and is also similar to the rôle in a film and télévision drama: one rôle (in childhood, juvénile, middle-age...) can be played by only one actor or actress during the same period, but one actor or actress may play multiple rôles.

[0059] When the user is transferred from a post, the user's relation to the original rôle is canceled, and the user is related to a new rôle. The user loses the permissions ofthe original rôle and obtains the permissions of the new rôle automatically.

[0060] When the employée is recruited, after the rôle is related to the user corresponding to the employée, the user automatically obtains the permissions of the related 15 rôle. When the employée resigns, after the relation between the user corresponding to the employée and the rôle related to the user is canceled, the user automatically loses the permissions of the original related rôle.

[0061] After the rôle is created, a user may be related to the rôle in the process of creating the user, or may be related to the rôle at any time after the user is created. After the 20 user is related to the rôle, the user can be released from the relation to the rôle at any time, and the relation between the user and another rôle may be created at any time.

[0062] One employée corresponds to one user, one user corresponds to one employée, and the employée détermines (obtains) permissions through the rôle related to the corresponding user.

[0063] Further, the employée and the user are bound permanently. After the user corresponds to the employée, the user belongs to the employée, and the user can no longer be related to other employées. If the employée resigns, the user cannot correspond to other employées. After the employée is recruited again, the employée still uses the original user.

[0064] S12: displaying ail approval processes in the system, and displaying current usage permission States of the selected user with respect to the approval processes.

[0065] For example, in FIG. 5, after a rôle 1 is selected, ail approval processes in the system are displayed. The approval process includes an approval process 1 of a contract form, 5 an approval process 2 of the contract form, an approval process 3 of the contract form, and an approval process 1 of a customer form, etc. The rôle 1 currently has usage permissions of the approval process 1 of the contract form and the approval process 1 of the customer form.

[0066] S13 : authorizing usage permissions of the approval processes to the selected user. (The usage permission is which approval process is used when form data of a form is 10 submitted for approval). When two or more approval processes belong to the same form, only the usage permission of one approval process is authorized only to one user (the form representing a service object, such as an order, a contract, or a customer, etc, each piece of form data corresponding to one unique service object, for example, customer 001 in the customer form representing one unique customer 001, and the customer 001 being one piece 15 of form data/one object).

[0067] For example, in FIG. 5, the approval process 1 of the contract form, the approval process 2 of the contract form, and the approval process 3 of the contract form belong to the contract form. The rôle 1 currently has only the usage permission of the approval process 1 of the contract form.

[0068] After a user is selected, an authorization operator that authorizes usage permissions of the approval processes to the selected user and authorization time thereof are displayed, respectively, to facilitate détermination whether the user needs to perform authorization of the usage permissions of the approval processes. For example, an authorization operator needs to authorize usage permissions of approval processes for 100 25 rôles, but the authorization operator only complétés authorization of usage permissions of approval processes for 70 rôles. When the authorization operator continues authorizing usage permissions of approval processes for rôles next day, a rôle to be authorized of a usage permission of an approval process is searched for through sélection of an authorization operator that most recentiy authorizes a usage permission of an approval process for a rôle or authorization time during which the usage permission of the approval process is most recently authorized for the rôle. For another example, it may be known, through viewing an authorization time during which usage permissions of approval processes are most recently authorized for a rôle, that how long usage permissions of the approval processes for the rôle 5 are not changed, facilitating détermination whether the usage permissions of the approval processes need to be authorized for the rôle again.

[0069] For example, in FIG. 5, an authorization operator that most recently authorizes, for rôle 1, usage permissions of the approval process 1 of the contract form, the approval process 2 of the contract form, the approval process 3 of the contract form, and the approval 10 process 1 of the customer form is user A, and the authorization time is June 1, 2017.

[0070] Further, ail approval processes with usage permissions of the user in the system are displayed, usage permissions of the approval processes are modified, and one or more approval processes that the user does not hâve a usage permission of are selected as required to be set with the usage permission.

[0071] Further, displaying ail approval processes in the system is displaying ail approval processes that are viewable by the operator in the system.

[0072] Further, an approval process that a user has a permission of is displayed in a different manner: for example, the approval process that the user has the permission of is displayed in the front, or the approval process that the user has the permission of is 20 highlighted, or the approval process that the user has the permission of is displayed in a different color/logo, etc.

[0073] [Embodiment 2] As shown in FIG. 7, a method for authorizing an approval node for a user comprises: S21: selecting a user in a system.

[0074] For example, a rôle 1 in FIG. 8 is selected as the user.

[0075] The user includes one or more of rôles, the user, an employée, and a group/class.

[0076] As shown in FIG. 6, the rôle is an independent individual not a group/class, during the same period, one rôle can only be related to a unique user, while one user is related to one or more rôles. The user obtains permissions of the related rôle. When or after the rôle is created, a department is selected for the rôle, so that the rôle belongs to the department. The rôle is authorized according to its work content, the name of the rôle is unique in the department, and the number of the rôle is unique in the system.

[0077] When the user is transferred from a post, the user's relation to the original rôle is canceled, and the user is related to a new rôle. The user loses the permissions ofthe original rôle and obtains the permissions of the new rôle automatically.

[0078] When the employée is recruited, after the rôle is related to the user corresponding to the employée, the user automatically obtains the permissions of the related 10 rôle. When the employée resigns, after the relation between the user corresponding to the employée and the rôle related to the user is canceled, the user automatically loses the permissions of the original related rôle.

[0079] After the rôle is created, a user may be related to the rôle in the process of creating the user, or may be related to the rôle at any time after the user is created. After the 15 user is related to the rôle, the user can be released from the relation to the rôle at any time, and the relation between the user and another rôle may be created at any time.

[0080] One employée corresponds to one user, one user corresponds to one employée, and the employée détermines (obtains) permissions through the rôle related to the corresponding user

[0081] Further, the employée and the user are bound permanently. After the user corresponds to the employée, the user belongs to the employée, and the user can no longer be related to other employées. If the employée resigns, the user cannot correspond to other employées. After the employée is recruited again, the employée still uses the original user.

[0082] S22: displaying ail approval nodes of ail approval processes in the system, and displaying current approval permission States of the selected user with respect to the approval nodes.

[0083] For example, in FIG. 8, after a rôle 1 is selected, ail approval nodes of ail approval processes in the system are displayed. Ail approval nodes include an approval node and an approval node 2 of an approval process 1 of a contract form, an approval node 1, an approval node 2, and an approval node 3 of an approval process 2 of the contract form, an approval node 1 of an approval process 3 of the contract form, and an approval node 1 and an approval node 2 of an approval process 1 of a customer form, etc. The rôle 1 currently has 5 approval permissions for the approval node 1 and the approval node 2 ofthe approval process of the contract form and the approval node 1 of the approval process 1 of the customer form.

[0084] The approval process includes a start node, an approval node, and an end node. There may be one or more approval nodes in one approval process. An approver of an 10 approval node approves a to-be-approved task.

[0085] FIG. 9 is an approval process before a sales contract is signed. The process includes a start node, an approval node, and an end node. The start node includes an initiator configured to initiate/apply for/submit the approval process of the sales contract. The approval nodes (for example, 5 approval nodes in FIG. 9) include a sales superviser A, a 15 Financial superviser B, a technical superviser C, a production superviser D, and a manager E. The sales superviser A is responsible for ail information approval of the sales contract, the financial superviser B is responsible for financial approval ofthe sales contract, the technical superviser C is responsible for technical approval of the sales contract, the production supervisor D is responsible for production approval of the sales contract, and the manager E 20 is responsible for ail information approval of the sales contract except customer information.

[0086] S23: authorizing approval permissions ofthe approval nodes to the selected user, that is, the user is selected/set as an approver of a corresponding approval node.

[0087] A method for authorizing an approval node for a user further comprises: view and/or modification permissions of a form field/field value of a form corresponding to an 25 approval process in which the approval node is located are authorized to the selected user (that is, which fields/field values may be viewed and or modified when the approver/selected user is authorized to perform an approval at the approval node). After the user is set as an approver of one approval node, the approver performs a corresponding operation based on authorization thereof for the form field/field value at the approval node.

[0088] After one user is selected, an authorization operator that most recently authorizes an approval permission of the approval node of the approval process to the selected user and authorization time thereof are displayed, respectively.

[0089] For example, in FIG. 8, an authorization operator that recently authorizes, to 5 the rôle 1, approval permissions of the approval node 1 and approval node 2 of the approval process 1 of the contract form and the approval node 1 of the approval process 1 of the customer form, and the authorization time is June 1, 2017.

[0090] Further, ail approval nodes with approval permissions for the user in the system are displayed, the approval permissions of the approval nodes are modified, and one 10 or more approval nodes that the user does not hâve an approval permission of are selected as required to be set with the approval permission.

[0091] Further, displaying ail approval nodes of ail approval processes in the system is displaying ail approval nodes of ail approval processes that are viewable by the operator in the System.

[0092] Further, an approval process and/or an approval node that a user has a permission of is displayed in a different manner: for example, the approval process and/or the approval node that the user has the permission of is displayed in the front, or the approval process and/or the approval node that the user has the permission of is highlighted, or the approval process and/or the approval node that the user has the permission of is displayed in 20 a different color/logo, etc.

[0093] [Embodiment 3] As shown in FIG. 10, a method for authorizing an approval node for a user comprises: S31 : selecting a user in a system, the user being a department supervisor.

[0094] For example, in FIG. 11, a supervisor of a sales department is selected as the 25 user.

[0095] The department supervisor is currently a supervisor employée/ supervisor user/supervisor rôle (or a user related to the rôle supervisor or an employée corresponding to the user related to supervisor rôle) of a department. The supervisor employee/supervisor user/supervisor rôle is set in a method below: one employee/user is selected as the supervisor employee/supervisor user of one or more departments, or a rôle that does not belong to a department is selected as the supervisor rôle of a department, or a rôle that belongs to a department is selected as the supervisor rôle of the department that the rôle belongs to. When 5 the supervisor employée/ supervisor user/supervisor rôle of the department is changed, the department supervisor is a new supervisor employee/supervisor user/supervisor rôle (that is, a current supervisor).

[0096] For example, if the supervisor rôle of a sales department is a salesman 1, a department supervisor of the sales department is the salesman 1. If the supervisor rôle of the 10 sales department is changed to be a salesman 2, the department supervisor of the sales department is the salesman 2.

[0097] S32: displaying ail approval nodes of ail approval processes in the system, and displaying current approval permission States of the department supervisor with respect to the approval nodes.

[0098] The approval process includes a start node, an approval node, and an end node.

There may be one or more approval nodes in one approval process.

[0099] For example, in FIG. 11, after a supervisor of a sales department sales is selected, ail approval nodes of ail approval processes in the system are displayed. Ail approval nodes include an approval node 1 and an approval node 2 of an approval process 1 20 of a contract form, an approval node 1, an approval node 2, and an approval node 3 of an approval process 2 ofthe contract form, an approval node 1 of an approval process 3 ofthe contract form, and an approval node 1 and an approval node 2 of an approval process 1 of the customer form, etc. The supervisor of the sales department currently has approval permissions ofthe approval node 1 and the approval node 2 ofthe approval process 1 of the 25 contract form and the approval node 1 of the approval process 1 of the customer form.

[0100] S33: authorizing approval permissions of the approval nodes to the selected department supervisor.

[0101] The method for authorizing an approval node for a user further comprises:

authorizing, to the selected department supervisor, view and/or modification permissions of a form field/field value of a form corresponding to a process in which the approval node is located. After the department supervisor is set as an approver of one approval node, the approver performs a corresponding operation based on authorization of the form field/field 5 value at the approval node.

[0102] After one department supervisor is selected, an authorization operator that most recently authorizes an approval permission ofthe approval node ofthe approval process for the selected department supervisor and an authorization time thereof are displayed, respectively.

[0103] For example, in FIG. 11, the authorization operator that most recently authorizes, to the supervisor of the sales department, the approval permissions ofthe approval node 1 and the approval node 2 of the approval process 1 of the contract form, and the approval node 1 of the approval process 1 of the customer form is user A, and the authorization time is June 1, 2017.

[0104] The above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the forms disclosed herein, and is not to be construed as the exclusion to the other embodiments, but may be used in various other combinations, modifications and environments. Modifications can be made according to the techniques or knowledge of the above teachings or related art within conceptive scope herein. All changes and modifications made by those skilled in the art are intended to be within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (10)

1. A method for authorizing an approval process for a user, comprising:

selecting a user in a system;

5 displaying ail approval processes in the system, and displaying current usage permission States of the selected user with respect to the approval processes; and authorizing a usage permission of the approval process to the selected user.

2. The method for authorizing an approval process for a user according to claim 1, wherein if two or more approval processes belong to the same form, only the usage 10 permission of one approval process can be authorized to one user.

3. The method for authorizing an approval process for a user according to claim 1, wherein said user comprises one or more types of a rôle, a user, an employée, and a group/class, said rôle is an independent individual not a group/class, and during the same period, one rôle can only be related to a unique user, while one user is related to one or more 15 rôles; and the user obtains permissions of the related rôle.

4. The method for authorizing an approval process for a user according to claim 1, wherein after one user is selected, an authorization operator that most recently authorizes usage permissions of approval processes to the selected user and an authorization time are displayed, respectively.

20

5. A method for authorizing an approval node for a user, comprising:

selecting a user in a system;

displaying ail approval nodes of ail approval processes in the system, and displaying current approval permission States of the selected user with respect to the approval nodes; and

25 authorizing an approval permission of the approval node to the selected user.

6. The method for authorizing an approval node for a user according to claim 5, wherein said method for authorizing an approval node for a user further comprises: authorizing, to the selected user, viewing and/or modification permissions of a form field/field value of a form corresponding to an approval process in which the approval node is located.

7. The method for authorizing an approval node for a user according to claim 5, wherein 5 said user comprises one or more types of a rôle, a user, an employée, and a group/class, said rôle is an independent individual not a group/class, and during the same period, one rôle can only be related to a unique user, while one user is related to one or more rôles; and the user obtains permissions of the related rôle.

8. The method for authorizing an approval node for a user according to claim 7, wherein 10 when said user is transferred from a post, the user's relation to the original rôle is canceled, and the user is related to a new rôle.

9. A method for authorizing an approval node for a user, comprising:

selecting a user in a system, said user being a department supervisor;

displaying ail approval nodes of ail approval processes in the system, and displaying 15 current approval permission States of the department supervisor with respect to the approval nodes; and authorizing an approval permission of the approval node to the selected department supervisor.

10. The method for authorizing an approval node for a user according to claim 9, 20 wherein said method for authorizing an approval node for a user further comprises: authorizing, to the selected department supervisor, viewing and/or modification permissions of a form field/field value of a form corresponding to an approval process in which the approval node is located.