Adapting a workflow

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10430387-B2
Application number	US-96735110-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2010
Priority date	Dec 22, 2009
Publication date	Oct 1, 2019
Grant date	Oct 1, 2019

Abstract

A method for adapting a workflow of a content management system comprises setting an allowed action for a user, creating at least one information item depending on the allowed action for the user, in which the at least one information item comprises content to be published and a first information item status level indicative of a present status level of the content within the workflow, and executing the workflow which comprises stages each corresponding to a respective information item status level, such that a next stage of the workflow is determined based on a combination of different types of user status information, indicative of a status of the user, and the first information item status level.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for adapting a workflow of a content management system, the method comprising:
receiving, at the content management system, at least one created information item created depending on a number of allowed actions established for a particular user who created the at least one information item, in which the at least one information item comprises content to be published, a first information item status level indicative of a present status level of the content within the workflow, and a second information item status level indicative of a number of characteristics of the content within the information item;
executing the workflow via a workflow engine which comprises stages each corresponding to a respective information item status level, such that a next stage of the workflow is determined based on a combination of:
different types of user status information, indicative of a status of the particular user;
the first information item status level; and
the second information item status level; and

determining which of a plurality of users of the content management system have signed into a groupware application executing on an enterprise portal community associated with the content management system and are currently active on the groupware application so as to be available to currently approve the at least one information item;
in which a user is chosen among the plurality of users to manage the next stage in the workflow based on the second information item status level; and
in which the user status information comprises a user role status that defines what actions in the workflow each of the plurality of users is allowed to engage in and that further defines, based on the status of each of the plurality of users, those stages in the workflow that may be omitted from the workflow.

2. The method of claim 1 , in which the workflow creates at least one information item for managing web pages, modifies at least one information item for managing web pages, deletes at least one information item for managing web pages, or combinations thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 , in which the information item status level comprises a draft status level, an approved for publishing status level, an expired status level, a deleted status level, or combinations thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 , in which the different types of user status information further comprises a user profile status, a historic transaction status, or combinations thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 , in which the at least one information item further comprises a third information item status level indicative of an urgency level.

6. A content management system for adapting a workflow, the content management system comprising:
a client to enable a first user to create at least one information item depending on a number of allowed actions established for the first user by a setting unit, in which the at least one information item comprises content to be published, a first information item status level indicative of a present status level of the content within the workflow, and a second information item status level indicative of a number of characteristics of the content within the information item; and
a storage unit to store the at least one information item,
a workflow engine comprising a dynamic workflow stage determination engine to execute the workflow; the workflow comprising stages that each correspond to a respective status level,
in which a next stage of the workflow is determined based on a combination of different types of user status information, indicative of a status of the first user, and the first information item status level; and
in which the different types of user status information comprises a user role status that defines potential actions to be taken in the workflow by a user and, based on the status of the user, any workflow stages that may be bypassed in the workflow;
in which the workflow engine further comprises a dynamic actor determination engine to:
determine which user among those users associated with the content management system is authorized to approve the at least one information item;
determine which user among those users associated with the content management system is currently signed into a groupware application executing on an enterprise portal community associated with the content management system; and
assign a user among those users associated with the content management system that is authorized to approve the at least one information item and currently signed into and active on the groupware application to execute and action in a next stage of the workflow;
wherein the user currently signed into and active on the groupware application is preferentially assigned to approve the at least one information item before any other user among those users associated with the content management system and who are not active on the groupware application are assigned to approve the at least one information item.

7. The system of claim 6 , in which the determination of the user who approves the at least one information item is based on the second information item status level that is associated with the at least one information item.

8. The system of claim 6 , in which the at least one information item further comprises a third information item status level indicative of an urgency level, in which the next stage of the workflow is further determined based on the urgency level.

9. The system of claim 6 , in which the workflow creates at least one information item for managing web pages, modifies at least one information item for managing web pages, deletes at least one information item for managing web pages, or combinations thereof.

10. The system of claim 6 , in which the information item status level comprises a draft status level, an approved for publishing status level, an expired status level, a deleted status level, or combinations thereof.

11. The system of claim 6 , in which the different types of user status information further comprises a user profile status, a historic transaction status, or combinations thereof.

12. A computer program product for adapting a workflow, the computer program product comprising:
a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising:
computer readable program code to, when executed by a processor, set a number of allowed actions for a user;
computer readable program code to, when executed by a processor, create at least one information item depending on an allowed action established for a particular user, in which the at least one information item comprises content to be published, a first information item status level indicative of a present status level of the content within the workflow, and a second information item status level indicative of a number of characteristics of the content within the information item; and
computer readable program code to, when executed by a processor, execute the workflow which comprises stages each corresponding to a respective information item status level in which a next stage of the workflow is determined based on a combination of:
different types of user status information, indicative of a status of the user;
the first information item status level, and
the second information item status level;
computer readable program code to, when executed by a processor, define potential actions to be taken in the workflow by a user and, based on the status of the user, any workflow stages that may be bypassed in the workflow; and
computer readable program code to, when executed by a

Assignees

• Falkenberg Matthias
• Hepper Stefan Alfons
• Laertz Stephan
• IBM

Inventors

• Falkenberg Matthias
• Hepper Stefan Alfons
• Laertz Stephan

Classifications

• G06Q10/10

  Office automation; Time management · CPC title

• G06F16/9536

  Search customisation based on social or collaborative filtering · CPC title

• G06F16/176 Primary

  Support for shared access to files; File sharing support · CPC title

• G06Q10/06 Primary

  Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling · CPC title

• G06Q10/0633

  Workflow analysis · CPC title