Workflow management system and method

Abstract

A workflow management system and method for managing an operation on a population of entities, comprises the steps of storing a set of events expected to occur during the operation in a workflow rules table ( 140 ) and storing a set of dispositions in the same rules table ( 140 ), wherein each of said dispositions represents a status corresponding to an entity. The method also includes the step of correlating by a dispositioner ( 260 ) each of said events with at least one disposition and determining disposition of each of said entities in response to occurrence of one of said expected events. In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, the method further comprises the step of setting at least one of the dispositions as a pause indicating that an entity is in a waiting status. The method also comprises the step of setting at least one of said dispositions as a task indicating that an entity requires a work to be performed. The values corresponding to most recent event and most recent dispositions for each one of said entities is stored in an event disposition storage unit ( 290 ).

1 . A workflow management method for managing an operation on a population of entities, said method comprising the steps of: 
 storing a plurality of workflow rule entries for determining a disposition of each one of said entities;    within said rule entries defining a plurality of dispositions wherein each disposition corresponds to the status of an entity;    within said rule entries defining a plurality of variables, wherein each variable correspond to a characteristic of an entity so as to determine whether an action is scheduled for said entity, and whether no action is scheduled for said entity;    within said rule entries defining specifications for assigning and combining said variables and constants for each workflow rule entry;    within said rule entries defining pointers for directing said operation to another one of said rule entries;    within said rule entries defining conditional connectors containing a Boolean expression that compares said specifications, said conditional connectors employing a corresponding one of said pointers referencing an associated workflow rule entry when a predetermined condition is met;    navigating said workflow rule entries by employing said pointers based on a corresponding rule for each one of said entries until a disposition type entry is reached, wherein the value specified for said disposition type entry is assigned as the disposition of a corresponding entity.    
     
     
         2 . The method in accordance with  claim 1  further comprising the step of: 
 generating a visual interface for maintaining said workflow rules, said visual interface providing a visual representation of said workflow rules;    utilizing symbols as diagramming nodes, wherein a plurality of said symbols each correspond to one of said workflow rule entries; and    representing each one of said pointers within said workflow rule entries as connecting lines from one symbol to the other.    
     
     
         3 . The method in accordance with  claim 2  further comprising the step of using said specifications to define a value of said dispositions.  
     
     
         4 . The method in accordance with  claim 2  further comprising the step of defining various types of dispositions for representing workflow statuses.  
     
     
         5 . The method in accordance with  claim 4  further comprising the step of defining task type dispositions corresponding to work to be performed relating to an entity.  
     
     
         6 . The method in accordance with  claim 5  further comprising the step of defining alert type dispositions corresponding to an alert status relating to an entity.  
     
     
         7 . The method in accordance with  claim 6  further comprising the step of defining document type dispositions corresponding to documents to be generated relating to an entity.  
     
     
         8 . The method in accordance with  claim 7  further comprising the step of defining process type dispositions corresponding to electronic processes to be performed relating to an entity.  
     
     
         9 . The method in accordance with  claim 8  further comprising the step of defining a pause type disposition corresponding to an inaction status wherein an entity is in a waiting state.  
     
     
         10 . The method in accordance with  claim 9  further comprising the step of defining a stop type disposition corresponding to an entity wherein no further work is to be performed.  
     
     
         11 . The method in accordance with  claim 2  further comprising the step of defining connector workflow entries configured to be referenced by said pointers.  
     
     
         12 . The method in accordance with  claim 2  further comprising the step of defining temporary variable workflow entries each containing one of said specifications and pointers, such that during said navigating step when said temporary variable workflow is encountered, a value is assigned to said temporary variable based on the corresponding specification.  
     
     
         13 . The method in accordance with  claim 2  further comprising the step of establishing subroutines, said subroutines represented as a separate section of logic within said workflow rule entries referenced from multiple locations within said workflow rules, and navigating to a workflow rule entry referenced within said subroutines after completing navigation within said separate section of logic.  
     
     
         14 . The method in accordance with  claim 12  further comprising the steps of: 
 defining a set of possible events as a workflow rule entry, each event corresponding to each of said entities;    receiving the status of the most recent event for each entity for which a disposition is being determined;    locating a workflow rule entry corresponding to said most recent event; and    employing a pointer within said workflow rule entry to complete said navigating step.    
     
     
         15 . The method in accordance with  claim 14  further comprising the steps of: 
 establishing predefined outcomes each associated with a selectable event; and    allowing an end user to select an event from said predefined outcomes.    
     
     
         16 . The method in accordance with  claim 15  further comprising the step of navigating said workflow rule entries in response to said selection of an event by said end user.  
     
     
         17 . The method in accordance with  claim 16  further comprising the step of ordering the presentation of a list of said predefined outcomes based on the order that events associated with the outcomes are referenced in said workflow rule entries.  
     
     
         18 . The method in accordance with  claim 16  further comprising the step of defining other-events workflow rule entry allowing an end user to select any valid event defined as a workflow rule.  
     
     
         19 . The method in accordance with  claim 14  further comprising the steps of: 
 defining event attributes so as to receive control request for information from an end-user interface;    receiving information from said user interface a time period for waiting prior to scheduling a next event.    
     
     
         20 . The method in accordance with  claim 19 , wherein said event attribute is a waiting period specified by an end user; said wait period provided as a variable value employed in said specifications of said workflow rule entries.  
     
     
         21 . The method in accordance with  claim 2  further comprising the step of defining a plurality of tracks relative to an entity, so as to allow concurrent activities to be scheduled for performance on an entity.  
     
     
         22 . The method in accordance with  claim 21  further comprising the steps of: 
 establishing a plurality of tracks relative to an entity among said entities;    defining a disposition relative to said entity within each of said established tracks so as to allow multiple concurrent activities to be scheduled to be performed relative to said entity; and    defining an attribute within each corresponding workflow rule entry said attribute identifying a track said workflow rule entry belongs.    
     
     
         23 . The method in accordance with  claim 22  further comprising the steps of: 
 defining a track pointer workflow entry enabling initiation of an activity in a separate track during said navigation step;    defining a track connector workflow rule entry referenced by a pointer contained within said track pointer workflow entry, said track connector workflow rule entry containing a weight attribute designating a priority for said track connector workflow rule entry, to determine which of said tracks remains active.    
     
     
         24 . The method in accordance with  claim 2  further comprising the step of: 
 establishing separate workflows represented as a separate set of workflow rule entries; and    determining which workflow is applied to an entity based on attributes of said entity as designated in a specification within said workflow rule entries.    
     
     
         25 . A workflow management method for managing an operation on a population of entities, comprising the steps of: 
 defining a disposition for each of said entities, each disposition representing an activity and status corresponding to an entity;    determining the value of each entity based on attributes of the entity;    allocating a value for each of said defined dispositions, said value representing different types of said activities and further representing different types of inactivities, wherein an inactivity indicates that no action is scheduled for a corresponding entity encountering a disposition having said value of inactivity;    monitoring number of entities with different disposition values so as to measure workloads relating to said workflow management;    monitoring number of entities having inactive disposition values so as to ensure all entities are accounted for; and    monitoring number of entities having inactive disposition values by type of inactivity based on value of a corresponding disposition so as to ensure reasonableness of number of entities with such disposition values.    
     
     
         26 . The method in accordance with  claim 25  further comprising the step of computing elapsed time since occurrence of various events, wherein such events are represented as date attributes of corresponding entities.  
     
     
         27 . The method in accordance with  claim 26  wherein said different types of said activities include manual work, letter generation and email generation.  
     
     
         28 . The method in accordance with  claim 27  further comprising the step of storing a value corresponding to most recent event and most recent disposition for each one of said entities.  
     
     
         29 . The method in accordance with  claim 28 , wherein said events and dispositions define a workflow rule table, having a separate entry for each of said events and dispositions.  
     
     
         30 . The method in accordance with  claim 29 , further comprising the steps of: 
 allocating a track field for each of said entries so as to identify a workflow track associated with said entry; 
 allocating a type field so as to identify an event entry and a disposition entry;  
 allocating a specification field so as to define a function associated with said entry; and  
 allocating a pointer field so as to identify the following entry to be processed in said workflow table.  
   
     
     
         31 . The method in accordance with  claim 30  further comprising the step of generating a visual interface so as to employ a plurality of symbols, each symbol representing at least either one of said events and one of said dispositions.  
     
     
         32 . The method in accordance with  claim 31  further comprising the step of converting said symbols generated by said visual interface to an entry within said workflow rule table.  
     
     
         33 . The method in accordance with  claim 32  further comprising the step of defining workflow variables for at least some of said entries.  
     
     
         34 . The method in accordance with  claim 32  further comprising the step of adding at least one disposition qualifier so as to delineate said workflow population into desired sub-groups.  
     
     
         35 . The method in accordance with  claim 34 , further comprising the step of generating a list of selectable outcomes, each of which corresponding to a valid event.  
     
     
         36 . The method in accordance with step  35 , further comprising a step of selecting an event qualifier from a list of available qualifiers, for each of said selectable outcomes.  
     
     
         37 . The method in accordance with step  36  further comprising the step of accepting a plurality of tasks initiated by external entities, each of said tasks corresponding to an Inquiry.  
     
     
         38 . The method in accordance with  claim 32  further comprising the step of providing a selection of event qualifiers, wherein at least one of them is selected in response to an occurrence of an event.  
     
     
         39 . The method in accordance with  claim 38  further comprising the step of delineating said events into desired subgroups.  
     
     
         40 . The method in accordance with  claim 32  further comprising the step of generating documents in response to one of said dispositions.  
     
     
         41 . The method in accordance with  claim 32  further comprising the step of activating a plurality of said tracks concurrently.  
     
     
         42 . The method in accordance with  claim 41  further comprising the step of assigning a weight to each of said tracks said weight corresponding to priority of dispositions in each track.  
     
     
         43 . The method in accordance with  claim 42  further comprising the step of assigning a different workflow for a different track, such that each workflow is associated with a plurality of its own tracks.  
     
     
         44 . The method in accordance with  claim 43  further comprising the step of activating one workflow at any time.  
     
     
         46 . The method in accordance with  claim 44 , further comprising the step of assigning a primary track for each of said workflows.  
     
     
         47 . The method in accordance with  claim 32  further comprising the step of updating said workflow rules table via information received by a third party system.  
     
     
         48 . The method in accordance with  claim 47  further comprising the step of generating API variable values to interface with said third party system.  
     
     
         49 . A workflow management system for managing an operation on a population of entities, comprising: 
 a workflow rules storage module configured to receive and store desired workflow rules corresponding to said operation;    an event and disposition storage module configured to store and update a set of dispositions, wherein each disposition correspond to a status of each of said entities, in response to occurrence of events associated with each of said entities;    a workflow interface module coupled to said storage module so as to retrieve corresponding workflow rules for processing; and    a dispositioner module coupled to said workflow interface module and said event and disposition storage module, said dispositoner configured to determine disposition of each of said entities in response to an occurrence of an event.    
     
     
         50 . The system in accordance with  claim 49  wherein said workflow interface module is coupled to a third party system that is automated by said workflow management system.  
     
     
         51 . The system in accordance with  claim 50 , wherein said workflow interface module is coupled to various output devices via an external technology module.  
     
     
         52 . The system in accordance with  claim 51 , wherein said output devices consist of printers, faxes, the Internet and email.  
     
     
         53 . The system in accordance with  claim 52  further comprising a visual workflow interface module coupled to said workflow interface, so as to enable a user to define said workflow rules by employing a diagramming method.  
     
     
         54 . The system in accordance with  claim 53  further comprising a diagram storage module coupled to said visual workflow interface module to store visual workflow rules created via said visual workflow interface.  
     
     
         55 . The system in accordance with  claim 54  wherein said events and dispositions define said workflow rule table, having a separate entry for each of said events and dispositions.  
     
     
         56 . The system in accordance with  claim 55 , wherein said workflow rule table comprises: 
 a track field for each of said entries so as to identify a workflow track associated with said entry;    a type field so as to identify an event entry and a disposition entry;    a specification field so as to define a function associated with said entry; and    a pointer field so as to identify the following entry to be processed in said workflow table.