Administrative management system, administrative management method, and computer program

Abstract

Provided is a technique for an administrative organization to efficiently promote administrative activities. An administrative management system according to the present invention is used for managing an object-oriented workflow, has a plurality of data items, stores administrative data registered for each of administrative objects, creates, on the basis of a designated topic and the administrative objects, an issue associated with each of the administrative objects, and determines the processing status of a workflow for the topic by using a processing status pertaining to the issue.

Description

Administrative management system, administrative management method, and computer program

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

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Information processing techniques are known for improving the efficiency of administrative activities in administrative organizations, including local governments.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that aims to solve the problem of local government financial planning being carried out from a macro perspective, while budget assessments for individual administrative projects are carried out from a micro perspective, and that the two are not linked. The technology makes it possible to maintain consistency between individual plans and overall strategies by making the creation of revenue and expenditure plans for individual administrative projects rules, making them more detailed, and implementing IT, and by linking the financial planning of the local government as a whole with the management and evaluation of administrative projects, thereby enabling long-term financial estimates based on project accumulation.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-293321

[0005] The prior art has achieved simplification of the processes related to budget assessment and administrative reform planning, but it is unable to efficiently promote administrative activities in administrative organizations.

[0006] In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a technology for efficiently promoting administrative activities in administrative organizations.

[0007] [1] An administrative management system that performs object-oriented workflow management, storing administrative data having multiple types of data items and registered for each administrative object, creating issues associated with individual administrative objects based on a specified topic and administrative object, and determining the processing status of the workflow for the topic using the processing status related to the issues. [2] The administrative management system described in [1], storing administrative object groups that are collections of the administrative data, accepting designation of administrative object groups to be placed in a workflow and a workflow manager, creating an issue group that is a collection of multiple issues associated with all administrative objects included in the administrative object group based on the designated administrative object group, and assigning the multiple issues belonging to the issue group to the designated workflow manager. [3] The administrative management system described in [1] or [2], accepting designation of administrative objects to be placed in a workflow and a manager for each workflow stage, assigning issues associated with the designated administrative objects to the manager for each stage, and when the manager for a certain stage performs an operation to complete the issue, the workflow proceeds to the next stage. [4] The administrative management system according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein a different range of viewing authority is set for at least some of the data items of the administrative data and at least some of the data items of the issues. [5] The administrative management system according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein a user group includes some or all of the users belonging to the same department, and viewing authority is set on a user group basis for at least some of the data items of the administrative data and / or at least some of the data items of the issues.[6] The administrative management system according to any of [1] to [5], wherein versions of the administrative data are managed and viewing permissions are set for at least some data items of the administrative data for each version, one or more message threads are associated with each issue, and the version of the administrative data to which the message thread or a message in the message thread is related is set, and viewing permissions are set according to the viewing permissions for each version of the administrative data. [7] The administrative management system according to any of [1] to [6], wherein data items to be input corresponding to the topic are defined, and an input field corresponding to the defined data item is linked to a display screen for the issue. [8] The administrative management system according to any of [1] to [7], wherein one or more message threads are associated with each issue, and a mention of a predetermined user or user group can be set in the message thread or a message in the message thread. [9] The administrative management system of [2] or any of [3] to [8] quoting [2], wherein one or more message threads are associated with each issue, a posting purpose is added to each of the message threads or messages within the message threads, and the issues in the issue group are aggregated based on any one or more types of posting purpose.

[10] The administrative management system of any of [1] to [9], wherein one or more message threads are associated with each issue, a target of criticism is added to each of the message threads or messages within the message threads, and the target of criticism includes a data item of the administrative object or an attachment.

[11] The administrative management system of any of [1] to

[10] , wherein the administrative data can be associated with corresponding administrative data, and administrative data from previous years referenced when registering new administrative data includes identification information for the new administrative data.

[0008] The invention according to [1] makes it possible to manage workflows based on issues linked to administrative objects, thereby enabling administrative activities to be promoted efficiently.

[0009] The invention according to [2] makes it possible to manage the workflow for a plurality of administrative objects, thereby enabling administrative activities to be promoted efficiently.

[0010] The invention according to [3] makes it possible to manage workflows based on issues linked to administrative objects, thereby enabling administrative activities to be promoted efficiently.

[0011] The invention related to [4] makes it possible to efficiently promote administrative activities while flexibly adjusting the scope of disclosure, for example, by disclosing issues to decision makers while keeping documents under adjustment confidential.

[0012] The invention according to [5] makes it possible to efficiently promote administrative activities, for example, when an issue assigned to the head of the original department is handled by a person in charge of the original department.

[0013] The invention according to [6] makes it possible to efficiently promote administrative activities while flexibly adjusting the scope of disclosure.

[0014] The invention according to [7] makes it possible to carry out administrative activities using issues efficiently.

[0015] The invention according to [8] makes it possible to efficiently promote administrative activities, including users outside the workflow.

[0016] According to the invention of [9], the progress of the workflow can be determined based on the communication within the issue.

[0017] The invention according to

[10] makes it possible to carry out administrative activities using issues efficiently.

[0018] The invention of

[11] makes it possible to efficiently promote administrative activities while maintaining relationships with administrative data from previous years, such as continuing or merged administrative projects, and administrative projects that have been commercialized as administrative issues.

[0019] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique for efficiently promoting administrative activities in an administrative organization.

[0020] 1 is a system configuration diagram of the present embodiment; a hardware configuration diagram of the present embodiment; an example of a data configuration of the present embodiment; an example of a screen display of an administrative business group registration screen of the present embodiment; a processing flowchart of a workflow of the present embodiment; an example of a screen display of a workflow start screen of the present embodiment; and an example of the progress of a workflow of the present embodiment.

[0021] The administrative management system, administrative management method, and administrative management program of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiment is an example of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment, and various configurations can be adopted.

[0022] In this embodiment, the configuration, operation, etc. of an administrative management system will be described, but similarly configured methods, devices, computer programs, and program recording media storing such programs can also achieve similar effects. The series of processes according to this embodiment described below is provided as a computer-executable program, and can be provided via a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM or a flexible disk, or even via a communication line.

[0023] 1.1. Definitions of Terms, etc. 1 The definitions of terms and phrases used in this specification are as follows: An administrative organization is an organization that manages administration, including government agencies, ministries, and public organizations, such as those of the national and local governments. In this embodiment, a local government is used as an example. The administrative management system of the present invention is used in administrative organizations to operate and manage administrative activities. A policy system is a system of issues divided into three levels: policies, measures, and administrative projects. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which administrative projects are managed using this policy system. However, administrative projects may be managed in four or more levels, for example, by establishing a level of sub-measures between measures and administrative projects. A policy is a broad group of administrative activities aimed at realizing basic guidelines for addressing specific administrative issues, and indicates the direction and objectives of urban development in an established administrative division (such as a city, ward, town, or village). A measure is a group of administrative activities aimed at realizing specific guidelines based on the basic policy guidelines, and indicates the measures and countermeasures for realizing the policy. Tasks and projects are administrative procedures and projects that are carried out as individual administrative means to materialize specific policies in policies. Tasks and projects are implemented by each bureau within an administrative division based on its budget.

[0024] An administrative object refers to an object handled in administrative activities. In this embodiment, individual administrative tasks, projects, replies, and issues are managed as administrative objects. Responses refer to plenary session responses and committee responses prepared by executive bodies such as administrative agencies in response to questions from assembly members. Issues are issues collected during the planning, execution, and evaluation stages of administrative tasks, or in assemblies and committees, and serve as the basis for planning administrative issues for the next term and beyond. Other items, such as policies, may also be managed as administrative objects.

[0025] 1.2. Overview of Administrative Activities An example of the flow of administrative activities is explained below. Administrative projects: First, in the planning stage, plans for administrative projects to be implemented in the next planned implementation fiscal year (for example, the following fiscal year) are prepared. Next, in the budget compilation stage, budget requests for administrative projects to be implemented in the next planned implementation fiscal year are prepared, the budget requests are assessed, a budget proposal is prepared, and the proposal is submitted to the assembly. Finally, in the implementation fiscal year, the budget is executed for administrative projects approved by the assembly in the execution stage. In the evaluation stage, administrative evaluation reports for implemented administrative projects are prepared. Answers: As necessary, the contents of notices regarding questions and general inquiries at plenary sessions and committees are recorded, and answers to the notices are entered and managed, and answers to plenary sessions and committee responses are prepared. Issues: As necessary, issues collected during the planning, implementation, and evaluation stages of administrative projects and at the assembly and committees are evaluated. In the planning stages for the next planned implementation fiscal year and beyond, new administrative projects that address the issues are registered, and perspectives on the issues are incorporated into existing administrative projects.

[0026] 1.3. Definition of Terms, etc. 2. A topic refers to a gradual division of administrative activities carried out with an administrative object as the objective. One or more topics may be defined for each type of administrative object. In this embodiment, for example, when the objective is an administrative project, topics are defined as multiple divisions arranged chronologically, such as "Plan," "Budget Preparation > Request," "Budget Preparation > Assessment," "Budget Preparation > Preliminary Notice," "Budget Preparation > Resolution," "Budget Execution," "Settlement," and "Administrative Evaluation." Furthermore, when the objective is a response, topics such as "Response Management" for creating responses to questions are defined. When the objective is an issue, topics such as "Issue Management" for accumulating and managing collected issues and elevating them to projects are defined. The above is an example; different divisions, abstract divisions, detailed divisions, etc. may also be defined. Furthermore, topic subdivision may be achieved by hierarchizing topics into multiple layers. For example, instead of the topic "Budget preparation > XX," categories such as "Initial budget preparation (hereinafter referred to as "initial") > XX" and "Supplementary budget preparation (hereinafter referred to as "supplementary") > XX" may be defined, or subtopics of "Initial > XX" and "Supplementary budget > XX" may be defined in layers under "Budget preparation." Furthermore, multiple categories arranged chronologically may also be defined as topics in lower layers. For example, categories such as "Request," "Assessment," "Unofficial notice," and "Resolution" may be defined in layers under "Budget preparation."

[0027] An issue refers to a topic in carrying out administrative activities that occur for each administrative object. An issue is associated with an individual or a group of administrative objects and assigned to a specific person in charge. In this embodiment, an issue is raised for an administrative object of a specific topic or a group of administrative objects that belong to a specific topic.

[0028] A workflow is a repeatable and defined flow of administrative activities. In this embodiment, the workflow includes multiple stages WS executed to achieve a certain purpose, and progresses by completing issues assigned to individuals in each stage WSn.

[0029] Workflows support the progress of administrative activities for administrative objects, but may particularly aim to transition administrative objects to the next topic or to make them ready to transition. For example, a workflow for the "Planning" topic is the former, and completing it allows transition to the next "Budget Preparation" topic. For example, a workflow for the "Budget Preparation > Resolution" topic is the latter, and an administrative project that has completed the workflow can transition to the "Execution" topic once the planned execution year arrives. Alternatively, a workflow may be aimed at administrative activities that are carried out repeatedly in a specific topic. For example, a workflow for the "Execution" topic includes stages from application to approval, etc., and can be carried out one or more times for each administrative project during the budget execution period.

[0030] 1 shows a system configuration diagram of an administrative management system 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the administrative management system 1 comprises an administrative management device 2, a user terminal 3, and a database DB, and each component is connected to a communication network NW. For example, the communication network NW includes a comprehensive administrative network (LGWAN: Local Government Wide Area Network), and the administrative management device 2 and the database DB, and the administrative management device 2 and the user terminal 3 are connected via the comprehensive administrative network.

[0031] The administrative management system 1 (administrative management device 2) provides a platform for operating and managing administrative activities related to administrative objects such as administrative projects, etc. The administrative management device 2 comprises, as functional components, an administrative object management unit 21, an administrative object group management unit 22, an issue management unit 23, an issue group management unit 24, and a workflow management unit 25.

[0032] The user terminal 3 is a terminal device used by users belonging to an administrative organization, etc. A plurality of user terminals 3 are installed at least within the administrative organization.

[0033] In this embodiment, users include special officials (such as mayors) within administrative organizations, users of the Finance Division and other secretariat departments, section chiefs, department heads, the Civil Engineering Department (bureau / section) and the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Department (bureau / section), and users and supervisors (section chiefs, department heads, etc.) of original bureaus and original sections. For example, original section users perform tasks such as creating project documents such as business plans, creating budget requests, executing budgets, and creating administrative evaluation reports. Secretariat users perform tasks such as requesting original section users to create budget requests and evaluating budget requests. Section chiefs, department heads, and special officials perform tasks such as reviewing user deliverables, selecting and prioritizing priority projects based on plans, and assessing budget requests approved by Finance Division users. The administrative management system 1 assigns predetermined operational authority to each user and controls the permission and restriction of predetermined functions according to the operational authority. In particular, users who perform processing at a certain stage of the workflow are referred to as ``persons in charge.''

[0034] 2.2. Hardware Configuration FIG. 2(a) shows a hardware configuration diagram of the administrative management device 2. The administrative management device 2 includes a control unit 201, a storage unit 202, and a communication unit 203 as its hardware configuration. In this embodiment, the administrative management device 2 can be a computer device such as a server or a personal computer. Note that the administrative management device 2 may be configured with multiple computer devices, and is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. 2(a) as long as the above-described functional components (21-25) can be realized as a whole.

[0035] The control unit 201 is composed of one or more processors such as a CPU, and controls the overall processing of the administrative management device 2 by executing an administrative management program, an OS (Operating System), and other applications. The storage unit 202 is composed of one or more memories such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), flash memory, RAM (Random Access Memory), etc., and stores the administrative management program and various data. The communication unit 203 controls communication with the communication network NW and realizes data communication with the user terminal 3 and the database DB. By executing the administrative management program, the control unit 201 causes the computer to function as the administrative management device 2 and execute the administrative management method.

[0036] In the illustrated example, the database DB is a database server that can be accessed via a communication network NW including an LGWAN, etc., but it may also be realized using, for example, the control unit 201 and memory unit 202 that constitute the administrative management device 2, or it may be connected to the administrative management device 2 via a LAN, etc.

[0037] 2B shows a hardware configuration diagram of a terminal device 9 such as the user terminal 3. The terminal device 9 includes, as its hardware configuration, a control unit 901, a storage unit 902, a communication unit 903, an input unit 904, and a display unit 905. In this embodiment, the terminal device 9 may be a smartphone, a personal computer, a tablet terminal, or the like.

[0038] The control unit 901 is composed of one or more processors such as a CPU, and controls the overall processing of the terminal device 9 by executing an OS and other applications. The storage unit 902 is an HDD, SSD, flash memory, RAM, etc., and stores a browser application and various data. The communication unit 903 controls communication with the communication network NW and realizes data communication with the administrative management device 2. The input unit 904 is an input interface that accepts operation requests from an operator, and is composed of a touch panel, mouse, keyboard, etc. The display unit 905 is composed of a display that displays the processing results of the control unit 901, etc.

[0039] <2.3. Database DB> The database DB will store user master data in advance, as well as past fiscal year's administrative business information (administrative data), business group information, issue information, issue group information, workflow information, and response information (administrative data) and issue information (administrative data).

[0040] The user master stores user information within an administrative organization. The user information includes the user's identification information (user ID), name, department (division, section, etc.), etc. It is also possible to define a user group, which is a collection of one or more users. The user group information may be predefined, for example, by the user group's identification information (user group ID) and the identification information of the users belonging to the user group, or users with a common attribute (department) may be treated as a user group. The users to be included in a predefined user group may be arbitrarily selected, or may be selected from user groups with a common attribute. A user group is specified by an arbitrarily set group name or an attribute name that represents the characteristics of the group.

[0041] Task and project information is administrative data related to individual tasks and projects, and is registered for each planned implementation year. In this embodiment, the task and project information includes basic information related to the task and project (task and project basic information), as well as administrative goal information, budget information, and implementation information related to the task and project. The basic information (task and project basic information) is information related to the content of the task and project, and includes identification information (task and project ID) of the basic information (i.e., the task and project information), the planned implementation year, identification information (task and project ID) of the related administrative data described below, status, and multiple data items related to the project's project form. Data items in the basic information (task and project basic information) include, for example, project number, project name, responsible department (division, section, etc.), project start year, project (planned) end year, accounting classification, legal basis, major policies and measures to which the task and project belongs, project purpose, project overview, implementation method, and other various information related to the project.

[0042] The status of the basic information (basic administrative project information) indicates the stage of the project in administrative activities and includes at least a status corresponding to the topic. For example, statuses such as "Plan," "Budget Preparation > Request," "Budget Preparation > Assessment," "Budget Preparation > Preliminary Notice," "Budget Preparation > Resolution," "Execution," and "Administrative Evaluation" are assigned. Here, for projects that receive a zero rating (not included) at the "Budget Preparation > Preliminary Notice" stage, the status remains "Budget Preparation > Preliminary Notice." "Budget Preparation > Assessment" includes projects before and during assessment, as well as projects that have been put on hold as a result of assessment. "Budget Preparation > Request" includes projects at the budget request stage and projects that have been put on hold but for which a request for revival has been made. These statuses are merely examples; the stages of each status can be arbitrarily divided, and the number of stages is not limited to these. In addition to, or instead of, the staged status corresponding to the topic, statuses related to the assessment results (such as included or not included), or the evaluation results of the administrative project (such as continued or canceled), may also be assigned.

[0043] The administrative goal information defines the KPIs for achieving each task, i.e., the tasks to be achieved during the execution period of the task. Multiple administrative goal information may be set for each task, step by step. The administrative goal information includes identification information for the administrative goal (administrative goal ID), as well as data items such as the content of the administrative goal and the deadline for achieving the administrative goal. In addition to the deadline, it may also include a reminder timing.

[0044] Budget information includes initial budget information indicating the initial budget for a certain project and supplementary budget information indicating the supplementary budget. The initial budget information includes identification information for the initial budget (initial budget ID), identification information for related administrative data (project ID), and multiple data items related to the initial budget. Data items in the initial budget information include, for example, an outline of the initial budget, items such as sub-items related to the budget, and the budget request amount. Supplementary budget information includes identification information for the supplementary budget (supplementary budget ID), monthly data, identification information for related administrative data (initial budget ID), and multiple data items related to the supplementary budget. Data items in the supplementary budget information include, for example, an outline of the supplementary budget (purpose, reason, etc.), items such as sub-items related to the budget, and the budget request amount. Note that the items related to the initial budget and supplementary budget are merely examples, and items of any granularity, such as sections and subsections, may also be included. For example, these items may be stored in an item master and referenced in the project information by identification information (item ID) in the item master.

[0045] Execution information is information that is registered as needed for budget execution during the execution period. Execution information includes execution identification information (Execution ID), identification information for the task or project for which the budget is executed (Project ID), and data items such as execution date, item, and execution amount. Sections and subsections may be added to the item when the execution information is registered.

[0046] The assignment information is administrative data related to individual assignments. In this embodiment, the assignment information includes assignment identification information (assignment ID), identification information for related administrative data (business ID), and multiple data items related to the assignment. The data items of the assignment information include, for example, the assignment name, assignment content, relevant policies, measures, business operations, responsible organizations, and assignment creators (user IDs).

[0047] The reply information is administrative data related to individual replies. In this embodiment, the reply information includes identification information for the reply (reply ID), identification information for related administrative data (issue ID), and multiple data items related to the reply. Data items for the reply information related to the plenary session include, for example, the name of the assembly, the date of the plenary session, the name of the member who asked the question, the party that asked the question, the type of question (general question / urgent question), the content of the question, the classification of the person who replied (head of the local government, department head, section head, etc.), the department responsible for preparing the reply (department, section office, etc. (consultation destination)), the content of the reply, and the person who prepared the reply (user ID).

[0048] 2.4. Example of Data Structure Using Related Administrative Data FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of related administrative data. Related administrative data is administrative data related to certain administrative data, and one or more pieces of related administrative data may be set. Examples of related administrative data include, for example, information on previous years' administrative projects when a task or project is continued, information on other tasks and projects when a task or project is integrated, information on the issues that formed the basis of the task or project, and information on responses that formed the basis of the administrative issues. In this embodiment, each piece of administrative data is associated using a reference structure such as that shown in FIG. 3. When a task or project is continued or integrated, the newly registered task or project information and the corresponding task or project information are associated using related administrative data. The identification information for the related administrative data of the basic task or project information (implementation year: 2022) is blank at the time of registration. When new task or project information that continues the task or project is registered, the identification information (task or project ID) of the new task or project information is entered. In the illustrated example, the related administrative data for the basic administrative project information (implementation year: 2022) is the basic administrative project information (implementation year: 2023) (administrative project ID: 2222). If multiple projects from previous years are merged, the same identification information (administrative project ID) for the new administrative project information will be entered into the multiple administrative project information from previous years. When merging administrative projects, the administrative project information for the current year associated with the previous year's administrative project information for the main administrative project and the integrated administrative project is registered, and then the administrative project information for the integrated administrative project can be associated as related administrative data for the main administrative project information for that year. When an administrative issue is incorporated into an administrative project, the newly registered administrative project information and the issue information accumulated in the previous period, etc., are associated with related administrative data. In the illustrated example, the related administrative data for the issue information (implementation year: 2021) is the administrative project (administrative project ID: 1111) that corresponds to or is derived from the issue. When administrative issues are accumulated from the content of responses, the newly registered issue information and the accumulated response information are associated with related administrative data. In the illustrated example, the related administrative data for the response information (implementation year: 2021) is the issue (issue ID: 9999) that was sublimated from the response.The related administrative data in the initial budget information (implementation year: 2023) is the basic administrative business information related to the budget (implementation year: 2023) (administrative business ID: 2222). The related administrative data in the supplementary budget information is, for example, the initial budget information related to the supplementary budget (initial budget ID: 3333). The related administrative data in the supplementary budget information may be, for example, the immediately preceding supplementary budget. In the illustrated example, when new administrative data is registered, the correspondence is achieved by assigning the identification information of the new administrative data to the previously registered administrative data; however, the correspondence may also be achieved by assigning the identification information of the previously registered administrative data to the newly registered administrative data.

[0049] <3.1. Registration of Administrative Object Groups> <3.1.1. Registration of Administrative Objects (Administrative Data)> The registration of administrative object groups will be described using Figure 4. The administrative object management unit 21 registers administrative data related to administrative objects. For example, based on a request to register new administrative data such as administrative business information, assignment information, and response information, the administrative object management unit 21 stores various administrative data in the database DB and edits existing administrative data. In addition, the administrative object management unit 21 uses data items included in assignment information stored in the database DB to register administrative business information in which corresponding data items have been input (preset), and uses data items included in response information stored in the database DB to register assignment information in which corresponding data items have been input (preset).

[0050] <3.1.2. Status of Administrative Objects> The administrative object management unit 21 sets the status of administrative objects. The above example illustrates a case where a status is assigned to administrative business information, but a status may also be assigned to answer information or issue information depending on the stage or state of the topic (before approval, under approval, etc.). The administrative object management unit 21 changes the status of an administrative object, for example, when the workflow of a certain topic is completed. Instead of or in addition to the completion of the workflow, the status may be changed depending on the planned execution year and actual date and time of the administrative object.

[0051] <3.1.3. Administrative Object Authorities> The administrative object management unit 21 also manages the authorities for administrative objects. The authorities include, for example, the authority to view administrative data and the authority to edit and view administrative data. The authorities may be for at least some of the data items of the administrative data, or may be for all of the data items. The authorities are set for user groups or individual users. The authorities for administrative objects may be granted to users other than those designated as the person in charge of the workflow. In this embodiment, the authority to view administrative objects and the authority to edit and view administrative objects are set according to the department to which the user belongs.

[0052] Note that viewing and / or editing permissions may be changed depending on one or more of the topics to which administrative objects belong and the workflow stages WS. For example, in the "Budget Preparation > Request" topic, users in the original department can enter data items for administrative projects, but when they submit the project to their superior and the workflow stage advances, or for administrative projects that have advanced to the "Budget Preparation > Assessment" topic, editing permissions are revoked. Such permission changes may differ depending on the department or position. For example, in the "Budget Preparation > Assessment" topic, users in the Secretariat department may be able to edit administrative projects.

[0053] 3.1.4. Administrative Object Versions When administrative data is updated, the administrative object management unit 21 records the history and manages versions of the administrative data. In this embodiment, the person in charge at each stage in the workflow registers a version for the administrative data. When registering a version of administrative data, user groups and users with viewing permissions for the original version of the administrative data are preset, and any user groups or individual users can be added or deleted as needed. The administrative object management unit 21 may automatically register versions as the workflow progresses. Note that versions may also be registered when administrative data is not necessarily edited. Furthermore, instead of or in addition to registering versions according to the workflow stage, the administrative object management unit 21 may register versions when administrative data is edited and / or when the topic of the administrative data is changed. For example, when the workflow for updating and approving administrative data is completed, the administrative object management unit 21 stores a new version of the administrative data. For example, the administrative object management unit 21 for a certain topic may manage permissions for each version of an administrative object.

[0054] 3.1.5. Administrative Object Groups The administrative object group management unit 22 registers administrative object groups, which are collections of multiple administrative objects. The administrative object group management unit 22 is used when multiple administrative objects are grouped together and placed on a workflow. The administrative object group management unit 22 can group administrative objects if they share at least one of the following items: (1) Planned execution year (2) Type of administrative object (business, response, assignment, etc.) (3) Budget type (initial budget, supplementary budget) (4) Topic to which the administrative object belongs (status in business information) In this embodiment, the administrative object group management unit 22 groups all or selected administrative objects that share all of items (1) to (4) into a single administrative object group, and stores the administrative object group information in the database DB. The selected administrative object may be an administrative object selected by the user, or may be an administrative object identified by a specific data item (e.g., policy or responsible department) specified by the user.

[0055] The administrative object group information includes identification information of the administrative object group (administrative object group ID), the group name, the planned execution year, the topic, and identification information of multiple administrative objects belonging to the group.

[0056] 4 shows an example of the administrative object group registration screen W4 displayed on the display unit 905 of the user terminal 3. The administrative object group registration screen W4 includes an input field W41, an administrative object display field W42 within the group, a search field W43, a search result list W44, and a save button W45. A user such as an original bureau or original department enters the name of a group of administrative objects (in the illustrated example, the name of an administrative business group) in the input field W41 via the input unit 904 of the user terminal 3, and specifies the topic of the administrative objects to be included in the group. In addition, various data items related to administrative businesses are entered as search criteria in the search field W43 to search for administrative businesses to be included in the group.

[0057] The search field W43 allows users to enter keywords for searching for the administrative object's planned execution year or topic (status) data items (e.g., accounting classification, policies, measures, budget information, and execution information items for administrative projects). These keywords can then be used to search for administrative objects. The topics that can be specified in the search field W43 are subordinate topics corresponding to the topic specified in the input field W41. The searched administrative objects are displayed in the search result list W44, and can be added to a group by pressing the corresponding Add button. Furthermore, by pressing the Details button, information (e.g., project forms related to administrative projects) can be displayed on the display unit 905 of the user terminal 3 based on the administrative data. When the Save button W45 is pressed, the administrative object group management unit 22 stores the administrative project group information, including the group name, topic, and added administrative project entered in the input field W41, in the database DB, thereby registering the administrative project group. In this embodiment, a topic is set for each administrative object group. However, for example, a topic may be specified when selecting an administrative object group and starting a workflow. In this embodiment, we have explained the registration of administrative business groups, which are groups of administrative business. However, administrative objects such as issues and replies can also be organized into groups by narrowing down the search by fiscal year or other data items on the same screen.

[0058] <3.2. Registration of Issue Groups> <3.2.1. Registration of Issues> The issue management unit 23 registers issues associated with administrative objects. In this embodiment, the issue management unit 23 registers issues by storing issue information in the database DB. When an issue is registered, the person in charge is notified that the issue has been registered, and the person in charge checks the content of the issue and carries out administrative activities. The issue management unit 23 registers issues based on a request from a user to create an issue or a request to start a workflow. Note that a user may be able to register an issue with themselves as the person in charge.

[0059] Issue information includes identification information for the issue (issue ID), and as data items for the issue, identification information for the corresponding administrative object (business ID, response ID, issue ID), title and content of the issue, one or more responsible persons, creator of the issue, issue status, deadline, attachments, work items, issue type, and identification information for the issue group (issue group ID) described below.

[0060] The issue management unit 23 sets the person in charge of an issue using at least one of the following methods: (11) A user or user group selected by the user who creates the issue or starts the workflow; (12) A user or department set in the administrative data linked to the issue; or (13) A user (user group) selected according to the attributes (affiliation, position, etc.) selected by the user who creates the issue or starts the workflow. When a user group is set as the person in charge, the issue management unit 23 may assign the group leader to the issue, or multiple users belonging to the group to the issue. Alternatively, each administrative object may be linked to an individual user, and a user within the user group designated as the person in charge of the issue, or a user subordinate to an individual user (e.g., a supervisor) designated as the person in charge, may be assigned to the issue as the person in charge according to the user linked to the administrative object. The person in charge of the issue may also be a different user from the user who actually performs the work. For example, an individual user (e.g., a supervisor) may be assigned to an issue as the person in charge, and the work (e.g., inputting data items) may be performed by another user (e.g., a user under the supervisor) in response to a real-life request or a request (mention) via a thread described below. Issue types include a type with an input form linked to an input form for inputting information about one or more specific data items, and a type without an input form. When an input form is included, input fields for any one or more data items are placed on the issue display screen or on an input screen that can be moved from the issue display screen, and the user can input data values ​​for the data items through these input fields.

[0061] <3.2.2. Issue Status> The issue management unit 23 sets the person in charge of an issue and the issue status. The issue status is, for example, "Work Required," "Returned," or "Completed." The issue management unit 23 may change the issue status in response to a completion operation from the issue creator, or may change the issue status when the workflow ends.

[0062] <3.2.3. Issue Authorization> The issue management unit 23 also manages authorizations for issues. The authorizations include, for example, issue viewing authorization and responsible person authorization. The viewing authorization may apply to at least some of the data items of an issue, or may apply to all of the data items. The responsible person authorization relates to changes in the issue status and workflow progress, such as submission, approval of submitted content, and return. A user who is assigned an issue and whose responsible person authorization is enabled performs tasks requested by the issue title, content, topic of the corresponding administrative object, etc. The tasks include, for example, entering data items, registering created attachments to the issue, editing (and reattaching) attachments to the issue, and entering data items from a linked input form.

[0063] Permissions are set for user groups or individual users. Viewing permissions for issues may be granted not only to the person in charge of the current workflow stage WS, but also to people in charge of other stages and users other than the person in charge. In this embodiment, viewing permissions for issues are set according to the user's department (user group), and the person in charge of an issue is transferred between people in charge of the issue according to the workflow stage WS. For example, a first person assigned to an issue is granted person in charge authority. When the first person completes the issue (e.g., submits), the first person's person in charge authority is revoked, and person in charge authority (e.g., approve / return) is transferred to the person in charge of the next stage WS (the second person in charge). Note that the viewing permissions for administrative objects and issues may be linked, or different scopes may be set for each. In this embodiment, the viewing permissions for administrative objects and issues each target different scopes.

[0064] 3.2.4. Threads An independent thread (message thread) can be created on an issue, at least for each issue. In this embodiment, users (including responsible parties) can communicate with other users via messages on a thread regarding administrative activities for a certain administrative object. Messages exchanged on a thread include at least text, and messages and / or threads are configured with at least one of the following: mention, posting purpose, target of criticism, usage authority, and status. A mention indicates a user or user group to whom the thread creation and / or message posting should be notified. One or more of these can be specified. A posting purpose indicates the purpose of creating a thread or posting a message, and one or more posting purposes can be set. Some or all of the posting purposes may be predefined (e.g., "point out" or "return"), or may be written using free text. A target of criticism specifies a data item or attachment of the administrative object targeted by the thread or message. Usage authority includes the right to view the thread, the right to view individual messages, the right to post messages, etc. The status indicates the state of communication in the thread (e.g., "in progress," "completed," etc.). A message may also contain a reference (reply) to any message.

[0065] In this embodiment, the issue management unit 23 creates a thread associated with an issue based on a user request. When creating a thread, it accepts settings for the posting purpose for the thread, the setting of the target of the criticism, the setting of permissions, and the setting of mentions for any user. The posting purpose may be predefined or written as text, and one or more posting purposes set for the thread are added as tags. In addition, the issue management unit 23 changes the status of the thread from in progress to completed when the thread creator completes the thread, controls user access based on the permission settings, and accepts the posting of a text message for the thread and any reply settings. When the administrative object management unit 21 manages the version of an administrative object, the issue management unit 23 may further accept settings for the version of the administrative data targeted by the thread or a message on the thread, and indicate the version of the administrative object targeted by the message in the thread along with the posting purpose of the thread, etc.

[0066] 3.2.5. Thread and Message Permissions A thread for which no usage permission has been set is called an open thread, and a thread that can only be used by users with usage permission is called a private thread. Open threads can be used by users who have permission to view the corresponding issue. For example, when advancing a workflow stage, a message can be written along with the issue completion operation, and messages such as handover information written during the completion operation are posted to the open thread. Private threads can be used only by users who have permission to view the issue and who also have permission to use the thread. Permission to use a private thread is set by the user who created the thread. When the administrative object management unit 21 manages permissions for each version of an administrative object, the issue management unit 23 may further accept the setting of the version of the administrative data in question for a private thread or a message on a private thread, and grant permission to use the private thread or a message on a private thread to some or all users who have permission to view the corresponding version of the administrative object and the issue. When a private thread or a message on a private thread linked to a version of administrative data is registered, a user group or user with authority over the issue and the administrative data of that version is preset, and any user group or individual user can be deleted as needed. The issue management unit 23 may automatically register the usage authority for the private thread or the message on the private thread according to the authority over the issue and the administrative data of that version, and at this time, the usage authority may be granted based on an AND condition with other conditions of the private thread.

[0067] <3.2.6. Generation of Issue Information Associated with Workflow> In this embodiment, the person in charge of an issue is updated for each workflow stage WS and moves between the people in charge, similar to a Kanban system. This allows information (comments, etc.) associated with issues in previous stages WS to be retained for reference. On the other hand, new issue information associated with the same administrative object may be generated for each workflow stage WS (each person in charge). In this case, for example, by including the identification information or serial number of the immediately preceding and / or succeeding issue in the successive issue information in the workflow or in the workflow information, the chronological order and sequence of the corresponding issues, as well as information associated with each issue (comments, etc.), can be retained for reference.

[0068] 3.2.7. Issue Group The issue group management unit 24 registers an issue group. In this embodiment, the issue group management unit 24 registers an issue group in the issue management unit 23, by registering issues corresponding to all administrative objects included in a specified administrative object group, and by storing issue group information relating to an issue group consisting of these issues in the database DB. The issue group information includes identification information of the issue group (issue group ID), the group name, and identification information of the corresponding administrative object group (administrative object group ID).

[0069] 3.3. Workflow Information Registration The workflow management unit 25 registers workflow information and manages the workflow processing status using the processing status of the issues listed in the workflow. The person in charge of processing in the first stage of the workflow follows the method for determining the person in charge of the issue. The workflow management unit 25 sets the person in charge of the second and subsequent stages of the workflow using at least one of the following methods: (21) A user or user group selected by the user who starts the workflow or the person in charge of a certain stage WS; (22) A user or department set in the administrative data; or (23) A user or user group selected according to attributes (affiliation, position, etc.) defined for each stage WS of the workflow. When multiple people are specified, the order in which they are selected, i.e., the order of the stages WS of the workflow, is specified. Note that one person may be assigned to each stage of the workflow (serial), or multiple people may be assigned to some stages in the workflow (parallel). In this case, the stage may advance when some or all of the people approve.

[0070] The workflow management unit 25 inserts a stage based on a request from a person in charge. It is preferable that a person with valid person authority can insert a stage. For example, a person in charge of a certain stage WSn can designate one person in charge and insert a stage WSn', requesting work or confirmation (approval) from the person in charge of the stage WSn'. The person in charge of the inserted stage WS may also be able to insert further stages WS. The person in charge of a certain stage WS may designate multiple people and request work from multiple people (in parallel) in stage WSn'. When a completion operation (submission or approval) is performed in stage WSn' of the inserted workflow, the issue is handed over to the person in charge of the next stage WSn+1. Here, the issue may be returned to the person in charge of the previous stage WSn, and the person in charge of the previous stage WSn may perform a completion operation on the issue, causing the workflow to proceed to the next stage WSn+1. When multiple people are working in parallel, multiple people may be assigned to each issue. Also, if the previous person in charge has multiple issues, some or all of them can be distributed and assigned.

[0071] A user who starts a workflow starts the workflow by specifying at least the first person in charge. Workflows include workflows defined for each topic and workflows that can be executed at any time. In a workflow defined for each topic, at least two people participate: a person who performs tasks such as entering and checking data items (or supervises the entry and work), and a final approver. There may be one or more intermediate approvers before the final approver, and when a person in charge completes the issue, the issue is assigned to the next intermediate approver. If there are two or more intermediate approvers, the issue is assigned to the next intermediate approver when the previous intermediate approver completes the issue. If there is only one intermediate approver, or when the last intermediate approver completes the issue, the issue is assigned to the final approver. When the final approver completes the issue, the workflow creator is notified and the issue is assigned.

[0072] At each stage WS of the workflow, processes such as the creation of a specified administrative object, the input of data items, and the confirmation (approval) of the input data items are performed. The workflow management unit 25 may define the processes available at each stage of the workflow in at least one of the following ways: (31) Processes selected by the user who starts the workflow or the person in charge of a certain stage WS; (32) Processes selected by the user set in the administrative data or based on the user's attributes (for example, the person in charge of the original department inputs data items, and the section manager or department manager approves the data); (33) Processes defined for each stage WS of the workflow (for example, input at stage WS1 or stage WS1' inserted at stage WS1, and confirmation at stage WS2 and later). The issue status corresponds to this process, and may be set to, for example, "inputting," "before interim approval," "interim approved," "before final approval," "final approved," etc.

[0073] A workflow that can be executed at any time is executed by a minimum of two people for questions, consultations, etc. For example, an issue containing the sender's question or consultation is assigned to the sender and destination users, and the destination user's person in charge authority is enabled. When the destination user (person in charge) completes the issue by writing a response comment, etc., the sender user's person in charge authority for the issue is enabled. If the sender user has resolved the question or consultation, the workflow ends by completing the issue. If the question or consultation is not resolved, the issue progresses to the next stage, and the destination user's person in charge authority is re-enabled.

[0074] The topic, administrative object, responsible person, and timing may be defined in advance to schedule the start of the workflow. For example, the start date of the workflow may be registered, and when the start date arrives, an issue may be registered in the issue management unit 23 to start the workflow. Also, for example, based on the reminder timing included in the administrative goal information, the issue of administrative goal information registration may be assigned to the responsible person associated with the administrative goal information, and the workflow for administrative goal information registration may be started.

[0075] The workflow management unit 25 determines the processing status of the workflow based on the processing status of the issues listed in the workflow. The processing status of an issue includes the issue status of the issue, the person in charge of the issue (workflow stage), etc. The processing status of the administrative object group (workflow) can also be determined from the processing status of the issue group. The processing status of the issue group includes the aggregated results of the issue status of the issues in the issue group, the aggregated results of the workflow stages, the aggregated results of the posting intent assigned to the topic or message, etc.

[0076] <4.1. Workflow Processing Flow> Next, a case where an issue group is placed in a workflow linked to a topic will be described with reference to Fig. 5. First, a user who wishes to start a workflow registers an administrative object group that will be the target (see S501 in Fig. 5). Then, the user specifies the administrative object group via a workflow registration screen such as that shown in Fig. 6 and starts the workflow (see S502 in Fig. 5).

[0077] 6(a) shows an example of a workflow start screen W6a displayed on the display unit 905 of the user terminal 3. The workflow start screen W6a includes a workflow information input field 6a1 and a start button W6a2. The user inputs, into the workflow information input field 6a1, the workflow name, the administrative object group that will be the target of the workflow (in the illustrated example, the administrative business group), the person in charge of processing each stage of the workflow, a progress schedule indicating the start date and end date of the workflow, and a message regarding instructions for the person in charge and an explanation of the workflow content, and then presses the start button W6a1 to start the workflow. Note that in this embodiment, the start date and end date of the workflow are set as the deadline for the issue, and the workflow content is set as the content of the issue in the issue information.

[0078] In this embodiment, the user who registered the workflow pre-designates the person in charge at each stage of the workflow. In the example of FIG. 6 , when the workflow is started, issues are assigned to the persons in charge "AAA," "BBB," and "CCC," and the person in charge authority of the person in charge "AAA" is first enabled. Then, when the person in charge "AAA" completes the issue, the person in charge authority of the next person in charge "BBB" is enabled. Then, when the person in charge "BBB" completes the issue, the person in charge authority of the last person in charge "CCC" is enabled. Furthermore, before proceeding to the next stage WS, it may be possible to assign the issue to another person (inserting a stage). For example, before the person in charge "AAA" completes the issue, another person in charge "DDD" can be designated and assigned the issue. In this case, when the person in charge "DDD," who was inserted during the progress of the workflow, completes the issue, the person in charge authority of the person in charge "BBB," who is the person in charge of the person in charge of "AAA," may be enabled, or the person in charge authority of the original person in charge "AAA" may be re-enabled. At this time, the transfer of work between the persons in charge "AAA" and "DDD" may be registered as separate workflow information.

[0079] The workflow information includes the workflow identification information (workflow ID), the workflow name, the identification information (administrative object group ID) of the administrative object group (in the illustrated example, the administrative business group) that is the target of the workflow, the person in charge, the progress schedule, and a message.

[0080] When a workflow is started, the issue management unit 23 registers an issue for each individual administrative object belonging to the administrative object group associated with the workflow, and the issue group management unit 24 registers an issue group consisting of these issues (see S503 in FIG. 5 ). The issue management unit 23 then assigns the registered issues to persons in charge 1 to N (see S504 in FIG. 5 ). The persons in charge can display a list of the issues assigned to them, as well as issue information that allows them to refer to data items related to the associated administrative objects. Note that users can also view issues that are not assigned to them, post messages, etc., depending on their issue authority settings.

[0081] The workflow includes multiple stages WSn. First, stage WS1 is started (see S505 and S506 in FIG. 5), and the issue management unit 23 grants responsible person authority to responsible person 1. Responsible person 1 performs the work and performs a completion operation on the issue (S507 in FIG. 5). The issue management unit 23 can determine the type of issue depending on the workflow topic (in this embodiment, the topic of the administrative object group associated with the workflow). When a workflow for a specific topic is started, the issue management unit 23 can register an issue to which an input form for one or more specified data items is linked and assign it to a responsible person. In this case, the responsible person can view the issue information to which the input form is linked.

[0082] If a completion operation by another person is required, the process waits for the completion operation by the other person. When all necessary completion operations have been performed by all necessary persons (see S508 in FIG. 5), stage WS1 (see S509 in FIG. 5) is completed. If all stages N included in the workflow have not been completed (see S510 in FIG. 5), the next stage is executed (see S511 in FIG. 5). If all stages N included in the workflow have been completed (see S510 in FIG. 6), the workflow is terminated (see S512 in FIG. 5).

[0083] FIG. 6(b) is an example of a screen display of the administrative business group list screen. The administrative business group list screen W6b displays the workflow processing status compiled by the workflow management unit 25. In the illustrated example, if the workflow has four stages, the stage at which each issue in the administrative business group has progressed is compiled and displayed. In the illustrated example (group name: 2023 Budget Preparation), the issue group contains 17 issues, of which 15 have progressed to the first stage and 2 have progressed to the second stage. Note that, while the workflow management unit 25 compiles the number of issues by stage here, it is also possible to compile any data item, such as the budget amount for the administrative business corresponding to the issue, and display the results by stage.

[0084] 4.2. Example of Workflow Progression A specific example of a workflow will be described using FIG. 7. FIG. 7 shows an example of workflow progression related to a budget preparation topic. First, a person in charge of the secretariat department starts a workflow for the task and business group for which the budget preparation topic is set, with the original section manager, finance section manager A, finance section manager B, and the head of the local government as the task and business managers. As a result, issues are assigned to each task and business manager, and the original section manager is first requested to prepare a budget request for each task and business belonging to the task and business group (see FIG. 7WS1). The original section manager, who has been requested to prepare the budget request, assigns multiple original section managers, including original section manager A, as task and assigns the issues belonging to the issue group (see FIG. 7WS2). The issues are divided, for example, by the issue management unit 23, automatically allocating them by referencing the information of the person in charge (the person responsible for preparation) registered in the task and business information. Multiple original department staff members, including original department staff member A to whom an issue has been assigned, create budget requests by entering specified data items related to the business and administrative information, and submit them for assessment by the original department manager, starting with the issues related to the business and administrative information for which budget requests have been completed (see Figure 7 WS3).

[0085] The original section manager receives assignments for all issues included in the issue group from multiple original section staff members, including original section staff member A, and once the assessments are complete, performs a budget request submission operation. This transfers authority for all issues included in the issue group to finance section staff member A, who was previously set as the person in charge, and a project assessment is performed (see Figure 7WS4). Once the project request assessment is complete, finance section staff member A performs a request to create a project budget proposal. This transfers authority for all issues included in the issue group to finance section staff member B, who was previously set as the person in charge, and a request is made to create a project budget proposal (see Figure 7WS5). Once finance section staff member B completes the creation of the project budget proposal, he performs a request to create a project budget proposal. This transfers authority for all issues included in the issue group to the head of the local government, who was previously set as the person in charge, and a request is made to assess the budget proposal (see Figure 7WS6). Once the budget proposal assessment is complete, the head of the local government performs a budget proposal assessment completion operation. This ends the workflow, and a notification is sent to the person in the secretariat department who initiated the workflow.

[0086] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Administrative management system 2 Administrative management device 21 Administrative object management unit 22 Administrative object group management unit 23 Issue management unit 24 Issue group management unit 25 Workflow management unit 3 User terminal

Claims

1. An administrative management system that performs object-oriented workflow management, stores administrative data having multiple types of data items and registered for each administrative object, creates issues associated with individual administrative objects based on specified topics and administrative objects, and determines the processing status of the workflow in the topic using the processing status related to the issues.

2. An administrative management system as described in claim 1, which stores an administrative object group which is a collection of the administrative data, accepts designation of the administrative object group to be placed on the workflow and the person in charge of the workflow, creates an issue group which is a collection of multiple issues corresponding to each of all administrative objects included in the administrative object group based on the designated administrative object group, and assigns the multiple issues belonging to the issue group to the person in charge of the designated workflow.

3. An administrative management system as described in claim 1, which accepts designation of administrative objects to be placed on the workflow and the person in charge of each stage of the workflow, assigns the issue to which the designated administrative object corresponds to the person in charge of each stage, and when the person in charge of a certain stage completes the issue, the workflow progresses to the next stage.

4. The administrative management system according to claim 1, wherein viewing rights to different extents are set for at least some of the data items of the administrative data and at least some of the data items of the issues.

5. The administrative management system of claim 1, wherein the user group includes some or all of the users belonging to the same department, and viewing permissions are set on a user group basis for at least some of the data items of the administrative data and / or at least some of the data items of the issues.

6. The administrative management system of claim 1, wherein the administrative data is managed by version, and viewing rights are set for at least some of the data items of the administrative data for each version, one or more message threads are associated with each issue, and the version of the administrative data in question is set for each of the message threads or messages within the message threads, and viewing rights are set according to the viewing rights for each version of the administrative data.

7. The administrative management system of claim 1, wherein data items to be entered corresponding to the topic are defined, and input fields corresponding to the defined data items are linked to the display screen of the issue.

8. The administrative management system of claim 1, wherein one or more message threads are associated with each issue, and a mention can be made to a specific user or user group in the message thread or in a message within the message thread.

9. The administrative management system of claim 2, wherein one or more message threads are associated with each of the issues, a posting purpose is added to the message thread or to the messages within the message thread, and the issues in the issue group are aggregated based on any one or more types of posting purposes.

10. The administrative management system of claim 1, wherein one or more message threads are associated with each issue, and a point of criticism is added to the message thread or a message within the message thread, and the point of criticism includes a data item or an attachment of the administrative object.

11. An administrative management method that performs object-oriented workflow management, comprising: a computer that stores administrative data having multiple types of data items and registered for each administrative object, the computer performing the steps of: creating issues associated with individual administrative objects based on specified topics and administrative objects; and determining the processing status of the workflow in the topic using the processing status related to the issues.

12. A computer program that causes a computer to execute the administrative management method according to claim 11.

Images