Workflow management systems, workflow management methods, and programs

Abstract

The challenge is to provide a workflow management system that is suitable for use in actual business operations. [Solution] A workflow management system, A display unit that shows the workflow generation screen, A generation unit generates a workflow related to the workflow based on the generation instructions entered via the workflow generation screen, A data registration unit, upon receiving an instruction to execute a workflow, generates execution information including the execution status of one or more steps included in the workflow and registers it in association with the workflow. The display unit displays a screen showing the flowchart of the workflow and the execution status. Two or more of the aforementioned execution information are associated with the workflow. Workflow management system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a workflow management system, a workflow management method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, systems for creating workflows have been developed.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a workflow creation / modification support system that can improve the efficiency of workflow creation / modification.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In actual business, it is assumed that the same flow is run simultaneously for multiple cases, etc. However, Patent Document 1 could not execute and manage multiple identical flows.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In view of the above situation, an object of the present invention is to provide a workflow management system suitable for use in actual business.

Effects of the Invention

[0007] [1] A workflow management system, a display unit that displays a workflow generation screen, [[ID=5�]]a generation unit that generates a workflow based on a generation instruction input via the workflow generation screen, A data registration unit, upon receiving an instruction to execute a workflow, generates execution information including the execution status of one or more steps included in the workflow and registers it in association with the workflow. The display unit displays a screen showing the flowchart of the workflow and the execution status. Two or more of the aforementioned execution information are associated with the workflow. Workflow management system. [2] The workflow management system further includes a reception section, The aforementioned reception unit receives the specification of a workflow to be displayed in a list. The display unit displays a list of workflow execution statuses based on the execution information related to the specified workflow. The aforementioned execution status list displays the execution status of the workflow based on the execution status of each step. [1] The workflow management system described above. [3] The workflow includes steps to perform a task, The aforementioned execution information includes responsibility information for each task, The aforementioned execution status refers to the execution status for each step, The display unit displays a list of tasks assigned to the designated person, based on the execution information of the designated person. The workflow management system described in [1] or [2]. [4] The workflow management system further comprises a reception unit and an execution status management unit, Based on the execution information, the display unit displays a task execution screen on the user terminal of the person in charge for executing the task of the step whose execution status is in progress. The reception unit receives task execution information entered via the task execution screen, The execution status management unit shall determine the execution status of the above step as completed. [3] The workflow management system described below. [5] The workflow includes steps to perform a task, The execution information includes the execution status for each step in executing the task, The display unit accepts the specification of an aggregation axis and, based on the execution information, displays a dashboard screen showing the aggregated results of the task execution status on the specified aggregation axis. A workflow management system as described in any of [1] to [4]. [6] The workflow management system further includes a reception section, The reception unit accepts registration of the maintenance person for each workflow, The display unit displays a maintenance reminder on the user terminal of the maintenance staff member. A workflow management system as described in any of [1] to [5]. [7] The generation instruction is an instruction in natural language, The generation unit transmits the generation instruction to the generation device. Based on the setting information received from the generation device, the workflow information is generated, which includes one or more step information related to the steps included in the workflow. A workflow management system as described in any of [1] to [6]. [8] A workflow management method performed by a computer, The display process for showing the workflow generation screen, A generation process that generates a workflow based on the generation instructions entered via the workflow generation screen, A data registration step that, upon receiving an instruction to execute a workflow, generates execution information including the execution status of one or more steps included in the workflow and registers it in association with the workflow, In the display step, a screen showing the flowchart of the workflow and the execution status is displayed. Two or more of the aforementioned execution information are associated with the workflow. Workflow management methods. A computer program that causes the computer to execute the workflow management method described in [9][8].

[0008] According to the invention related to [1], it is possible to manage the execution status of the same workflow for multiple cases simultaneously, such as for each case.

[0009] According to the invention related to [2], even when multiple executions of the same workflow are in progress, it is possible to display and manage a list of the execution statuses related to the same workflow.

[0010] According to the invention related to [3], it is possible to display and manage a list of the statuses of the tasks that the person in charge of executing the tasks related to the workflow is responsible for.

[0011] According to the invention related to [4], the person assigned the task in the workflow can execute the task, and manage the execution status of the workflow in accordance with the execution.

[0012] According to the invention related to [5], it is possible to easily grasp the execution status of the task.

[0013] According to the invention related to [6], it is possible to perform continuous maintenance of the workflow by the maintenance person in charge.

[0014] According to the invention related to [7], it is possible to automatically generate a workflow based on an instruction in natural language.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015] [Figure 1] Block diagram showing the overall configuration of the system [Figure 2] Hardware configuration diagram of the system [Figure 3] Flowchart showing the processing flow [Figure 4] Diagram showing an example of screen display [Figure 5] Flowchart showing the processing flow [Figure 6] Diagram showing an example of screen display [Figure 7] Diagram showing an example of screen display [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0016] Further details will be provided below with reference to the attached drawings. The drawings show preferred embodiments. However, it is possible to carry out the invention in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0017] For example, this embodiment describes the configuration and operation of a workflow management system, but similar effects can be achieved by the method, device, computer program, etc. of execution. The program may be provided as a non-transient recording medium readable by a computer, or it may be provided so that it can be downloaded from an external server.

[0018] This embodiment describes an example in which a user of the workflow management system, who belongs to a company and performs work on-site, creates a workflow and uses the created workflow to perform work. Furthermore, the workflow management system in this embodiment is a workflow management system that can handle cases where the same workflow is executed multiple times, for example, when responding to inquiries from multiple customers using the same workflow. Note that the scope of information that users of the workflow management system can view and the scope of operations they can perform may differ depending on their job title or other factors.

[0019] A workflow is a sequence of processes related to business operations. In this embodiment, the workflow includes one or more steps, and the process of each step is executed in order to realize the flow of business operations related to the workflow. Furthermore, the workflow in this embodiment includes either or both of the following: steps related to processes performed by a person such as a user (task execution processes) and steps related to processes performed automatically by the functions of a computer (automation processes).

[0020] In this embodiment, the workflow system can further execute processes included in the workflow by utilizing APIs (Application Programming Interfaces), etc., to use the functions of tool-providing systems such as chat, invoice creation, and cloud storage. If the workflow includes processes that provide data obtained from one tool-providing system to another tool-providing system, such as registering data entered by a customer via a form in a customer information management system, the workflow management system performs processes for coordinating multiple tool-providing systems by acquiring and registering data from other tool-providing systems.

[0021] Furthermore, in this embodiment, we will describe the process when the workflow management system generates a workflow using the functions of the generation system by utilizing an API or the like. However, for example, the workflow management device itself may have a function that performs processing related to workflow generation based on natural language commands.

[0022] <System Configuration> Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a system according to one embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the workflow management system 0 comprises a workflow management device 1 and a user terminal 2, which are configured to communicate with each other via a network 5. Although only one user terminal 2 is shown in Figure 1, there may be multiple user terminals 2.

[0023] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the workflow management device 1 is connected to an external generation system 3 and a tool provision system 4 via a network 5 so as to be able to communicate with them, and is configured to execute processes related to workflow generation and the use of tool functions.

[0024] One or more server devices, such as general-purpose servers or personal computers, can be used as the workflow management device 1.

[0025] As user terminal 2, a terminal device such as a personal computer, smartphone, or tablet can be used. User terminal 2 connects to workflow management device 1 by executing the workflow management device utilization program and executes the workflow management processes described later. In this embodiment, the workflow management device utilization program is a browser application pre-installed or downloaded in advance to user terminal 2, but it may also be a client application downloaded from a program provider device (not shown).

[0026] The generation system 3 includes a generation device 31. The generation device 31 can be a general-purpose server or a personal computer. When the generation device 31 receives a natural language command, such as a large-scale language model, it stores a model that outputs a response and uses this model (generation model) to perform workflow generation processing. In this embodiment, the generation model stored in the generation device 31 is used to perform workflow generation processing; however, the workflow management device 1 itself may store the generation model and perform workflow generation processing. The generation model in this embodiment is a model that has pre-loaded structured data and has learned to generate structured flow data when it receives a natural language instruction regarding workflow generation.

[0027] The tool provisioning system 4 includes a tool provisioning device 41. The tool provisioning device 41 can be a general-purpose server or a personal computer. Although only one tool provisioning system 4 and one tool provisioning device 41 are shown in Figure 1, multiple such devices may exist.

[0028] Network 5 is an IP (Internet Protocol) network, but there are no restrictions on the type of communication protocol, network type, etc.

[0029] <Hardware Configuration> Figure 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of the workflow management device 1 and the user terminal 2.

[0030] Figure 2(a) is a hardware configuration diagram of the workflow management device 1. As shown in Figure 2(a), the workflow management device 1 comprises a processing unit 101, a storage unit 102, and a communication unit 103, which are used to control the operation of each unit and each process.

[0031] The processing unit 101 has a processor such as a CPU that can execute instruction sets, and executes the OS, workflow management programs, etc. The storage unit 102 includes volatile memory such as RAM capable of storing instruction sets, and a non-volatile recording medium such as an HDD or SSD capable of recording the OS, workflow management programs, etc. The storage unit 102 may be distributed across multiple server devices. The communication unit 103 has an interface for connecting to the network 5 and performs communication control with the network 5 to input and output information.

[0032] Figure 2(b) is a hardware configuration diagram of user terminal 2. As shown in Figure 2(b), user terminal 2 has a processing unit 201, a storage unit 202, a communication unit 203, an input unit 204, and an output unit 205, which are used to perform the functions of each unit and each process.

[0033] The processing unit 201 has a processor such as a CPU capable of executing instruction sets and executes programs such as the OS and workflow management device utilization programs. The storage unit 202 has volatile memory such as RAM capable of storing instruction sets, and a non-volatile recording medium such as an HDD or SSD capable of recording application programs (such as workflow management device user programs) that can utilize multiple services including the OS and workflow management services. The communication unit 203 has an interface for connecting to network 5 and performs communication control with network 5 to input and output information. The input unit 204 has input devices such as touch panels and keyboards, which are operation input devices capable of input processing. The output unit 205 has an output device such as a display device capable of display processing, such as a display.

[0034] <Data structure in Workflow Management System 0> The following describes an example of the data structure used in the workflow management system 0 in this embodiment. The various data described later are stored in the storage unit 102 and used in the various processes executed in the processing unit 101.

[0035] User information refers to information about users who belong to a company and use the workflow management system 0. In this embodiment, user information includes user identification information (such as a user ID), username, email address, and organizational information such as the organization to which the user belongs. Note that an email address may be used as the user identification information. Note that permissions such as the scope of what can be viewed and what can be operated may be set for each user. For example, a user with higher authority, such as a supervisor, may be configured to be able to view and operate the information of their subordinates.

[0036] In this embodiment, users are identified by logging in in advance using identification information (such as a user ID) and a password. Therefore, the processing described later uses user information and associated workflow information, such as execution information, of the user identified by the identification information entered during this prior login.

[0037] Workflow information is information about a workflow generated based on various settings (generation instructions) entered by the user, and includes the workflow name. Workflow information also includes one or more step information regarding the steps included in the workflow, and relationship information regarding the relationships between steps, such as the execution order of the steps and execution dependencies, such as execution starting when a specific step is completed. Relationship information may also include information about the position and connection relationships of steps in a flowchart. Furthermore, workflow information includes start conditions; for example, when the "start button" is pressed or an inquiry email is received, the workflow execution begins when the conditions set in the start conditions are met. In this embodiment, workflow information is stored in association with user information of the maintenance person responsible for maintaining the workflow, using identification information such as the user ID. In order to review workflows and always perform tasks in the most optimal way, the maintenance person performs checks and corrections as part of the maintenance of the workflow associated with them.

[0038] Step information is information about one or more steps included in a workflow, and includes the processing type. The processing type is the type of processing performed in the step, and in this embodiment, it includes processing performed by a human (task execution processing) and automated processing. Furthermore, even automated processing includes processing related to tools and processing that does not use tools. Processing that uses tools is processing that is performed by accessing the tool provider 41 and utilizes the functions of the tool provider 41, such as data acquisition and input, and message transmission. In addition, the information included in the step information in this embodiment differs depending on the type of processing (processing type) performed in the step. Furthermore, when a step references information from another step, such as using the results of processing performed in another step, the step information may include referencing step information related to the referencing step. The referencing step information includes identification information of the referencing step and information specifying which data from the referencing step to reference.

[0039] In this embodiment, step information related to a process performed by a person (task execution process) includes step identification information, step name, process type, person in charge information, and process content information. Person in charge information is information about the person in charge of the task, and in this embodiment, it includes either or both of the following: information for identifying the person in charge of the task (such as user name or user ID) and information for identifying the organization in charge (such as organization name or organization ID). In this embodiment, step information is associated with user information, etc., using the person in charge information. Note that the person in charge at the time of creation, which is set in the workflow information, and the person in charge who actually performs the execution (execution person) may be different. Process content information in the task execution process is information about the content of the task to be executed, for example, if it is a data entry task, it is the items to be entered and the format of the data for the items (such as strings or numbers). In addition, step information related to the task execution process may also include information about the task, such as the deadline for the task. When displaying the task execution screen, if information from other steps is referenced, such as displaying data entered in the previous step, the process content information related to the task execution process may include the referenced step information.

[0040] In this embodiment, the step information related to the automated process includes step identification information, step name, processing type, and processing content information. The processing type related to the automated process may be, for example, "judgment" or "wait" if the automated process does not use a tool, or "email application," "chat tool," or "invoice creation tool" if the process involves a tool, but it may also include more detailed processing content (for example, sending an email using an email application). The processing content information related to the automated process is information regarding the settings for what kind of processing to execute, which differs depending on the processing type, and includes information regarding the processing target and the details of the processing performed on the processing target. In this embodiment, the processing content information may include, for example, the conditions for judgment in judgment based on the results of other steps, the waiting period, the content of the message in sending an email or message, or, in the case of data acquisition, the source of acquisition, the content of the data to be registered in a tool such as cloud storage, and the registration destination. Furthermore, when processing is executed using information from other steps, such as displaying data entered in a form acquired in another step in a chat, the processing content information related to the automated process may include the referencing step information. In addition, if the processing content information is executed on the condition that it is reached at a specified time, it may also include information regarding the start time.

[0041] Execution information is information related to the execution of a workflow, and includes an execution name such as the case name, and step execution information related to the execution of each step included in the workflow. Step execution information includes the execution status of each step (running / waiting / completed / failed / cancelled, etc.) and is stored in association with step information related to the corresponding step. Step execution information may also include execution result information related to the results of the execution of processing in the step (e.g., input data or acquired data). Execution result information is information related to the results of the execution of processing in each step, and includes, for example, data acquired in the processing or the result of a judgment. Execution result information also includes the start date and time when the execution status of a step becomes running, and the completion date and time when the execution status of a step becomes completed, but may also include information related to the date and time when the execution status of a step changes. For example, if the person in charge set when the workflow was created (creation-time person in charge) is busy and unable to handle the task when the workflow is executed, it may be necessary to assign the task to another user. Therefore, in this embodiment, step execution information related to a workflow that includes processing performed by a person includes person in charge information related to the person in charge who performs the task for each step (execution person). Furthermore, if the person assigned to the workflow during its creation is also responsible for executing the task (the person assigned at creation is the execution person), the person assigned at creation, obtained from the workflow information, may be included in the execution information (personal information related to the execution person), or the execution information may not include the person assigned information. The execution status and person assigned information for each step are stored in association with the step information related to the corresponding step.

[0042] Since workflows may be modified after creation, in this embodiment, when an instruction to execute a workflow is given, the workflow management device 1 duplicates the workflow information at the start of execution, registers the duplicated workflow information in association with the generated execution information, and uses this duplicated workflow information to perform the processing related to the execution of the workflow. Therefore, in this embodiment, the execution information associated with the workflow information is further associated with the workflow information at the start of execution, which is obtained by duplicating the workflow information at the start of execution. The workflow management device 1 is configured to perform the processing related to the execution of the workflow by using the workflow information at the start of execution obtained by duplicating the workflow information at the time the execution instruction was given, so that processing can be performed without problems even if some changes are made to the original workflow. However, if it is not expected that any changes will be made to the original workflow, the device may be configured to perform the processing related to the execution of the workflow using the workflow information of the original workflow.

[0043] <Functional Configuration of Workflow Management System 0> Figure 1 further shows the functional configuration of the workflow management system 0. As shown in Figure 1, the workflow management device 1 comprises a display unit 11, a reception unit 12, a generation unit 13, a data registration unit 14, an execution unit 15, and an execution status management unit 16. This represents the concrete realization of information processing by software (a workflow management program temporarily or permanently stored in the storage unit 102) by hardware (such as the processing unit 101). Furthermore, devices such as the user terminal 2 and the tool provisioning device 41 may also include some or all of the functional configuration described later and execute some or all of the processing described later.

[0044] The display unit 11 performs processing to display various screens, such as a workflow generation screen and a task execution screen, based on the workflow generated in the generation unit 13 and various information stored in the storage unit 102, such as workflow information and execution information. In this embodiment, the display unit 11 performs the process of sending various data, including HTML data necessary for screen display, to the user terminal 2 as the process for displaying the screen, but other processes may also be performed as the process for displaying the screen.

[0045] The reception unit 12 receives various inputs, such as generation instructions, entered on the user terminal 2, and processes them to pass on to other functional components such as the generation unit 13, or to store them in the storage unit 102. In this embodiment, the reception unit 12 stores the various settings included in the generation instructions as workflow information in the storage unit 102.

[0046] The generation unit 13 performs a process to generate a workflow based on the generation instruction received from the user terminal 2. In this embodiment, the generation unit 13 executes a process to generate a flowchart of the workflow based on the received generation instruction as the process to generate the workflow, but it may also execute a process to generate structured flowchart information as the process to generate the workflow. The generation unit 13 receives settings related to the steps included in the workflow and the relationships between the steps as a generation instruction from the user terminal 2, and generates the workflow based on the received generation instruction. The generation unit 13 may also store various settings related to the workflow (generation instruction and setting information) as workflow information in the storage unit 102.

[0047] The generation unit 13 further receives a natural language text from the user terminal 2 as a generation instruction regarding what kind of workflow to generate, and transmits the received generation instruction to the generation device 31. When the generation device 31 generates setting information related to the workflow parameters, the generation unit 13 receives the setting information from the generation device 31 and generates the workflow based on the received setting information. In this embodiment, the generation device 31 is a device that stores a generation model in which structured data related to the flow has been pre-loaded. The generation device 31 uses the generation model to generate structured workflow data (setting information) based on the template workflow data and transmits it to the workflow management device 1. The setting information is information related to the workflow parameters, and includes parameters related to the steps included in the workflow and parameters related to the relationships between the steps. Furthermore, the setting information may also include any information related to the workflow information and step information parameters, such as information related to the automation process, including information about the type of tool used and the content of the process.

[0048] When the reception unit 12 receives a workflow execution instruction, the data registration unit 14 generates workflow execution information and stores it in the storage unit 102 in association with the workflow information related to the workflow that was instructed to be executed. The data registration unit 14 also stores the execution status of each step and the information of the person responsible for execution included in the generated execution information, in association with the step information related to the corresponding step.

[0049] The execution unit 15 executes the processes included in the workflow based on the workflow information and the step information included in the workflow information. In particular, the execution unit 15 executes the processes in the automation steps included in the workflow. If the process is related to a tool, the execution unit 15 sends a request to the tool provider 41 to execute the process. If the process does not use a tool, the execution unit 15 performs processes such as data processing or judgment based on acquired data as the processes for executing the automation step. In this embodiment, as processes in the automation step, the execution unit 15 requests the tool provider 41 to perform processes such as sending emails and messages using an email application or chat tool, or acquiring data and registering data as processes in a database system such as cloud storage or a customer management system. Furthermore, if there are values ​​obtained as a result of execution, such as when a judgment based on the results of other steps or data acquisition from a tool is performed as a process in a step, the execution unit 15 may store information regarding the results of the step execution (execution result information) included in the step execution information in the storage unit 102. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the execution unit 15 utilizes the functions of another system (tool provisioning system 4) using an API, but it may also use RPA (Robotic Process Automation) to perform operations on the tool provisioning system 4, such as data input and output, as steps in the process.

[0050] The execution status management unit 16 updates the execution status of each step included in the execution information in accordance with the progress of the workflow. In this embodiment, when the processing in a step is a task execution process, the execution status management unit 16 sets the execution status of the step related to that task to complete when the reception unit 12 receives task execution information, which is execution result information related to the execution of a task. Also, when the step is an automated process, the execution status management unit 16 sets the execution status of that step to complete when the processing related to that step is completed. Furthermore, the execution status management unit 16 may change the execution status of a step based on reports regarding the execution status received from the user terminal 2, or it may change the execution status of a step based on execution result information (task execution information) obtained as a result of the execution of the executed step, for example, setting it to complete when it receives input of "deal concluded" from the user, and to failure when it receives input of "deal failed".

[0051] <Workflow Management Method> The following explanation of the workflow management process will be given using Figures 3 and 5. Figures 3 and 5 are flowcharts of the workflow management process in this embodiment. Note that the process flow shown in Figures 3 and 5 is just one example, and the process may be executed in a different flow than the example shown in the figures.

[0052] The following explanation of the workflow generation process will be given using Figure 3. In step S101, the display unit 11 displays the workflow generation screen on the user terminal 2. In step S201, the user terminal 2 receives the various settings entered via the displayed workflow generation screen as a generation instruction and transmits it to the workflow management device 1. The generation unit 13 generates a workflow based on the generation instruction received from the user terminal 2 (S102). The display unit 11 performs a process to display the workflow generated by the generation unit 13 (S103). Furthermore, the process for modifying the workflow may be performed using a procedure similar to the workflow generation process shown here.

[0053] Figure 4 shows an example of the workflow generation screen displayed on the user terminal 2 by the display unit 11. In this embodiment, the process of modifying the workflow is performed using a screen having a similar configuration to the workflow generation screen shown in Figure 4.

[0054] The workflow generation screen W1 shown in Figure 4(a) is a screen for generating a workflow and includes a workflow element display area W11 and a workflow display area W12. Note that the workflow generation screen W1 shown in Figure 4(a) is an example of the screen display at a stage where no steps have been selected.

[0055] The workflow element display area W11 is an area for selecting workflow elements related to processes included in the workflow. In this embodiment, the workflow element display area W11 allows selection of the processing type of steps to be placed in the workflow, but it may also be configured to allow other settings. In the example shown in Figure 4(a), a broad category of processing types is displayed, and by pressing, for example, the "Link button," a more detailed processing type such as an email application or chat tool can be selected and placed in the workflow display area W12.

[0056] The workflow display area W12 is the area for displaying the workflow. The workflow display area W12 may display a workflow that is in the process of being created, or it may display a completed workflow. Furthermore, if a workflow is generated by the generation unit 13 based on the setting information obtained from the generation device 31, the workflow display area W12 may display the generated workflow.

[0057] In this embodiment, the user places workflow elements related to tasks and automation processes in the workflow element display area W11 to the workflow display area W12 by drag-and-drop operation, and inputs various settings related to the workflow, such as the steps included in the workflow and the order in which the steps are executed, by connecting the workflow elements. The user terminal 2 receives the various settings related to the workflow entered by the user as a generation instruction and transmits it to the workflow management device 1. In this embodiment, the user terminal 2 sends the generation instruction when the "Save" button is pressed, but it may also send the generation instruction each time the user performs an operation, such as when a drag-and-drop operation is performed. In this embodiment, the generation unit 13 generates a workflow based on the input generation instruction, and the display unit 11 displays the generated workflow, resulting in a screen as shown in Figure 4(a).

[0058] In the workflow element display area W11 of Figure 4(a), lanes can be further selected as workflow elements. Lanes are used to classify processes in a workflow. In this embodiment, lanes are divided by person in charge (organization or person in charge), but lanes may also be divided based on the content of the process, such as the type of tool used. In this embodiment, a person in charge (organization or person in charge) is set for each lane when the lanes are arranged, but the person in charge (organization or person in charge) set at this time may be registered in the step information or step execution information as the person in charge of the steps (especially tasks) included in the lane.

[0059] The workflow generation screen W1' shown in Figure 4(b) is an example of the screen display when the task execution step named "Request" is selected by pressing a button among the steps displayed on the screen. The workflow generation screen W1' includes a step setting input area W13. The step setting input area W13 is an area for inputting settings for each step included in the workflow. The step setting input area W13 shown in Figure 4(b) is an example when a task execution step is selected, and accepts the step name (task name), task content description, responsible organization, responsible person, deadline, reference items, and input items. In this embodiment, the various settings for each step entered in the step setting input area W13 are included in the generation instruction and sent to the workflow management device 1, and stored in the storage unit 102 as step information. The items that can be entered in the step setting input area W13 vary depending on the type of processing. For example, for sending emails or messages, you can enter the recipient and content (and the other steps if using the results of other steps); for data acquisition, you can enter the storage location and items of the data source (and the other steps if using the results of other steps); for data registration, you can enter the items of the data to be registered and the storage location and items of the registration destination (and the other steps if registering the results of other steps); for judgment, you can enter the data to be judged (and the other steps if using the results of other steps) and the judgment conditions; and for data processing such as OCR (Optical Character Reader), you can enter the data to be processed.

[0060] Furthermore, in the step setting input area W13, pressing the "+" button displayed to the right of a reference item adds an input field where settings related to the reference item can be entered, allowing the user to specify other steps to reference and enter settings related to the referenced items. Similarly, pressing the "+" button to the right of an input item adds an input field where settings related to the input item can be entered, allowing the user to enter the item name and data format. When the processing type is task execution processing, the various settings for each step entered in the step setting input area W13 are used to display the task execution screen as shown in Figure 6(a).

[0061] The following describes the workflow execution process using Figure 5. In step S211, when a workflow execution instruction is sent from the user terminal 2, the data registration unit 14 generates execution information and registers the generated execution information in association with the workflow information of the workflow that was instructed to be executed (S111). In the example shown in Figure 5, the workflow execution starts based on the instruction from the user terminal 2, but the workflow may also start when set conditions are met, such as receiving an email or message, or reaching the date and time set as the workflow start date and time. In this case, the workflow management device 1 may further include a start determination unit, which may determine to start based on the start conditions included in the workflow information and issue an execution instruction to the data registration unit 14. The execution unit 15 executes the process related to the step based on the step information (S112). The execution status management unit 16 updates the execution status based on the result of the execution of the process in the step (execution result information) (S113). The workflow management device 1 repeatedly executes the process related to step execution and changes in execution status (S112~S113) until all steps included in the workflow are completed.

[0062] Figure 6(a) shows an example of the screen display of the task execution screen W2 shown on the user terminal 2. The task execution screen W2 is a screen displayed based on step information for the user to execute a task. In the example shown in Figure 6(a), it is a screen for receiving input regarding items (request title and request content) that the user is requested to input in the step information. When the "Complete" button is pressed, the input content is sent to the workflow management device 1 as task execution information. Furthermore, if the step information is set to refer to information from other steps, the task execution screen W2 will display execution result information from other steps, such as the content entered in other steps.

[0063] Figure 6(b) shows an example of the display of the execution status list screen W3, which is displayed when a workflow is selected. The display unit 11 displays the execution status list screen W3 as shown in Figure 6(b) based on the workflow information of the selected workflow and the execution information associated with that workflow information. The display unit 11 may also use other data associated with the workflow information of the selected workflow for the screen display. The execution status list screen W3 is a screen for displaying a list of execution statuses, and displays the flowchart of the workflow of the case selected in the execution status list. In addition, an icon indicating the execution status, such as completed or in progress, is displayed to the upper right of the step icon in the flowchart of the selected case. Furthermore, the execution status of the workflow is displayed next to the case name based on the execution status of each step included in the step execution information. In this embodiment, the execution status of the workflow is further determined by the execution status of each step and the position of the step in the workflow identified by the relationship information, using the relationship information included in the workflow information as well. For example, if all steps of the workflow are completed, it is completed; if the latest step is being handled (in progress), it is in progress.

[0064] Figure 7(a) shows an example of the screen display of the task list display screen W4 for displaying a list of tasks. The display unit 11 displays the task list display screen W4 based on step information and execution information, but may also use information associated with execution information, such as workflow information, for screen display. In particular, the display unit 11 uses step information and step execution information related to the task execution process to display the task list display screen W4 as shown in Figure 7(a). The task list display screen W4 includes a search condition input area W41 and a task list W42. The search condition input area W41 is a screen display element for inputting conditions (search conditions) for tasks to be displayed in the task list, and in this embodiment, it can accept conditions related to the team (organization) and execution status as search conditions. The search condition input area W41 may also accept conditions such as the person in charge as conditions for searching for tasks. The task list W42 is a list of tasks that displays the workflow name based on the workflow information, the task name (step name), the person in charge, the status (execution status), the time the task was created, and the due date. The display unit 11 displays a list of information about tasks that match the search criteria entered in the search criteria input area W41.

[0065] The display unit 11 receives the aggregation axis entered by the user terminal 2, aggregates the execution status according to the aggregation axis based on the step execution information, and displays a dashboard screen showing the aggregated execution status results. The aggregation axis is an axis for aggregating the execution status of tasks, and in this embodiment, it is an aggregation axis that includes one or more items from the following: person in charge, organization in charge, type of execution status (on hold, in progress, completed, failed, canceled, etc.), task start date, task completion date, task category, number of days overdue, and priority. The workflow management device 1 aggregates the number of tasks with case status that meet the conditions set by the user as the aggregation axis (for example, the number of unstarted (uncompleted) tasks for a certain team during a specific period) and displays it on the dashboard screen. At this time, the display unit 11 displays a dashboard screen that includes an aggregation axis input area for entering the aggregation axis and the aggregated execution status results for the aggregation axis entered in the aggregation axis input area. Furthermore, aggregated results for execution status under different aggregation axes, such as aggregated results for "In Progress" and aggregated results for "Completed," may be displayed on the dashboard screen.

[0066] Figure 7(b) shows an example of the display of dashboard screen W5 for displaying the status of task execution. The display unit 11 displays a screen like the one shown in Figure 7(b) based on step execution information including the execution status. In the example shown in Figure 7(b), dashboard screen W5 is a screen that displays the status of tasks assigned to a specific person, based on step execution information for tasks assigned to that person. However, it may also be a screen that displays the status of tasks for a specified group of users, for example, based on step execution information for tasks assigned to users belonging to a specific organization. In dashboard screen W5 shown in Figure 7(b), the number of tasks (summary of execution status) for each type of execution status (pending, in progress (running), completed, failed, canceled) is displayed. In the example shown in Figure 7(b), the numbers displayed at the top of the screen are the number of tasks for each type of execution status at the time of aggregation, but the number of tasks for each type of execution status at a specified time may also be displayed. Furthermore, the task execution status graph at the bottom of the screen displays the task execution status for each unit period (one week in the example shown in Figure 7(b)). Here, the execution status at the end of the unit period for tasks started after the start of the unit period is used to aggregate the number of tasks, but it is also acceptable to simply display the number of tasks by type at the end of the unit period. In addition, the example shown in Figure 7(b) describes an example where the type of execution status and the person in charge are set as aggregation axes, and the aggregation results are displayed as numerical values ​​and bar graphs, but there are no restrictions on the format in which the aggregation results are displayed on dashboard screen W5, and for example, pie charts, line graphs, other general graph representations, or tabular formats may also be used.

[0067] Furthermore, maintenance personnel are registered for each workflow, and the display unit 11 displays a notification to remind the registered maintenance personnel's user terminal 2 of maintenance. In this embodiment, the maintenance notification is configured to be displayed periodically, but it may also be configured to be displayed based on other conditions. In addition, the display unit 11 may display the workflow generation screen W1 shown in Figure 4 in the notification to the maintenance personnel to prompt them to check and correct the workflow, or it may prompt them to perform maintenance by displaying a message. Furthermore, the workflow management device 1 may also include an advice generation unit that generates instruction statements based on workflow information and sends them to the generation device 31, and the display unit 11 may display the advice generated by the generation device 31 as a notification to the user terminal 2. Furthermore, the display unit 11 may display advice regarding the workflow to be created based on the created workflow, for example, advising to create a workflow related to invoice creation if a workflow is not set up around invoices. At this time, the generation device 31 may process to generate advice regarding workflows that should be generated, similar to the generation of maintenance advice. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 0 Workflow Management System 1. Workflow Management Device 11 Display section 12 Reception Department 13 Generation part 14. Data Registration Section 15. Execution Unit 16. Execution Status Management Department 101 Processing Unit 102 Storage section 103 Communications Department 2. User terminals 3 Generation System 3 31 Generator 31 4. Tool Provision System 41 Tool-providing device

Claims

1. A workflow management system, A display unit that shows the workflow generation screen, A generation unit that generates a workflow based on the generation instructions entered via the workflow generation screen, A data registration unit, upon receiving an execution instruction for a workflow, generates execution information including the execution status of one or more steps included in the workflow and registers it in association with the workflow. The display unit displays a screen showing the flowchart of the workflow and the execution status. Two or more of the aforementioned execution information are associated with the workflow. Workflow management system.

2. The workflow management system also includes a reception area. The aforementioned reception unit receives the specification of a workflow to be displayed in a list. The display unit displays a list of workflow execution statuses based on the execution information related to the specified workflow. The aforementioned execution status list displays the execution status of the workflow based on the execution status of each step. The workflow management system according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned workflow includes steps to perform a task, The aforementioned execution information includes responsibility information for each task, The aforementioned execution status refers to the execution status for each step, The display unit displays a list of tasks assigned to the designated person, based on the execution information of the designated person. The workflow management system according to claim 1.

4. The workflow management system further comprises a reception unit and an execution status management unit. Based on the execution information, the display unit displays a task execution screen on the user terminal of the person in charge for executing the task of the step whose execution status is in progress. The reception unit receives task execution information entered via the task execution screen, The execution status management unit shall determine the execution status of the above step as completed. The workflow management system according to claim 3.

5. The aforementioned workflow includes steps to perform a task, The execution information includes the execution status for each step in executing the task, The display unit accepts the specification of an aggregation axis and, based on the execution information, displays a dashboard screen showing the aggregated results of the task execution status on the specified aggregation axis. The workflow management system according to claim 1.

6. The workflow management system also includes a reception area. The reception unit accepts registration of the maintenance person for each workflow, The display unit displays a maintenance reminder on the user terminal of the maintenance staff member. The workflow management system according to claim 1.

7. The aforementioned generation instruction is an instruction in natural language, The generation unit transmits the generation instruction to the generation device. Based on the setting information received from the generation device, the system generates a workflow that includes one or more step information related to the steps included in the workflow. The workflow management system according to claim 1.

8. A method of managing workflows performed by a computer, The display process for showing the workflow generation screen, A generation process that generates a workflow based on the generation instructions entered via the workflow generation screen, A data registration step that, upon receiving an instruction to execute a workflow, generates execution information including the execution status of one or more steps included in the workflow and registers it in association with the workflow, In the display step, a screen showing the flowchart of the workflow and the execution status is displayed. Two or more of the aforementioned execution information are associated with the workflow. Workflow management methods.

9. A computer program that causes the computer to execute the workflow management method described in claim 8.

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