Job management system

Abstract

Manage work progress flexibly. [Solution] A job is defined as a single-axis chain of multiple actions. The job management device manages the current action, which is the action currently in progress among the multiple actions that make up the job. When action A1 is the current action, and action A1 is executed, action A2 that follows action A1 becomes the current action. When action A2 is the current action, and action A2 is executed, action A2 that follows action A2 becomes the current action.

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present invention relates to a technology for managing the workflow realized by a combination of multiple operations.

Background Art

[0002] Many jobs are composed of multiple operations. For example, the job of "delivery" includes operations such as collecting goods, confirming and distributing delivery destinations, and arranging drivers. The job of "renovation" includes operations such as hearing customer requests, on-site inspection, house inspection, drawing creation, estimation, and moving out goods. The more jobs involve a large number of workers, the more complicated the progress management becomes.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In addition, the content of work is not always fixed. Although not initially assumed, important operations that must be carried out to complete the work may occur. Alternatively, operations that are not directly related to the main workflow but should be considered for the smooth progress of the work may occur. In managing the progress of work, it is desirable to be able to flexibly respond to such "changes in work".

[0005] The present invention is an invention completed based on the above recognition of problems, and its main object is to provide a technology for flexibly managing the progress of work.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A job management system in one aspect of the present invention comprises a job management unit that manages jobs defined as a single-axis chain of multiple actions, and an action management unit that manages actions. The Job Management Department includes the Progress Management Department, which manages the current action, which is one of the multiple actions that make up a job and is currently in progress. When the first action is the current action, the progress management unit sets the second action that follows the first action as the current action when the first action is executed. When the second action is the current action, the progress management unit sets the third action that follows the second action as the current action when the second action is executed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it becomes easier to flexibly manage the progress of work. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the relationship between jobs and actions in this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a hardware configuration diagram of the job management system. [Figure 3] This is a hardware configuration diagram of the job management server. [Figure 4] This is a functional block diagram of the job management server. [Figure 5] This is a data structure diagram of template information. [Figure 6] This is a data structure diagram of job definition information. [Figure 7] This is a screenshot of the first progress screen. [Figure 8] This is the first screen diagram of the second progress screen. [Figure 9] This is the second screen diagram of the second progress screen. [Figure 10] This is a sequence diagram showing the changes in responsibilities related to job management. [Figure 11] This is a schematic diagram illustrating how to add a main action. [Figure 12] This is a schematic diagram illustrating how to add sub-actions. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] In the following, we will explain the workflow assuming a patent office (hereinafter referred to as "Office X") as an example of the work.

[0010] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the relationship between jobs and actions in this embodiment. In this embodiment, "job" refers to work that can be defined as a series of processes from request / occurrence to the point where an invoice can be issued, such as "patent application," "responding to rejection reasons (hereinafter referred to as "intermediate processing")," and "foreign application." A job is defined as a chain of one or more actions. An "action" refers to a task that constitutes a job, such as "interview," "submission of manuscript," and "application" in the job "patent application."

[0011] The job (Job1) shown in Figure 1 is composed of a chain of actions (Act1), (Act2), (Act3), etc. Once action (Act1) is completed, action (Act2) becomes available. When action (Act2) is completed, the next action (Act3) becomes available. When the final action (Act10) is completed, the job (Job1) is complete.

[0012] For an action, a prior executor and a subsequent executor are set. The prior executor is responsible for executing the action, and the subsequent executor is responsible for verifying the execution of the action and is also scheduled to be responsible for the execution of the next action. For example, the prior executor of action (Act1) is user Q1, and the subsequent executor is user Q2. In this case, user Q1 is responsible for executing action (Act1). When user Q1 executes action (Act1), the action that should be currently executed (hereinafter referred to as the "current action") transitions from action (Act1) to action (Act2).

[0013] The subsequent executor of action (Act1) and the prior executor of action (Act2) must always match. When user Q2 is set as the subsequent executor of action (Act1), the prior executor of the next action (Act2) must be user Q2. By setting the subsequent executor for action (Act1), it can be said that the prior executor of the next action of action (Act1) is specified.

[0014] In FIG. 1, the current action is action (Act2), and the user responsible for executing the current action (hereinafter simply referred to as the "responsible person") is user Q2. Setting not only the prior executor but also the subsequent executor for one action is to clarify the responsible person even when the content of the job is changed, which will be described later in relation to FIG. 11. The job management method shown in this embodiment has the following features. · The content of the job can be flexibly changed. · The responsible person can be clarified even when the content of the job is changed. · Even when the content of the job becomes complicated, it can be managed in a one-axis chain type without branching or parallelizing the action sequence.

[0015] In this context, "single-axis chaining" means that a job is structured so that multiple actions are connected along a single axis. For example, even if actions (ActX1) and (ActX2) can be executed simultaneously, the workflow is managed so that each action is executed in order by enforcing a rule that action (ActX2) is executed after action (ActX1).

[0016] Figure 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of the job management system 200. In the job management system 200, the job management server 100 and multiple communication terminals 102a, 102b, 102c...102n (hereinafter collectively referred to as "communication terminals 102" when referring to them together or without distinction) are connected via the internet 106. In this embodiment, the communication terminals 102 are assumed to be desktop PCs. However, the communication terminals 102 may also be general-purpose computers such as smartphones, tablet PCs, or laptop PCs. The communication terminals 102 and the internet 106 are connected via a wired connection, but they may also be connected wirelessly. Each user is assigned a unique ID called a user ID in advance. The job management server 100 provides job management services to each communication terminal 102.

[0017] In addition to Office X, other entities such as companies that are clients of Office X (hereinafter simply referred to as "clients"), the Japan Patent Office, drawing creators (hereinafter referred to as "tracers"), and translators can also have accounts in the job management system 200. However, in this embodiment, only Office X will be described as having an account in the job management system 200. In the following, "user" refers to an employee of Office X.

[0018] Figure 3 is a hardware configuration diagram of the job management server 100. The job management server 100 includes a storage 312 as non-volatile memory for storing computer programs, a volatile memory 304 for expanding programs and data, registers, an arithmetic unit, an instruction decoder, etc., and a processor 300 (CPU: Central Processing Unit) that reads and executes programs from the memory 304. The processor 300 is connected to a relatively high-speed first bus 302. In addition to the memory 304, a NIC (Network Interface Card) is connected to the first bus 302. Other devices such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) may also be connected to the first bus 302.

[0019] The first bus 302 is connected to the relatively slower second bus 310 via a bridge 308. In addition to the storage 312, output devices 316 such as a monitor or speakers are connected to the second bus 310. Input devices 314 such as a mouse or keyboard, and peripheral devices 318 such as a printer may also be connected to the second bus 310. The same applies to the hardware configuration of the communication terminal 102.

[0020] Figure 4 is a functional block diagram of the job management server 100. Each component of the job management server 100 is realized by hardware including arithmetic units such as a CPU and various coprocessors, storage devices such as memory and storage, and wired or wireless communication lines connecting them, and software stored in the storage devices that supplies processing instructions to the arithmetic units. The computer program may consist of device drivers, an operating system, various application programs located at a higher layer, and libraries that provide common functions to these programs. The blocks described below represent functional units, not hardware units. The job management server 100 may be configured to include a web server, and the communication terminal 102 may be configured to include a web browser installed thereon.

[0021] The job management server 100 includes a communication unit 110, a data processing unit 112, and a data storage unit 114. The communication unit 110 is responsible for communication processing with the communication terminal 102 via the internet 106. The data storage unit 114 stores various types of data. The data processing unit 112 performs various processes based on the data acquired by the communication unit 110 and the data stored in the data storage unit 114. The data processing unit 112 also functions as an interface between the communication unit 110 and the data storage unit 114.

[0022] The data processing unit 112 includes a job management unit 116, an action management unit 118, and a notification management unit 124. The job management unit 116 manages jobs defined as a single-axis chain of multiple actions. For example, the job management unit 116 manages job registration, completion, and deletion. The job management unit 116 includes the progress management unit 120 and the responsibility management unit 122. The progress management unit 120 manages the progress of jobs. The responsibility management unit 122 manages those responsible. The action management unit 118 manages the actions that make up a job. For example, the action management unit 118 manages the addition and deletion of actions. The notification management unit 124 manages message notifications between users involved in a job.

[0023] Figure 5 is a data structure diagram of template information 130. The template information 130 is stored in the data storage unit 114. Office X sets a client ID for each client. A "job type" is set for each job, and it is identified by the job type ID. The job type indicates the type of job, such as "filing an application" or "intermediate processing." Figure 5 shows the template information 130 for job type ID = JT01 (filing an application) for client ID = C01 (hereinafter referred to as "client (C01)"). The template information 130 sets the execution rules for the client's actions. For each job type, the action types of the actions that make up the job are mapped as templates.

[0024] An "action type" is assigned to each action. The job management server 100 defines various types of actions, such as "Claim Submission," an action type for sending claims to the client before creating the patent specification; "CL Response," an action type for receiving responses from the client; and "Manuscript Submission," an action type for sending the patent specification to the client. Client deadline rules and execution rules can be set for each action type.

[0025] A deadline rule is a rule regarding the deadline for executing an action. For example, the deadline rule for the action "Submit Claims" is "one week from the meeting." When a deadline rule is agreed upon between Firm X and client (C01) that "the draft claims will be submitted within one week of the meeting date," the user of Firm X registers this deadline rule for the action "Submit Claims." Thereafter, the action management unit 118 manages the deadline for the action "Submit Claims" for client (C01) as one week after the action "Meeting."

[0026] The deadline rule for the action "CL response" is "one week from the previous action." In this case, if the previous action was "claim submission," the job is managed according to the deadline rule that "the client (C01) should respond within one week from the date the action (claim submission) was performed."

[0027] Execution rules are rules regarding how an action is performed. For example, for the action "submit a claim," possible execution rules include "send via email with a password," "upload to a server specified by the client," "send as a Word file," and "include program claims." Users can define various execution rules, and each execution rule is assigned a rule ID.

[0028] According to template information 130 in Figure 5, the action "Submit Claim" has an enforcement rule with rule ID=RS1 (hereinafter referred to as "Enforcement Rule (RS1)"). Enforcement Rule (RS1) is an enforcement rule specific to client (C01). On the other hand, no enforcement rule is set for the action "CL Response".

[0029] Figure 6 is a data structure diagram of the job definition information 140. The job definition information 140 is stored in the data storage unit 114. The job definition information 140 manages multiple actions that make up a job. The job definition information 140 also functions as "sequence information" that defines the execution order of multiple actions. As mentioned above, jobs are also assigned a "job type". In the job management server 100, various types of jobs are defined, such as the job type "Application" which is used to create a patent specification and execute a patent application, the job type "Intermediate Processing" which is used to respond to a notice of reasons for rejection, and the job type "Foreign Application" which is used to execute a patent application to a foreign patent office.

[0030] The job definition information 140 shown in Figure 6 is data for a client (C01) job (JT01: application), and its case number is "TS-0014". The job management unit 116 has set job ID=J01 for this job (application).

[0031] The action management unit 118 sets action IDs such as A1 and A2 for each action that makes up the job (J01). The job (J01) is composed of a chain of multiple actions such as action (A1: interview), action (A2: claim submission), action (A3: CL response), and action (A4: manuscript submission). The "Rank" column in Job Definition Information 140 indicates the execution order of each action.

[0032] When a new job is created, the job management unit 116 automatically generates a model action column according to the job type (category). For example, when a user registers a new job of job type "Application," the job management unit 116 refers to the template information 130 shown in Figure 5 and automatically generates an action column such as Action (Interview), Action (Claim Submission), Action (CL Response), etc. Similarly, when a user registers a new job of job type "Intermediate Processing," the job management unit 116 automatically generates an action column such as Action "OA Report," Action "Comment Submission," etc. The action column automatically generated by the job management unit 116 can be modified by the user through addition and deletion operations, which will be described later.

[0033] Each patent office can independently configure the template information 130. For example, the template information 130 defining the action column for a job (application) at office X1 is not necessarily the same as the template information 130 defining the action column for a job (application) at another office X2. Similarly, template information 130 may be prepared for each client. For example, separate template information 130 may be prepared for a job (application) at client CL1 and for a job (application) at client CL2. For example, the action "submit claim" may be included for client CL1, but not for client CL2. The job management unit 116 refers to the template information 130 prepared according to the combination of office and client, and automatically generates an action column as a template that corresponds to the standard work procedures of the office and client.

[0034] Each action has a designated person responsible for the initial action (From) and a person responsible for the subsequent action (To). For example, for action (A2: Sending Claims), the person responsible for the initial action is "T (a group of technical personnel such as patent attorneys)," and the person responsible for the subsequent action is "CL (the client)." In other words, the technical group T executes action (A2), and the recipient of action (A2) is the client CL. Then, the person responsible for executing the next action (A3: CL's Response) is the client CL.

[0035] In the following, T will be used to refer to the technical group, CL to the client, P to the administrative group, and PO to the Japan Patent Office. Technical group T and administrative group P are users of the job management system 200, but client CL and Japan Patent Office PO are not users. Also, when referring to one of the multiple technical staff members belonging to technical group T, it will be written as "Technical Staff Member T1 (Yamada)". Similarly, when referring to one of the multiple administrative staff members belonging to administrative group P, it will be written as "Administrative Staff Member P1 (Suzuki)".

[0036] Each action has a deadline. The action management unit 118 sets the deadline for each action according to the deadline rules shown in the template information 130. For example, suppose the scheduled date for action (interview) is "July 21st". The deadline rule for action (claim submission) is "one week from the interview" (see Figure 5), so the action management unit 118 sets the deadline for action (claim submission) to "July 28th", one week after the interview. The user can also directly set the deadline for action (A2: claim submission) to "August 1st", for example.

[0037] Each action is assigned a processing date. Each time an action is executed, the progress management unit 120 registers the day the action was executed as the processing date.

[0038] There are two types of enforcement rules: general rules G and attribute rules S. General rules G are enforcement rules set by the firm X according to the action type (category). For example, general rules G for action (A1: interview) might include "wear a suit" and "bring a recording device and business card." For action (A2: submission of claims), general rules G might include "include a description of the claims."

[0039] Attribute rule S is an execution rule set based on the attributes of an action. In this embodiment, attribute rule S is a client-specified execution rule. That is, attribute rule S corresponds to the attribute of "client". In addition to the above, other attributes of an action can be arbitrarily set, such as the date and time of the action, the size of the file used for the action, and the location where the action is executed. For example, if the execution date and time of action (A2: Claim Submission) is in December, an additional attribute rule S may be set, such as "Send with a sentence requesting an earlier response than usual because it will be over the New Year holidays."

[0040] In the job definition information 140 in Figure 6, the action (A1: Interview) is set to general rule G (RG1), but attribute rule S is not set. Therefore, for the action (A1: Interview) in job (J01: Application), only general rule G (RG1) is displayed in the second progress screen 160 described later. On the other hand, for the action (A2: Claim Submission), both general rule G (RG2) and attribute rule S (RS1) are displayed.

[0041] Thus, each action is associated with its job ranking, action ID, action type, responsible party, deadline, processing date, and execution rules. In some cases, such as urgent filings, the predetermined deadline rules may not suffice. To address this, a "custom deadline" field may be set for the action. For example, if a user directly sets "July 22nd" for action (A2: Claim Submission), 118 sets "July 22nd" in the custom deadline field. When a custom deadline is set, deadlines set based on the deadline rules may be invalidated, and deadline management may be based on the custom deadline.

[0042] The actions shown in Figure 6 are actions that must be performed to advance the job, and these are called "main actions." On the other hand, in this embodiment, there are also actions that do not directly affect the progress of the job, and these are called "sub-actions." Sub-actions will be discussed later in relation to Figure 12. Hereafter, when we simply refer to "actions," we mean main actions.

[0043] Figure 7 is a screenshot of the first progress screen 150. In this embodiment, a person in charge (primary person in charge) is assigned to each job. The person in charge is usually selected from the technical group T that leads the progress of the job. The first progress screen 150 shown in Figure 7 is the screen displayed on the communication terminal 102 of technical person in charge T1 (Yamada) at office X. When technical person in charge T1 (Yamada) selects the client (C01: TS Corporation) on the communication terminal 102, the communication unit 110 of the job management server 100 displays a list of jobs related to the client (C01) among the jobs to which technical person in charge T1 (Yamada) is assigned, as the first progress screen 150. The first progress screen 150 is provided to the communication terminal 102 from the job management server 100 as a web page.

[0044] According to the first progress screen 150, technical staff member T1 (Yamada) is responsible for the following jobs for client (C01): Job (Application: TS-0014), Job (Intermediate Processing: TS-0011), and Job (Foreign Application: TS-0003).

[0045] The first progress screen 150 displays the deadline, current actions, responsible party, and workflow for each job. In the workflow area 152, the multiple actions that make up each job are arranged in a single line, that is, displayed in a single-axis chain. In addition, in the workflow area 152, completed actions, current actions, and actions not yet started are displayed in distinguishable colors.

[0046] According to the first progress screen 150, the deadline for the job (application: TS-0014) is September 11th, and the current action is "Submit Claims". Also, since the person in charge is "Technical Group T", Technical Officer T1 (Yamada) can confirm from the first progress screen 150 that he is responsible for its execution. The action "Interview" has been completed. On the other hand, actions such as "CL Response" and "Current Submission" have not yet been started, meaning they are actions that should be performed in the future.

[0047] The action management unit 118 may display the current actions in red, unprocessed actions in black, and completed actions in blue on the first progress screen 150.

[0048] Staff members of Office X can view all the cases (jobs) related to them in one place on the first progress screen 150, as well as check their progress and the current person in charge. Members of Administrative Group P can view all the jobs that Office X is handling on the first progress screen 150.

[0049] In addition to the technical staff member T1 (Yamada) who executes the job, technical staff member T2 (Maeno) may also be set as the supervisor. In this case, technical staff member T2 (Maeno: supervisor) can check the progress of all jobs under their supervision, even if they are not directly responsible for the job, on the first progress screen 150.

[0050] Figure 8 is the first screen view of the second progress screen 160. The second progress screen 160 shown in Figure 8 is the screen displayed when technical staff member T1 (Yamada) selects a job (application: TS-0014) on the first progress screen 150. The administrative group P (domestic administrative group in Figure 8) involved with the job (application: TS-0014) can also view the second progress screen 160.

[0051] The second progress screen 160 includes a basic information area 162, a workflow area 164, a progress area 166, and a notification history area 168. The basic information area 162 includes the job type, technical staff member T1 (primary staff member: Yamada), administrative group (domestic / foreign), deadline, and the current status area 132. The current status area 132 shows the current action and the person responsible for it. Since "domestic" is set as administrative group P in the second progress screen 160, at least all domestic staff members of administrative group P belonging to office X can access the second progress screen 160 for the job (application: TS-0014).

[0052] The workflow area 164 shows the job's workflow, that is, the multiple actions that make up the job and the expected completion deadline for each action. Icons 172 representing actions are displayed in a row in the workflow area 164. In the second progress screen 160 of Figure 8, the current action is "Submit Claim," and its deadline is July 28th.

[0053] Workflow area 164 includes an add button 134 and a delete button 136. The add button 134 is used to add main actions and sub-actions. When the user selects the add button 134, an add screen (not shown) for defining the new action is displayed. The delete button 136 is used to delete main actions and sub-actions. When the user selects the delete button 136, a delete screen (not shown) for selecting the action to delete is displayed. Adding main actions and sub-actions will be described in detail later.

[0054] When a user touches icon 172 in the workflow area 164, the action management unit 118 displays a settings screen (not shown). On this settings screen, the user can set the deadline for actions. For example, the user can change the deadline for an action (submitting a document) to "two months after action (submitting a CL)".

[0055] Progress area 166 provides a detailed overview of the job's progress. It briefly shows the processing date (execution date), deadline, and the prior and subsequent executors for each action. In Figure 8, only the action (interview) was completed on July 21st. The prior and subsequent executors for the action (interview) are both technical group T. Technical staff member T1 (Yamada) enters "interview completed" in the second progress screen 160 after conducting the interview.

[0056] Specifically, technical staff member T1 (Yamada) touches the icon 172 corresponding to the action (meeting) in the workflow area 164, and sets the completion on the settings screen (not shown) that appears at this time. At this time, the progress management unit 120 sets the next action (claim submission) after the action (meeting) as the current action. The responsibility management unit 122 also sets technical group T (in this example, technical staff member T1 (Yamada)), who was the person who performed the completed action (meeting) afterwards and the person who performed the next action (claim submission) beforehand, as the person in charge.

[0057] The progress management unit 120 updates the progress area 166 each time an action is completed. When technical staff member T1 (Yamada) performs an action (claim submission), he sets the completion status in the same manner. At this time, the client CL, who is the subsequent performer of the action (claim submission) and the preceding performer of the next action (CL response), becomes the person responsible. Also, the action (CL response) becomes the current action.

[0058] Rules are displayed for each action. When technical staff member T1 (Yamada) hovers the cursor over icon 172 displayed in workflow area 164, the action management unit 118 refers to job definition information 140 and displays the execution rules corresponding to the action in a pop-up window. For example, for the action (claim submission), execution rules (RG2) and (RS1) are displayed (see Figure 6). This rule display allows the user to confirm the rules to be followed when executing an action. The same applies when administrative group P operates 160.

[0059] Figure 9 is the second screen view of the second progress screen 160. In a job (application: TS-0014), when an action (CL response) is completed, the second progress screen 160 in Figure 9 is displayed. Assume that the client has sent a response to the claim via email to a common email address for administrative group P. At this time, when administrative staff member P1 (Suzuki) touches the action (CL response) icon 172, a settings screen (not shown) is displayed. This settings screen includes a notification area (not shown). Administrative staff member P1 (Suzuki) sets the completion status on the settings screen. That is, administrative staff member P1 (Suzuki) enters the completion of the action (CL response) on behalf of the non-user client CL.

[0060] At this time, the notification management unit 124 displays message 142 and a confirmation button 138 on the second progress screen 160 of the technical staff member T1 (Yamada), who is the executor of the action (CL response). Technical staff member T1 (Yamada) recognizes from message 142 that the action (CL response) has been performed. After confirming message 142, technical staff member T1 (Yamada) touches the confirmation button 138. At this time, the notification management unit 124 notifies the administrative group P, including administrative staff member P1 (Suzuki), that technical staff member T1 (Yamada) has recognized the completion of the action (CL response). With this confirmation notification, all members of administrative group P can recognize that technical staff member T1 (Yamada) has confirmed the status.

[0061] An action (CL response) may be pre-associated with the message "A response has been received from CL." In this case, when administrative staff member P1 (Suzuki) sets the action (CL response) to complete, the notification management unit 124 displays the above message associated with the action (CL response) on the second progress screen 160 of technical staff member T1 (Yamada), who is responsible after the action (CL response). Alternatively, administrative staff member P1 (Suzuki) may enter any message in the notification area of ​​the settings screen.

[0062] The notification management unit 124 updates the notification history area 168 each time a notification is made. The progress management unit 120 updates the progress area 166 each time an action is performed.

[0063] Once the action (CL response) is completed, the next action (submitting the manuscript) becomes the current action. The progress management unit 120 updates the current status area 132 each time an action is executed.

[0064] If an action (CL response) is currently in action, and the response to the claim from the client is received directly by technical staff member T1, technical staff member T1 (Yamada) may set the action (CL response) to complete himself. In this case, the notification management unit 124 may have the administrative group P send a message stating, "We have received a response from CL."

[0065] Suppose the deadline for the action (CL response) was August 4th (see Figure 8), but the client's response was delayed until August 6th. In this case, the action management unit 118 adjusts the deadlines for each action after the action (CL response) according to the template information 130. Therefore, the deadline for the action (manuscript submission), which is due three weeks after the action (CL response), is changed from August 25th (see Figure 8) to August 27th. Even if such a schedule discrepancy occurs, the action management unit 118 can automatically adjust the schedule for each action.

[0066] Figure 10 is a sequence diagram showing the changes in the person responsible for job management. This section explains the process from when technical staff member T1 (Yamada) sends the manuscript to client CL until the patent application is completed. As mentioned above, technical group T and administrative group P are users of the job management system 200, while client CL and the Japan Patent Office PO are not users of the job management system 200.

[0067] First, technical staff member T1 (Yamada) sends the patent manuscript to client CL (S10: Action (A4)). Technical staff member T1 (Yamada) selects the Action (Manuscript Submission) icon 172 on the second progress screen 160 and sets it to complete. As a result, the next action (CL response: A5) becomes the current action, and client CL, who is the executor after Action (Manuscript Submission: A4), becomes responsible. Although client CL is not a user of the job management system 200, the job management system 200 can recognize that client CL is responsible.

[0068] Suppose client CL has responded to office X (S12). For simplicity, let's assume that the response was an instruction to file without any revisions. When office X's clerk P1 (Suzuki) receives the response from client CL, he selects icon 172 for the action (CL response: A5) and sets it to complete. This makes the next action (Preparing the application: A6) the current action, and technical staff member T1 (Yamada), who was the executor after the action (CL response: A5), becomes the person in charge again. The job management system 200 can recognize the change in person in charge from client CL to office X (technical staff member P) without needing to ask client CL for cooperation in job management.

[0069] Technical staff member T1 (Yamada) instructs administrative group P to execute action (Application Preparation: A6) on the second progress screen 160 (S14). Let's assume that administrative staff member P1 (Suzuki) confirms the action (Application Preparation: A6). At this time, the responsibility management department 122 sets administrative staff member P1 (Suzuki) as the person in charge of the next action (Application: A7) from among the first executors (administrative group P). In this way, when there are multiple candidates for the next executor, if administrative staff member P1 (Suzuki), who is one of the candidates, confirms the previous action (Application Preparation: A6), administrative staff member P1 (Suzuki) may be set as the first executor of the next action (Application: A7). Since the administrative staff member who responds to the instruction for Application Preparation becomes the person in charge of the next application process, it is possible to smoothly determine one person in charge even when administrative group P includes multiple members.

[0070] Administrative staff member P1 (Suzuki) executes the application process (S16). After the application is completed, the Responsibility Management Department 122 designates the person in charge after the action (application), the Japan Patent Office P0, as the person responsible.

[0071] If you want to manage the delivery process after filing the application, you should set up the following actions: Action (Application: Administrative Group P → Japan Patent Office PO), Action (Receipt Confirmation: Japan Patent Office PO → Administrative Group P), and Action (Delivery: Administrative Group P → Client CL).

[0072] When a patent application is completed, the Patent Office (PO) sends a receipt to the application terminal at Office X. When the receipt is received, clerk P2 (Shimamoto) sets the action (receipt confirmation) to complete. As a result, the person in charge changes from the Patent Office (PO) to Office X (clerk P2 (Shimamoto)). Clerk P2 (Shimamoto), who has set the action (receipt confirmation) to complete, becomes the first to execute (execution manager) for the next action (delivery).

[0073] As mentioned above, Firm X uses the Job Management System 200, but Client CL and the Patent Office PO do not. The Job Management System 200 can manage the status of responsibility even for jobs carried out in cooperation with non-users (external parties to the organization), such as Client CL. For Firm X, it is important to manage whether the current person in charge is internal or external when carrying out jobs in cooperation with external organizations. When there is a response from an external party, an internal person (technical or administrative staff) can set the completion on behalf of the external party, allowing for a smooth transition of the current action and the person in charge.

[0074] In this embodiment, client CL and patent office PO are shown as examples, but even when external parties that are difficult to ask to participate in the job management system 200 are involved, such as foreign agents, foreign patent offices, tracers, translators, lawyers, research companies, and system administrators, as in the case of foreign applications, it becomes easier to manage the progress of the job.

[0075] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating how to add a main action. Suppose that in the subsequent action (A5: CL response) following action (A4: manuscript submission), the client CL requests revisions to the manuscript. In this case, before action (A5: CL response) and action (A6: application preparation), an action (task) occurs in which the patent manuscript is revised and awaits a response from the client again.

[0076] In this case, P1 (Yamada), the technical staff member at office X, touches the add button 134 on the second progress screen 160 to display the add screen and adds two new actions: Action (A8: Send Correction) and Action (A9: CL Response). First, for Action (A8: Send Correction), P1 (Yamada) sets himself as the first executor and client CL as the second executor. He also sets the deadline for Action (A8: Send Correction).

[0077] Technical staff member P1 (Yamada) further sets a connection between the new action (A8: Send Correction) and the action (A5: CL Response) as the next action. The action management unit 118 confirms that the person who performed the previous action (A5: CL Response) afterwards and the person who performed the new action (A8: Send Correction) beforewards match, and then registers the new action (A8: Send Correction) in the job definition information 140.

[0078] Similarly, technical staff member P1 (Yamada) adds a subsequent action (A9: CL response) to action (A8: correction submission). Technical staff member P1 (Yamada) sets client CL as the first executor and administrative group T as the second executor for action (A9: CL response). A deadline is also set for action (A9: CL response). The action management unit 118 registers the new action (A9: CL response) in the job definition information 140, provided that the executors of the previous action (A8: correction submission), the new action (A9: CL response), and the next action (A6: application preparation) are correctly connected as explained in relation to Figure 1. The action management unit 118 also changes the deadline for the subsequent action (A6: application preparation) as needed, according to the deadline settings of the two newly added actions.

[0079] In this way, users can flexibly change the job configuration by adding new actions (tasks) when new actions (tasks) arise during job execution. Furthermore, by enforcing a rule that the person who performed the previous action matches the person who performed the next action, it is possible to control the process so that responsible parties can always be identified, even as jobs become more complex.

[0080] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating how to add sub-actions. Sub-actions refer to actions that do not affect the progress of a job, or actions that occur incidentally while performing a job. Specifically, these include document verification, requesting drawings from a tracer, requesting translations, and requesting a supervisor to review a patent specification within Office X (internal checks). Users can arbitrarily choose whether to classify various actions that occur in a job as main actions or sub-actions.

[0081] Main actions are those that currently require management of the action and the person responsible for it. Sub-actions, on the other hand, are less important than main actions, such as memos for the person in charge or confirmation items. It is also possible to perform sub-actions in parallel with the execution of main actions.

[0082] In Figure 12, technical staff member T1 (Yamada) adds a sub-action (B1: drawing request). Technical staff member T1 (Yamada) selects the add button 134 on the second progress screen 160 to display the add screen (not shown) and add an action. On the add screen, you can select either "main" or "sub". For sub-actions, it is not necessary to set a first executor or a second executor, nor is it necessary to set a deadline. Users can add sub-actions at any position in the action column that makes up the job.

[0083] In Figure 12, after the completion of the (main) action (A4: manuscript submission), the progress management unit 120 sets the (main) action (A5: CL response) as the current action, even if the sub-action (B1: drawing request) has not been completed. The sub-action (B1: drawing request) can be executed at any time, but it is usually possible to execute it after the action (A4: manuscript submission), so it is set after the action (A4: manuscript submission). It is possible to execute the sub-action in parallel with the main action, but by representing the main action and sub-action as a single-axis chain, the clarity of the workflow can be maintained.

[0084] When a user executes a sub-action (B1: Drawing Request), they mark the sub-action (B1: Drawing Request) as complete. At this time, the action management unit 118 sets the display color of the icon 172 for the sub-action (B1: Drawing Request) to blue, indicating "completed." The uniaxial chain representation of the workflow is maintained even when additional sub-actions are added. Furthermore, even for sub-actions that can be executed concurrently with the main action, various sub-actions can be freely set at appropriate timings in the job flow.

[0085] As shown in Figure 12, the action management unit 118 may represent the difference between main actions and sub-actions by displaying main actions as rectangles and sub-actions as ovals.

[0086] [Summary] The job management system 200 has been described above based on the embodiments. In this embodiment, a job consisting of multiple main actions can be managed and represented in a single-axis chain format. Furthermore, detailed tasks that occur during job execution can be managed as sub-actions. Even sub-actions that can be executed at any time in parallel with the execution of the main actions are included in the single-axis chain representation, maintaining clarity in representing the job's progress. Users can understand the basic flow of a job by observing the flow of main actions, and can also be mindful of executing sub-actions as they occur.

[0087] The responsibility management unit 122 strictly manages who is responsible for the main action. By setting a subsequent executor in action B1, it is possible to specify the preceding executor of action B2, which will be executed after action B1. When adding action B2 after action B1, the user must match the preceding executor of action B2 with the succeeding executor of action B1. Also, when setting action B2, it is necessary to set a succeeding executor for action B2. This allows specifying the succeeding executor of the next action B2 before setting action B3, which follows action B2. By setting a succeeding executor instead of a preceding executor in this way, it is possible to manage the current person responsible for the job without losing sight of it.

[0088] Users can freely add actions. For example, users can add various actions such as sending additional materials and sending a draft specification as mandatory actions, i.e., main actions. Users can flexibly add main actions according to the circumstances of each job. Also, if the action (sending claims) is omitted, the user can delete the action (sending claims) and the action (CL response) using the delete button 136 on the second progress screen 160. Even when deleting actions, the condition is that the later executor and the earlier executor match between actions. In this way, the job management system 200 in this embodiment can flexibly respond to changes in jobs.

[0089] It is also possible to handle group representatives, such as administrative group P. For example, if the subsequent executor of action C1 should be someone from group K, then group K should be set as the subsequent executor. The same applies to the initial executor.

[0090] When member K1 of group K, who is set as the next executor, confirms the execution of action C1, member K1 becomes the first executor of the next action C2. With this control method, member K1 can take on the next action C2 simply by confirming action C1. As a result, it is possible to later confirm how the work assigned to group K is distributed to each member, and thus quantitatively understand the workload and processing capacity of each member.

[0091] When an action is added or its deadline is changed, the deadlines of subsequent actions are automatically updated according to the deadline rules, allowing for flexible adaptation to changes in the job schedule.

[0092] By setting general rule G and attribute rule S, not only general enforcement rules for actions, but also client-specific rules and internal agreements of office X can be freely configured. With this control method, even if the enforcement rules become complex, users can check the necessary enforcement rules each time they perform an action. This makes it easier to prevent enforcement rules from becoming meaningless.

[0093] Enforcement rules can be freely added. For example, for actions (submission of manuscripts), a rule could be established that includes a check item such as "check that the kanji spelling of the inventor's name is correct."

[0094] Some tasks are best defined as execution rules, while others are best defined as sub-actions. Users are free to decide whether it is best to define the "tasks to be done," "tasks that must be done," and "tasks that are desirable to do" that occur during the job execution process as main actions, sub-actions, or execution rules. Since actions that are neither main actions nor execution rules can be picked out as "sub-actions," careful job management becomes possible by effectively using sub-actions.

[0095] It cannot be expected that all parties involved in a job will use the Job Management System 200. The Job Management System 200 can manage those responsible even when external parties who do not use the Job Management System 200 are involved in the job. When an external party takes any action toward office X, a user of office X sets the action as completed on behalf of the external party. This control method allows for constant monitoring of those responsible for a job, regardless of whether they are external or internal.

[0096] The manager of Firm X can check the status of each case in a single view on the first progress screen 150. In particular, by looking at the length of the action column in the workflow area 152 of the first progress screen 150, they can visually grasp whether each case (job) is progressing smoothly or is stalled. This makes it easier to understand the capabilities of each person in charge at Firm X and the workload for each client.

[0097] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments and modifications described above, and the components can be modified and implemented without departing from the spirit of the invention. Various inventions may be formed by appropriately combining the multiple components disclosed in the embodiments and modifications described above. In addition, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the embodiments and modifications described above.

[0098] [Differentiation] In this embodiment, it has been explained that no pre-executor or post-executor is set for sub-actions, but it is also possible to set a pre-executor and post-executor, or just an executor, for sub-actions.

[0099] The notification management unit 124 may send a confirmation request to the subsequent executor of action D1 when the first executor of action D1 has executed action D1. If the subsequent executor does not respond to the confirmation request within a predetermined time, the notification management unit 124 may send a reminder notice to the subsequent executor. When the subsequent executor responds, the notification management unit 124 notifies the first executor that confirmation has been received.

[0100] Deadline rules can be set based on the execution date of another action, such as "Z days after the previous action," or a specific date and time can be directly specified, such as "August 15th." Alternatively, a backward-calculating setting can be used, such as "Z2 business days before the last action of the job."

[0101] The notification management unit 124 may also include a deadline warning function. For example, if an action (submission of manuscript) has not been completed despite the number of days remaining until the application deadline being within a specified number of days, a warning message may be sent to the technical staff member. Sending a warning message can prevent the technical staff member from forgetting the deadline for their work.

[0102] The job management unit 116 of the job management server 100 may automatically generate jobs from case data of other application management software. For example, suppose a new "intermediate processing" job for TS Corporation is registered in commercially available application management software. The job management unit 116 polls the data of the application management software and detects the new job (intermediate processing). At this time, the job management unit 116 generates an arbitrary ID based on the client name (TS Corporation), case number, etc., and sets this as the job ID. Next, the job management unit 116 generates an action column that will serve as a model for the intermediate processing job and registers it as a new job. The job management unit 116 constantly polls the data of the application management software and may change the job settings if there are any changes, such as a change in the technical staff.

[0103] The progress management unit 120 may measure the work time for each action. For example, it may measure how long it takes from the start to the end of an action (submitting a manuscript). By measuring the work time for each action, the processing load for each action can be quantified. The job management unit 116 may also calculate the ratio of work time for which office X is responsible to work time for which the client is responsible for the entire job. By calculating the ratio of work time inside and outside the organization, the efficiency of the client's operations (smoothness of response) can be quantified. For example, for a job (filing an application), suppose the average ratio of time for which the client (C01) is responsible to time for which office X is responsible (hereinafter referred to as the "internal / external work rate") is 1:9. On the other hand, suppose the average ratio of time for which the client (C02) is responsible to time for which office X is responsible is 6:4. In this case, it can be seen that work is more likely to stagnate within client (C02) when moving the job forward compared to client (C01).

[0104] The same applies when clients evaluate patent firms. Companies can also evaluate the operational efficiency of patent firms by calculating the in-house and out-of-house work rates for each of the multiple firms.

[0105] The Job Management System 200 can be applied to a variety of jobs, not just patent-related work. For example, it can be used for various jobs such as arranging a move (accessing moving companies, getting quotes, scheduling, etc.), organizing live concerts (securing venues, publicity, negotiating with artists, arranging security, etc.), and manufacturing clothing (design, pattern making, prototyping, modifications, etc.). [Explanation of Symbols]

[0106] 100 Job management server, 102 Communication terminal, 106 Internet, 110 Communication unit, 112 Data processing unit, 114 Data storage unit, 116 Job management unit, 118 Action management unit, 120 Progress management unit, 122 Responsibility management unit, 124 Notification management unit, 130 Template information, 132 Current status area, 134 Add button, 136 Delete button, 138 Confirm button, 140 Job definition information, 142 Message, 150 First progress screen, 152 Workflow area, 160 Second progress screen, 162 Basic information area, 164 Workflow area, 166 Progress area, 168 Notification history area, 172 Icon, 200 Job management system, 300 Processor, 302 First bus, 304 Memory, 308 Bridge, 310 Second bus, 312 Storage, 314 Input device, 316 Output devices, 318 peripherals

Claims

1. A job management unit that manages jobs defined as a single-axis chain of multiple actions, It includes an action management unit that manages actions, The job management unit includes a progress management unit that manages the current action, which is the action currently in progress among the multiple actions that make up the job. The aforementioned progress management unit, When the first action is a present action, When the first action is executed, the second action that follows the first action is set as the current action. When the second action described above is a present action, A job management system that, when the second action described above is executed, sets a third action that follows the second action as the current action.

2. The aforementioned Job Management Department further includes a Responsibility Management Department that manages the person responsible for the current action, The aforementioned action management unit registers the preceding and succeeding executors in association with the action, The aforementioned Responsibility Management Department, When the first action described above is a present action, Before executing the first action, the first user who is the first to execute the first action is set as the current person in charge. The job management system according to claim 1, wherein when the first action is performed by the first user, the second user who performed the first action is set as the current person in charge.

3. The job management system according to claim 2, wherein the progress management unit notifies the first user that the execution of the first action by the second user has been recognized after the first action has been executed by the first user, who is the first executor, and the second user, who is the second executor, has given a confirmation response.

4. The aforementioned progress management unit, When the first action is performed by the first user, the current action is changed from the first action to the second action. The aforementioned Responsibility Management Department, When the current action is changed from the first action to the second action, the second user who performed the first action later and the second action earlier is set as the current person in charge. The aforementioned progress management unit, When the second action is performed by the second user, the current action is changed from the second action to the third action. The aforementioned Responsibility Management Department, The job management system according to claim 3, wherein when the current action is changed from the second action to the third action, the third user who performed the second action later and the third action earlier is set as the current person in charge.

5. Groups can be set as either the first or subsequent executors. The aforementioned Responsibility Management Department, The job management system according to claim 4, wherein, when the first action is a current action and a first group is set as the executor after the first action, the second user, who is a member of the first group, responds with confirmation to the execution of the first action, the second user is set as the current person in charge.

6. The aforementioned responsible management department, The job management system according to claim 5, in cases where the first group is set as the first executor of the second action, if the second user, who is a member of the first group, responds with confirmation to the execution of the first action, the second user is set as the first executor of the second action.

7. The aforementioned action management unit, Based on sequence information that defines the order of a single-axis chain of multiple actions, the sequence of the multiple actions is identified. The job management system according to claim 1, which, when it receives a request to add a fourth action as the main action between the first action and the second action, reorganizes the action sequence of the job by setting the order information of the fourth action so that it is sandwiched between the first action and the second action.

8. The aforementioned action management unit, The job management system according to claim 7, wherein the fourth action is added between the first action and the second action, provided that the person who performs the first action after the first action is the same person who performs the fourth action before the second action, and the person who performs the fourth action after the second action is the same person.

9. The aforementioned action management unit, When a fifth action is accepted as a sub-action between the first action and the second action, The aforementioned progress management unit, The job management system according to claim 1, wherein when the first action is performed, the fifth action is skipped and the second action is set as the current action.

10. Actions can have deadlines and deadline rules set. The aforementioned action management unit, The job management system according to claim 1, wherein when the current action is changed from the first action to the second action, the deadline for the second action is reset according to the completion timing of the first action and the deadline rules for the second action, and the deadline for the third action is reset according to the deadline after the reset of the second action and the deadline rules for the third action.

11. Actions can be associated with execution rules, The aforementioned action management unit, A job management system according to claim 1, which displays an action along with an execution rule associated with that action.

12. Execution rules include general rules set for each type of action, and attribute rules set according to the attributes of the action. The aforementioned action management unit, For the first type of action, the general rules corresponding to the first type are displayed. When the first type of action further has a first attribute, in addition to the general rule, the attribute rule corresponding to the first attribute is also displayed. The job management system according to claim 11, wherein, when the first type of action also has a second attribute, the attribute rule corresponding to the second attribute is displayed in addition to the general rule and the attribute rule corresponding to the first attribute.

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