Business flowchart creation support system and business flowchart creation support method

Abstract

Provided is, inter alia, a business flowchart creation support system with which it is possible to easily create a business flowchart merely by replying to a displayed question sentence, even for a person who does not have advanced knowledge relating to business flowcharts.　The present invention relates to a system S for, by means of interaction with a user, creating a business flow chart constituted by a plurality of graphic parts and a plurality of swim lanes. The system displays a question sentence on a display means 23 to ask a user about one or a plurality of work subjects engaged in business, acquires information about the work subject that was inputted by the user as a reply to the question sentence, and allocates a swim lane for each work subject on the basis of the acquired work subject information. Furthermore, a question sentence is displayed so as to ask the user about one work matter and thereby acquire information about the one work matter, and, on the display means 23, displayed is a business flowchart in which are arranged graphic parts expressing the work indicated by the acquired work matter information.

Description

Business flow chart creation support system and business flow chart creation support method

[0001] The present invention relates to a technology for supporting the creation of business flowcharts, and more particularly to a business flowchart creation support system and method for creating business flowcharts through dialogue with a user.

[0002] Traditionally, in order to identify business issues and improve business processes, one method has been to use business flowcharts, which show the flow of business operations consisting of multiple tasks in chronological order, to improve and analyze business processes.Business flowcharts show the work content, work stages, and workers of each task in chronological order, and because they can visualize the overall picture of business operations, they are extremely useful when business planners are formulating business operations, and when consultants and other experts are proposing and analyzing improvement measures for business issues to client companies.

[0003] Creating a business flowchart requires in-depth knowledge of the business content. Therefore, a consultant or other expert interviews a client company's business manager who is familiar with the business, and then creates a business flowchart based on the client's business objectives, requirements, and issues to be resolved, by organizing these. Patent Document 1 proposes a method for creating such a business flowchart, in which a business flowchart is created by inserting a group of graphic parts using a graphic parts library.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-296357

[0005] According to the technology described in Patent Document 1, a business process flowchart can be created by dragging and dropping the necessary templates from a selection of available flowchart templates with a mouse. However, this is not an easy task, as it requires the user to visualize the overall business process and understand the chronological order of the entire process. In particular, even for customers who rarely create business process flowcharts, it can be extremely difficult to visualize the overall business process on a timeline while organizing the tasks, workers, task order, tools, etc., making it difficult to create a business process flowchart. Furthermore, requesting a consultant or other expert to create a business process flowchart is costly.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a business flowchart creation support system and a business flowchart creation support method that enable even a person without advanced knowledge of business flowcharts to easily create a business flowchart simply by responding to displayed questions.

[0007] The business flowchart creation support system of the present invention is a system for creating a business flowchart consisting of a plurality of graphic parts and a plurality of swimlanes through dialogue with a user, the system comprising: work entity inquiring means for displaying a question to the user on a display means to inquire about one or more work entities involved in a work; work entity information acquiring means for acquiring information about the work entities input by the user as a reply to the question; lane allocating means for allocating a swimlane to each work entity based on the work entity information acquired by the work entity information acquiring means; work content inquiring means for displaying a question to the user on the display means to inquire about the content of a work; and work content information acquiring means for acquiring information about the work content input by the user as a reply to the question. a work entity selection information acquisition means for displaying a question on the display means to prompt the user to select a work entity that will perform the work related to the one work content from among the work entities included in the work entity information acquired by the work entity information acquisition means, and acquiring selection information of the work entity selected by the user as a response to the question; a placement position identification means for identifying the swimlane assigned to the work entity indicated by the work entity selection information acquired by the work entity selection information acquisition means as the placement position of a graphic part that represents the work indicated by the work content information acquired by the work content information acquisition means; and a display control means for displaying on the display means a business flowchart in which the graphic parts that represent the work indicated by the work content information acquired by the work content information acquisition means are placed at the placement positions identified by the placement position identification means.

[0008] The work flow chart may be created by sequentially arranging the graphic parts by repeating a series of operations in which the work content inquiry means inquires about the next work content, the work content information acquisition means acquires information about the next work content, the work subject selection information acquisition means acquires selection information about the work subject who will perform the work related to the next work content, the placement position identification means identifies the placement position of the graphic parts based on the work subject selection information acquired by the work subject selection information acquisition means, and the display control means displays on the display means a business flow chart in which the graphic parts representing the work indicated by the work content information acquired by the work content information acquisition means are placed in the placement position identified by the placement position identification means.

[0009] The system may also have a branch information inquiry means for displaying a question on the display means to the user to ask about branch information (e.g., the presence or absence of a branch, the type of branch, etc.) that exists between the task immediately before the next task and the task immediately after the next task, and a branch information acquisition means for acquiring the branch information input by the user as a response to the question, wherein the placement position identification means identifies the space between a graphic part representing the immediately previous task and a graphic part representing the next task as the placement position of a graphic part representing a branch, and the display control means is configured to display on the display means a business flowchart in which a graphic part representing a branch indicated by the branch information acquired by the branch information acquisition means is placed at the placement position identified by the placement position identification means.

[0010] The system comprises a work tool inquiry means for displaying a question on the display means to the user to ask for information on the work tools to be used for work (for example, the presence or absence of the tools, their contents, etc.), and a work tool information acquisition means for acquiring the information on the work tools input by the user as a reply to the question, wherein the lane allocation means allocates swim lanes for work tools based on the work tool information acquired by the work tool information acquisition means, displays a question on the display means to prompt the user to select a work tool to be used for work related to the work content information acquired by the work content information acquisition means, from the work tools included in the work tool information acquired by the work tool information acquisition means, and The system may have a work tool selection information acquisition means for acquiring selection information of a work tool selected by the user as a response to a question, wherein the placement position identification means identifies the swimlane assigned to the work tool indicated by the work tool selection information acquired by the work tool selection information acquisition means as the placement position of a graphic part representing the work tool, and the display control means may be configured to display on the display means a business flow chart in which the graphic part representing the work tool indicated by the work tool selection information acquired by the work tool selection information acquisition means is arranged in the placement position identified by the placement position identification means in association with the graphic part representing the work indicated by the work content information acquired by the work content information acquisition means.

[0011] The display control system may include a connect information inquiry means for displaying a question to the user on the display means and asking the user which two graphic parts the user desires to connect from among the plurality of graphic parts arranged in the business flowchart displayed on the display means, and a connect information acquisition means for acquiring, as a response to the question, connect information identifying a graphic part selected by the user from among the plurality of graphic parts arranged in the business flowchart, wherein the display control means may be configured to connect the two graphic parts identified by the connect information acquired by the connect information acquisition means using a connector and display them on the display means.

[0012] The display control means may be configured to display the additional information on the display means in association with the graphic part specified by the graphic part specification information based on the additional information related information acquired by the additional information related information acquisition means, and to display the additional information on the display means in association with the graphic part specified by the graphic part specification information based on the additional information related information acquired by the additional information related information acquisition means.

[0013] The method for supporting creation of a business flowchart of the present invention is a method for supporting creation of a business flowchart consisting of a plurality of graphic parts and a plurality of swimlanes through dialogue with a user, the method comprising: a task entity inquiring step of displaying a question to the user on a display means to inquire about one or more task entities involved in a task; a task entity information acquiring step of acquiring information about the task entities input by the user as a response to the question; a lane allocating step of allocating a swimlane to each task entity based on the task entity information acquired in the task entity information acquiring step; a task content inquiring step of displaying a question to the user on the display means to inquire about a task content; and a task content information acquiring step of acquiring information about the task content input by the user as a response to the question. a work subject selection information acquisition process for displaying a question on the display means to prompt the user to select a work subject that will perform the work related to the one work content from among the work subjects included in the work subject information acquisition process, and acquiring selection information of the work subject selected by the user as a response to the question; a placement position identification process for identifying a swimlane assigned to the work subject indicated by the work subject selection information acquired in the work subject selection information acquisition process as a placement position of a graphic part that represents the work indicated by the work content information acquired in the work content information acquisition process; and a display control process for displaying on the display means a business flowchart in which the graphic part that represents the work indicated by the work content information acquired in the work content information acquisition process is placed at the placement position identified in the placement position identification process.

[0014] The work flow chart may be created by repeatedly performing a series of steps, in which the work content inquiry step inquires about the next work content, the work content information acquisition step acquires information about the next work content, the work subject selection information acquisition step acquires selection information about a work subject who will perform the work related to the next work content, the placement position specification step specifies the placement position of the graphic part based on the work subject selection information acquired in the work subject selection information acquisition step, and the display control step displays on the display means a business flow chart in which graphic parts representing the work indicated by the work content information acquired in the work content information acquisition step are placed in the placement position specified in the placement position specification step.

[0015] According to the business flowchart creation support system or business flowchart creation support method of the present invention, business flowcharts can be created through dialogue with the user, so even people without advanced knowledge of business flowcharts can easily create business flowcharts by simply responding to displayed questions. For example, even if a person has no knowledge of the process boxes that make up a business flowchart and their arrangement, how to draw connections between process boxes, or swimlanes, they can create a business flowchart by simply responding to questions about the task subjects and the work content, so that client companies can create business flowcharts themselves, reducing the cost of having to ask a consultant or other expert to create a business flowchart.

[0016] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a business flowchart creation support system S in this embodiment. FIG. 1 is an example of a business flowchart 101 created by the business flowchart creation support system S. FIG. 2 is an example of a task list database (DB). FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of the business flowchart creation support system S. FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of the business flowchart creation support system S. FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of the business flowchart creation support system S. FIG. 6 is an example of a display screen of the display means 23 in step S103. FIG. 7 is an example of a display screen of the display means 23 in step S107. FIG. 8 is an example of lane allocation information. FIG. 9 is an example of a display screen of the display means 23 in step S112. FIG. 10 is an example of a display screen of the display means 23 in step S121. FIG. 11 is an example of a display screen of the display means 23 in step S125. FIG. 11 is an example of a display screen of the display means 23 in step S130. FIG. 12 is an example of a display screen of the display means 23 in step S133. FIG. 13 is an example of a display screen in which a next task candidate 37 is popped up. FIG. 14 is an example of a display screen of the display means 23 in step S141. FIG. 14 is an example of a business flowchart being created. FIG. 15 is an example of a business flowchart in which the arrangement of graphic parts has been completed. FIG. 1 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of the business flowchart creation support system S. FIG. 1 is an example of a display screen of the display means 23 in step S151. FIG. 2 is an example of a display screen of the display means 23 in step S155. FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of the business flowchart creation support system S. FIG. 3 is an example of a display screen of the display means 23 in step S161. FIG. 4 is an example of a display screen of the display means 23 in step S165. FIG. 5 is an example of a display screen of the display means 23 in step S161.

[0017] Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiments described below are merely illustrative and are not intended to exclude various modifications or applications of techniques not explicitly described below. That is, the present invention can be implemented in various modifications (e.g., by combining the various embodiments) as long as the effects thereof are achieved. Furthermore, in the following description of the drawings, identical or similar parts are denoted by identical or similar reference numerals. The drawings are schematic and do not necessarily correspond to actual dimensions, ratios, etc. Parts in the drawings may have different dimensional relationships or ratios. Furthermore, to avoid unnecessary redundancy in the following description and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art, detailed descriptions of already well-known matters and redundant descriptions of substantially identical configurations may be omitted.

[0018] The business flowchart creation support system S according to this embodiment is a system for creating a business flowchart consisting of a plurality of graphic parts and a plurality of swimlanes through dialogue with a user, and includes: a work entity inquiring means for displaying a question to the user on a display means to inquire about one or more work entities involved in a business; a work entity information acquiring means for acquiring information about the work entities input by the user as a reply to the question; a lane allocating means for allocating a swimlane to each work entity based on the work entity information acquired by the work entity information acquiring means; a work content inquiring means for displaying a question to the user on the display means to inquire about a work content; and a work content information acquiring means for acquiring information about the work content input by the user as a reply to the question. The essential configuration includes an acquisition means, a work entity selection information acquisition means that displays a question on the display means to prompt the user to select a work entity that will perform the work related to the one work content from among the work entities included in the work entity information acquired by the work entity information acquisition means, and acquires selection information of the work entity selected by the user as a response to the question, a placement position identification means that identifies the swimlane assigned to the work entity indicated by the work entity selection information acquired by the work entity selection information acquisition means as the placement position of a graphic part that represents the work indicated by the work content information acquired by the work content information acquisition means, and a display control means that displays on the display means a business flowchart in which the graphic parts that represent the work indicated by the work content information acquired by the work content information acquisition means are placed at the placement positions identified by the placement position identification means.

[0019] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a business flowchart creation support system S according to this embodiment. The business flowchart creation support system S is made up of a business flowchart creation support server 1 (hereinafter referred to as the server 1) and terminal devices 2A to 2D connected to the server 1 via a network 100 so as to be able to send and receive information.

[0020] There are several methods for notating business flowcharts, one of which is BPMN (Business Process Model and Notation), established by the international standardization organization OMG. BPMN is a flowchart technique for modeling the procedures of a business process from start to finish, and this embodiment will be described based on an example in which BPMN is used as the notation method for business flowcharts. However, the present invention can be applied to various notations for business flowcharts as long as the business flowchart expresses the multiple tasks (operations), branching, connection information, etc. that are generally required for describing a business flowchart.

[0021] FIG. 2 shows an example of a business flowchart 101 created by the business flowchart creation support system S. The horizontal axis represents the passage of time, and the vertical axis represents the task subjects using multiple swimlanes. Note that a task subject is a person who performs a task, such as a task manager, a task department, or a task organization. Graphic parts are graphic images used to represent any task, branch, or task tool in a business flowchart. For example, in FIG. 2, tasks (tasks) are represented by graphic parts made up of rectangular processing boxes. Task tools are, for example, application software, system tools, and other devices used in a task.

[0022] A business flowchart is composed of multiple graphic parts and multiple swimlanes. The business flowchart 101 in Figure 2 is composed of four swimlanes: three swimlanes (Lane No. 1 to Lane No. 3) assigned to task owners, and one swimlane (Lane No. 4) assigned to the work tools used in the business (tasks). The business flowchart 101 is composed of six graphic parts (SEQ1 to SEQ6) that represent tasks, one graphic part (GW1) that represents branches, and two graphic parts (System X, System Y) that represent work tools.

[0023] The meanings of each process box, branch, connection, etc. in the business flowchart 101 conform to BPMN, so detailed explanations will be omitted. Also, as shown in the business flowchart 101, graphic images suited to the purpose, such as graphic images representing the exchange of emails and graphic images representing deadlines, may be prepared as graphic parts. In this embodiment, an example will be described later in which graphic images representing the exchange of emails and graphic images representing deadlines are arranged and displayed on the business flowchart as objects (examples of additional information).

[0024] The server 1 is a device provided by a system provider that operates the business flowchart creation support system S. The server 1 includes a control unit 11, which is a computer configured with a CPU (Central Processing Unit) having a calculation function, a working RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory) or a hard disk drive for storing various data and programs, a storage unit 12 equipped with a hard disk drive or the like, a display unit 13 equipped with a display screen such as a monitor, an input unit 14 (e.g., a keyboard, a mouse, an operation panel (including a touch panel), etc.) that receives instructions from the provider that operates the business flowchart creation support system S and provides instruction signals corresponding to the instructions to the control unit 11, and a communication unit 15 for communicating with terminal devices 2A to 2D via various networks (including a LAN (Local Area Network)). The components are connected to each other via a bus.

[0025] The control unit 11 realizes various functions by, for example, a processor executing programs stored in memory. The processor may include an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a CPU, a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), a GPU (Graphical Processing Unit), etc. The storage unit 12 stores a task list database (DB), a history database (DB), etc., and stores various information described below in each database.

[0026] Although each means and function of the control unit 11 is executed according to a program stored in a ROM or the like, they may be configured as independent devices or may be configured by cloud computing. Furthermore, the storage unit 12 may be configured by a cloud service. Furthermore, the functions of the server 1 may be provided to the terminal devices 2A to 2D in a SaaS (Software as a Service) format.

[0027] The control unit 11 cooperates with other components to function as the work subject inquiry means, work subject information acquisition means, lane allocation means, work tool inquiry means, work tool information acquisition means, placement position identification means, display control means, work content inquiry means, work content information acquisition means, work subject selection information acquisition means, branch information inquiry means, branch information acquisition means, work tool selection information acquisition means, connect information inquiry means, connect information acquisition means, additional information inquiry means, and additional information related information acquisition means of the present invention.

[0028] The task list database (DB) in the storage unit 12 stores various task contents in association with each task category. FIG. 3 shows an example of the task list database (DB). The history database (DB) stores task content information related to the occurrence probability and task order of a task in a task flow chart based on multiple previously created task flow charts. For example, the task content ("task content") and the "next task candidate information," which are candidates for the next task, are associated and registered. Previously created task flow charts are analyzed, and the next task to occur for each task is registered in order of occurrence probability. The information may be stored by task type (e.g., by industry, company / organization, department), task phase (e.g., task overview / phase), or workflow stage (e.g., initial stage, final stage). For example, if the task type is retail and the task phase is accounting processing, then "confirmation" is followed by "receiving," and then "reconfirmation" is followed by "contact." If the task phase is order processing, then "negotiation" is followed by "consideration" or "decision," followed by "calculation," and so on.

[0029] A plurality of terminal devices 2A to 2D exist within the business flowchart creation support system S, and are configured as, for example, personal computers, smartphones, tablet computers, etc. that can access the server 1 via the network 100. The terminal devices 2A to 2D are provided, for example, at client companies that have obtained permission from the system provider that sets up the business flowchart creation support system S, and access the server 1 via a web browser or the like on the terminal devices 2A to 2D.

[0030] Each of the terminal devices 2A to 2D is configured to include a control unit 21 as a computer comprising a CPU (Central Processing Unit) with calculation functions, a working RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory) or a hard disk drive for storing various data and programs, a storage unit (not shown) including a hard disk drive, a display means 23 having a display screen such as a monitor or panel and displaying on the display screen based on display control information transmitted from the server 1, an input unit (e.g., a keyboard, a mouse, an operation panel (including a touch panel), etc.) 24 that receives instructions from a user and provides instruction signals corresponding to the instructions to the control unit 21, and a communication unit 25 for communicating with the server 1 via various networks (including a LAN (Local Area Network)). The components are connected to each other via a bus.

[0031] The control unit 21 realizes various functions by, for example, having a processor execute programs stored in memory. The processor may include an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a CPU, a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), a GPU (Graphical Processing Unit), etc. The users who operate the terminal devices 2A to 2D are people who create business flowcharts, and are, for example, business planners, business managers, factory managers, group leaders, employees, consultants, or other experts.

[0032] For example, when a user operates the terminal device 2A to start creating a business flowchart, a question from the server 1 is displayed on the display means 23 of the terminal device 2A operated by the user, and the user operates the input unit 24 to input (select) information as a response to the question. For example, a question asking about the work content or the person performing the work is asked. The server 1 specifies the placement positions of the graphic parts representing the work according to the information obtained in the response. By repeatedly asking and answering questions and sequentially specifying the placement positions of the graphic parts, a business flowchart is created. In this way, a business flowchart is created through dialogue with the user.

[0033] <Business Flowchart Creation Support Processing> An example of the operation of the business flowchart creation support system S will be described. The operation of the business flowchart creation support system S refers to the operations exchanged between the components of each device included in the system S. The following describes an example of the procedure when a user operates a terminal device 2A to access the server 1 and create a new business flowchart. Note that in the following operation of the business flowchart creation support system S, communication is carried out between the server 1 and the terminal device 2A via the network 100 and each of the communication units 15 and 25. However, hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, descriptions such as "via the network 100," "via the communication unit 15," and "via the communication unit 25" will be omitted.

[0034] 4 to 6 are sequence diagrams showing an example of the operation of the business flowchart creation support system S. These sequence diagrams show the operation of arranging graphic parts. When a user accesses the server 1 by operating the terminal device 2A and issues an instruction to start creating a new business flowchart (step S101), the control unit 11 of the server 1 functions as a task subject inquiry unit and displays a question on the display unit 23 of the terminal device 2A to inquire about one or more task subjects involved in the task. Specifically, the control unit 11 transmits display control information including the question to the terminal device 2A (step S102). The terminal device 2A receives the display control information including the question from the server 1, and the display unit 23 displays a display screen including the question based on the display control information (step S103).

[0035] 7 shows an example of the display screen of the display means 23 in step S103. As shown in the figure, the display content includes a question 31 for asking about one or more task subjects involved in the work. One or more task subjects involved in the work are, so to speak, "characters" in the work flowchart. Therefore, in the example shown in the figure, they are expressed as "characters." In addition, an input field 32 is displayed in which the user can input information about the task subjects as a response to the question 31.

[0036] When the user operates the input unit 24 to input information about the work subject in the input field 32 and clicks (selects) the save button 33 on the display screen, the input information about the work subject is transmitted to the server 1 (step S104). Then, the control unit 11 of the server 1 functions as a work subject information acquisition unit and acquires the work subject information transmitted from the terminal device 2A (step S105).

[0037] Next, the control unit 11 of the server 1 functions as a work tool inquiry unit, and displays a question on the display unit 23 of the terminal device 2A to inquire about the work tools to be used for the work. Specifically, the control unit 11 transmits display control information including the question to the terminal device 2A (step S106). The terminal device 2A receives the display control information including the question from the server 1, and the display unit 23 displays a display screen based on the display control information (step S107).

[0038] 8 shows an example of the display screen of the display means 23 in step S107. As shown in the figure, the display content includes a question 31 inquiring about the work tools used in the work. Furthermore, an input field 32 is displayed in which the user can input information about the work tool as a response to the question 31. When the user operates the input unit 24 to input information about the work tool in the input field 32 and clicks (selects) the save button 33 on the display screen, the input work tool information is sent to the server 1 (step S108). The control unit 11 of the server 1 then functions as a work tool information acquisition means and acquires the work tool information sent from the terminal device 2A (step S109).

[0039] Next, the control unit 11 of the server 1 functions as lane allocation means, and allocates a swimlane to each worker based on the worker information acquired in step S105 (step S110). Also, a swimlane for the work tool is allocated based on the work tool information acquired in step S109. In this embodiment, even when there are multiple work tools, all work tools are allocated to one swimlane, but a work tool swimlane may be allocated for each work tool. The lane allocation information allocated by the lane allocation means is stored in the memory unit 12. Figure 9 shows an example of lane allocation information stored in the memory unit 12.

[0040] The control unit 11 generates display control information for displaying a framework image of the business flowchart based on the lane assignment information and transmits the information to the terminal device 2A (step S111). The terminal device 2A displays the framework image of the business flowchart on the display screen based on the display control information transmitted from the server 1 (step S112).

[0041] FIG. 10 is an example of the display screen of the display means 23 in step S112. By displaying an image of the framework of the business flowchart on the display screen, the user can easily visualize the business flowchart they are about to create by looking at the swimlanes to which the task owner information they have entered and set is assigned. At this stage, however, it is unclear which task in the business flowchart the task tool will be used for and when, so graphic parts representing the task tool cannot be placed on the business flowchart. However, to ensure that the task tool information entered and set by the user can be seen at a glance, the graphic parts for the task tool may be displayed near the swimlane for the task tool, as shown in FIG. 10, or may be placed in any temporary position on the business flowchart.

[0042] Next, when the user operates the input unit 24 to click (select) the confirmation button 35 on the display screen, authentication information notifying that the framework image of the business flowchart has been confirmed is sent to the server 1 (step S113), and upon receiving the authentication information, the server 1 proceeds to step S120. Next, the control unit 11 of the server 1 creates the business flowchart by sequentially arranging graphic parts that represent tasks through dialogue with the user (steps S120 to S147).

[0043] First, the control unit 11 of the server 1 functions as a work content inquiry unit, and displays a question on the display unit 23 of the terminal device 2A to inquire about the content of a first work as an example of one work content. Specifically, the control unit 11 transmits display control information including the question to the terminal device 2A (step S120). The terminal device 2A receives the display control information including the question from the server 1, and the display unit 23 displays a display screen based on the display control information (step S121).

[0044] 11 is an example of a display screen of the display means 23 in step S121. As shown in the figure, the display content includes a question 31 inquiring about the content of a first task as an example of one task content. Furthermore, as a response to the question 31, an input field 32 is displayed in which the user inputs information about the task content, and the user operates the input unit 24 to input the information about the task content in the input field 32. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the display content includes a question 31 for prompting the user to select a task entity that will perform the task. Furthermore, as a response to the question 31, an input field 32 is displayed in which the user selects and inputs a task entity, and the user operates the input unit 24 to select and input the task entity in the input field 32.

[0045] When the user operates the input unit 24 to click (select) the Reflect button 34 on the display screen, the input work content information and work subject selection information are transmitted to the server 1 (step S122). Then, the control unit 11 of the server 1 functions as a work content information acquisition means and a work subject selection information acquisition means, and acquires the work content information and work subject selection information transmitted from the terminal device 2A (step S123).

[0046] Next, the control unit 11 of the server 1 sends display control information including a question regarding the work tools to be used for the work to the terminal device 2A (step S124), the terminal device 2A receives the display control information from the server 1, and the display means 23 displays the display screen based on the display control information (step S125).

[0047] 12 is an example of a display screen of the display means 23 in step S125. As shown in the figure, the display content includes a question 31 for prompting the user to select a work tool to be used for the work. Note that although the sequence number in the question 31 in the figure is shown as SEQ No. N, in reality, the sequence number assigned to the work currently being input is entered. Then, as a response to the question 31, an input field 32 is displayed for the user to select and input a work tool, and the user operates the input unit 24 to select and input a work tool into the input field 32. Note that the selection of work tools includes the option "No Tool" for when no work tool is to be used for the work.

[0048] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12 , a specific operation for the work tool is inquired, and the specific operation can be selected and input as a response. For example, if the work tool is system X, the specific operation can be data input to system X (UL), data acquisition from system X (DL), data acquisition after data input (UL, DL), or data input (re-input) after data acquisition (DL, UL). In this embodiment, the work tool selection information includes specific operation content information. When the user operates the input unit 24 to click (select) the Reflect button 34 on the display screen, the input work tool selection information is sent to the server 1 (step S126).

[0049] The control unit 11 of the server 1 then functions as a work tool selection information acquisition means and acquires the work tool selection information transmitted from the terminal device 2A (step S127). The control unit 11 of the server 1 then functions as a placement position identification means and identifies the swimlane assigned to the work subject indicated by the work subject selection information acquired in step S123 as the placement position of the graphic part representing the work indicated by the work content information acquired in step S123 (step S128). Furthermore, if there is a work tool indicated by the work tool selection information acquired in step S127, the control unit 11 identifies the swimlane assigned to the work tool as the placement position of the graphic part representing that work tool (step S128).

[0050] The control unit 11 of the server 1 then functions as a display control means and transmits to the terminal device 2A display control information for displaying the business flowchart in which graphic parts representing the work indicated by the work content information acquired in step S123 are arranged at the arrangement positions identified in step S128 (step S129), and the display means 23 of the terminal device 2A displays the business flowchart based on the display control information (step S130). Note that, if there is a work tool indicated by the work tool selection information acquired in step S127, display control information for displaying the business flowchart in which graphic parts representing the work tool are arranged in association with graphic parts representing the work indicated by the work content information acquired in step S123 is generated and transmitted to the terminal device 2A.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 11 , the work content information entered by the user in the input field 32 is text. The control unit 11 of the server 1 acquires the text entered as work content information from the terminal device 2A, references the work list database (DB) in the storage unit 12, and selects the work category that best matches the work content information. The process box of the selected work category is then generated and used as a graphic part representing the work. In the example of FIG. 11 , "Receive an order from a customer by email," entered by the user as work content information, is acquired as the work content information. The control unit 11 of the server 1 references the work list database (DB), selects the work category "Receive" that best matches the acquired work content information, and generates a graphic part for the "Receive" process box.

[0052] FIG. 13 is an example of a display screen of the display means 23 in step S130. This figure shows an example in which "Worker A" is selected as the work subject information on the display screen of FIG. 11 and "No Tool" is selected as the work tool selection information on FIG. 12. The graphic part of the "Receive" process box is placed in the swimlane (Lane No. 1) of Worker A, the work subject. Each time a work content inquiry is made, the control unit 11 assigns a sequence number to uniquely identify the work. Then, each time a graphic part representing a work is placed or work content information is acquired, the work subject information, the Lane No. identifying the swimlane, the work content information, and the work tool information are associated with the sequence number and stored in the storage unit 12 as table data constituting a business flowchart.

[0053] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, the sequence number assigned to the task is displayed together with the graphic part. This allows the user to understand at a glance which task the placed graphic part represents. Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, the sequence number (SEQ No. N) (N is a natural number) assigned to the task is displayed in the question 31 for prompting the user to select the task tool to be used for the task. This allows the user to understand at a glance which task the question is about.

[0054] Next, when the user operates the input unit 24 to click (select) the confirmation button 35 on the display screen, authentication information notifying that the business flowchart has been confirmed is sent to the server 1 (step S131). Upon receiving the authentication information, the server 1 proceeds to step S132, where it continues the process of arranging graphic parts representing the work. In the processes of steps S132 to S139, the control unit 11 of the server 1 functions as each means and acquires work content information, work subject selection information, and work tool selection information. Detailed explanation of the details of steps S132 to S139, which are similar to the processes of steps S120 to S127 described above, will be omitted.

[0055] 14 is an example of the display screen of the display means 23 in step S133. As shown in the figure, the display content includes a question 31 asking about the next task content. Note that although the sequence number in the question 31 in the figure is (SEQ No. N+1), in reality, the sequence number assigned to the task being input is entered. The user operates the input unit 24 to input information about the next task content in the input field 32.

[0056] Furthermore, the system may be configured so that the next task candidate is displayed when the user operates the input unit 24 to click (select) the recommendation hint button 36. Specifically, when the recommendation hint button 36 is clicked (selected) by the user, recommended task content request information is sent from the terminal device 2A to the server 1. The recommended task content request information includes information about the task related to the task flowchart currently being created (such as the type of task, the task phase, and the stage of the task flow) and information about the previous task content.

[0057] When the server 1 receives recommended work content request information from the terminal device 2A, it refers to the history database (DB) in the storage unit 12, and extracts "next work candidate information," which is a candidate for the next work to occur, based on information about the task included in the received recommended work content request information and the previous work content information, and transmits this information to the terminal device 2A. When the terminal device 2A receives the "next work candidate information" from the server 1, it displays the next work candidate information on the display screen of the display means 23 and recommends the next work candidate.

[0058] 15 is an example of a display screen in which a pop-up display of next task candidates 37 is displayed. This allows even a user who is not familiar with creating business flowcharts to select the next task content from the recommended task candidates, or to use the recommended task candidates as a hint to recall and input the next task content.

[0059] Next, in step S140, the control unit 11 functions as a branch information inquiry unit, and displays a question on the display unit 23 of the terminal device 2A to inquire about branch information that exists between the task immediately before the next task and the task immediately following the next task. Specifically, the control unit 11 transmits display control information including the question to the terminal device 2A (step S140). The terminal device 2A receives the display control information including the question from the server 1, and the display unit 23 displays a display screen based on the display control information (step S141).

[0060] 16 is an example of the display screen of the display means 23 in step S141. As shown in the figure, the display content includes a question 31 for asking about branch information (presence or absence of branch, type of branch) existing between the task (SEQ No. N) immediately before the next task and the next task (SEQ No. N+1). Note that, to make the question 31 easy to understand when read by the user, the "task immediately before the next task" is simply expressed as the "previous task," and the "next task" is expressed as the "current task."

[0061] Furthermore, an input field 32 is displayed in which the user can input branch information as a response to the question 31. When the user operates the input unit 24 to input branch information into the input field 32 and clicks (selects) the Reflect button 34 on the display screen, the input branch information is transmitted to the server 1 (step S142). Then, the control unit 11 of the server 1 functions as a branch information acquisition means and acquires the branch information transmitted from the terminal device 2A (step S143). Note that information on the sequence number identifying the "task just before the next task" where the branch occurs and the sequence number identifying the "next task" is transmitted together with the branch information.

[0062] The control unit 11 of the server 1 determines the placement position of each graphic part based on the work content information and work subject selection information acquired in step S135, the work tool selection information acquired in step S139, and the branch information acquired in step S142 (step S144).

[0063] If the branch information acquired in step S142 is not "no branch," the control unit 11 generates a graphic part representing a branch based on the branch information. Then, based on the sequence number identifying the "task immediately before the next task" and the sequence number identifying the "next task" transmitted along with the branch information, the control unit 11 identifies the placement position of the graphic part representing the branch between the graphic part representing the immediately previous task and the graphic part representing the next task. Note that the procedure for identifying the placement position of the graphic part representing the task indicated by the task content information based on the task subject selection information and the procedure for identifying the placement position of the graphic part representing the task tool based on the task tool selection information have been described in detail in the description of step S128, and therefore will not be described here.

[0064] Then, the control unit 11 transmits display control information for displaying the business flowchart with the graphic parts arranged to the terminal device 2A (step S145), and the display means 23 of the terminal device 2A displays the business flowchart based on the display control information (step S146). Note that the control unit 11 assigns a branch number (GW number) to each branch to uniquely identify the branch.

[0065] When the user operates the input unit 24 to click (select) the confirmation button 35 on the display screen showing the business flowchart, authentication information notifying the user that the business flowchart has been confirmed is sent to the server 1 (step S147), and upon receiving the authentication information, the control unit 11 of the server 1 proceeds to step S132 again and repeatedly executes the series of controls from step S132 to step S147.

[0066] FIG. 17 shows an example of a business flowchart being created by repeatedly executing a series of controls through user interaction. This flowchart shows the process up to the point where a graphic part representing a process box representing a task with sequence number "SEQ4" has been placed. This example shows four process box graphic parts (SEQ1, SEQ2, SEQ3, SEQ4) and one branch graphic part (GW1). Additionally, a graphic part representing a work tool used in the process is placed in association with the "input" process box graphic part (SEQ4). As an example of the association between graphic parts representing a process and graphic parts representing a work tool, they are placed together with graphic parts indicating specific operations for the work tool. Specifically, in the process (input) of SEQ4, a graphic part with a dotted line connector representing data input (UL) to System X, which is a work tool, and another graphic part with a dotted line connector representing data acquisition (DL) from System X are placed.

[0067] When the user operates the input unit 24 to click (select) the Complete button 38 on the display screen, authentication information notifying that the placement of the graphic parts has been completed is sent to the server 1 in step S147. Fig. 18 shows an example of a business flowchart in which the placement of graphic parts has been completed. Next, the business flowchart in which the placement of graphic parts has been completed through the above-described process is used to continue completing the business flowchart through dialogue with the user.

[0068] 19 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of the business flowchart creation support system S. Processing starts when authentication information notifying that the placement of the graphic parts has been completed is sent to the server 1.

[0069] The control unit 11 of the server 1 functions as a connection information inquiry unit, and displays a question on the display unit 23 of the terminal device 2A, asking which two graphic parts are desired to be connected among the multiple graphic parts arranged in the business flowchart displayed on the display unit 23. Specifically, the control unit 11 transmits display control information including the question to the terminal device 2A (step S150). The terminal device 2A receives the display control information including the question from the server 1, and the display unit 23 displays a display screen including the question based on the display control information (step S151).

[0070] 20 shows an example of the display screen of the display means 23 in step S151. As shown in the figure, the display content includes a question 31 prompting the user to select a (SEQ No.) or (GW No.) for specifying a desired connection source graphic part and a (SEQ No.) or (GW No.) for specifying a connection destination graphic part.

[0071] Furthermore, as a response to the question 31, input fields 32 are displayed for the user to select and input two graphic parts that the user wishes to connect, i.e., the (SEQ No.) or (GW No.) specifying the graphic part to be connected from and the (SEQ No.) or (GW No.) specifying the graphic part to be connected to, and the user operates the input unit 24 to select and input each graphic part in the input fields 32. When the user operates the input unit 24 to click (select) the Reflect button 34 on the display screen, the (SEQ No.) or (GW No.) specifying each input graphic part is transmitted to the server 1 as connect information specifying the two graphic parts that the user wishes to connect (step S152).

[0072] The control unit 11 of the server 1 then functions as a connect information acquisition unit and acquires the connect information transmitted from the terminal device 2A (step S153). The control unit 11 of the server 1 then transmits display control information to the terminal device 2A for displaying on the display unit 23 a connector-connected pair of graphic parts identified by the acquired connect information (step S154). The display unit 23 of the terminal device 2A then displays the business flowchart in which the two graphic parts identified by the connect information are connector-connected based on the display control information (step S155).

[0073] 21 shows an example of the display screen of the display means 23 in step S155. This figure shows an example in which SEQ1 is selected as the source graphic part and SEQ2 is selected as the destination graphic part based on the connection information.

[0074] When the user operates the input unit 24 to click (select) the confirmation button 35 on the display screen, authentication information notifying that the current connection has been confirmed is sent to the server 1 (step S156), and upon receiving the authentication information, the server 1 proceeds to step S150 again and repeatedly executes the series of controls from step S150 to step S156. When the user operates the input unit 24 to click (select) the complete button 38 on the display screen, authentication information notifying that the desired connection has been completed is sent to the server 1 in step S156, and the connection process ends.

[0075] 22 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of the business flowchart creation support system S. Processing starts when authentication information notifying that the desired connection has been completed is sent to the server 1.

[0076] The control unit 11 of the server 1 functions as an additional information inquiry unit, and displays a question on the display unit 23 of the terminal device 2A, asking for information about a graphic part for which additional information (objects / annotations) is desired to be displayed, and the content of the additional information, among multiple graphic parts arranged in the business flowchart displayed on the display unit 23. Specifically, the control unit 11 transmits display control information including the question to the terminal device 2A (step S160). The terminal device 2A receives the display control information including the question from the server 1, and the display unit 23 displays a display screen including the question based on the display control information (step S161).

[0077] 23 shows an example of the display screen of the display means 23 in step S161. As shown in the figure, the display contents include a question 31 prompting the user to select a (SEQ No.) or (GW No.) to identify a graphic part for which additional information is desired to be displayed, and another question 31 prompting the user to select the content of the additional information. In response to the question 31, an input field 32 is displayed for the user to select and input a (SEQ No.) or (GW No.) to identify the graphic part, and the user operates the input unit 24 to select and input a (SEQ No.) or (GW No.) to identify the graphic part into the input field 32.

[0078] 23 shows an example of the content of additional information in which an object is used. An input field 32 is displayed for the user to select and input an object, and the user operates the input unit 24 to select and input the object in the input field 32. In the example shown in the figure, an object representing a time setting is selected.

[0079] When the user operates the input unit 24 to click (select) the Reflect button 34 on the display screen, graphic part identification information for identifying the graphic part and the object are transmitted to the server 1 as additional information-related information (step S162).Then, the control unit 11 of the server 1 functions as additional information-related information acquisition means and acquires the additional information-related information transmitted from the terminal device 2A (step S163).

[0080] Based on the acquired additional information-related information, the control unit 11 of the server 1 sends display control information to the terminal device 2A for associating objects with the graphic parts identified by the graphic part identification information included in the additional information-related information and displaying them on the display means 23 (step S164), and the display means 23 of the terminal device 2A displays a business flowchart in which the additional information is associated with the graphic parts identified by the graphic part identification information and arranged based on the display control information (step S165).

[0081] 24 shows an example of the display screen of the display means 23 in step S165. This figure shows an example in which SEQ6 is selected as the graphic part based on the graphic part specification information, and an object representing a time setting is arranged and displayed in association with the graphic part of SEQ6. If a deadline for the "confirmation" task indicated by the graphic part of SEQ6 has been set, this can be displayed as an object, which is useful because it can be grasped at a glance.

[0082] When the user operates the input unit 24 to click (select) the Confirm button 35 on the display screen, authentication information notifying that the business flowchart in which the additional information has been placed has been confirmed is sent to the server 1 (step S166), and upon receiving the authentication information, the server 1 proceeds to step S150 again and repeatedly executes the series of controls from step S160 to step S166. When the user operates the input unit 24 to click (select) the Complete button 38 on the display screen, authentication information notifying that the placement of the desired additional information has been completed is sent to the server 1 in step S166, and the process of placing the additional information ends.

[0083] The placement of the additional information described above has been explained using an object as an example of the content of the additional information, but the additional information is not limited to objects. For example, if an annotation is to be displayed for a graphic part, the annotation may be used as additional information. An annotation may be, for example, a note or confirmation for the task / branch / task tool represented by the desired graphic part, and can be written freely.

[0084] 25 is an example of a display screen of the display means 23 in step S161. The example shown in the figure is an example in which an annotation is used as an example of the content of additional information. An input field 32 is displayed for the user to select and input an annotation, and the user operates the input unit 24 to input the annotation in the input field 32. For example, for a graphic part representing a "confirmation" task, annotations such as "Compare with the contents of the previous survey" and "Confirm whether there are any errors in the registered data in system Y and the application form data" are input.

[0085] An annotation may be displayed as additional information for an object placed as additional information. In this case, when placing an object as additional information, the control unit 11 assigns an object number (OBJ number) to uniquely identify the object. Then, when displaying a question on the display unit 23 of the terminal device 2A, the object is treated as an example of a graphical part, and when the question is asked which graphical part among multiple graphical parts placed in the business flowchart the user desires to display additional information for, an input field 32 is displayed for selecting and inputting (SEQ number), (GW number), or (OBJ number), allowing the user to select the object. For example, if the user selects an object representing a time setting placed and displayed in association with the graphical part SEQ6 as the graphical part for which the user desires to display an annotation, entering an annotation such as "until the next business day" allows the user to grasp the specific content / instructions of the time setting at a glance, which is useful.

[0086] The business flowchart 101 (FIG. 2) is an example of a business flowchart created by performing 1. placement of graphic parts, 2. connection, and 3. placement of additional information, but object numbers are not shown in the business flowchart 101. Furthermore, a tool number (Tool No.) may be assigned to each work tool to uniquely identify the work tool. This allows the Tool No. to be added as an option when asking the user which graphic part they would like additional information to be displayed on, so that additional information (such as annotations or objects) can be displayed on the graphic part representing the work tool.

[0087] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the operations of the business flowchart creation support system S have been described in the order of 1. placement of graphic parts, 2. connection, and 3. placement of additional information. However, desired processing may be performed at desired timing during the creation of a business flowchart. For example, connections and placement of additional information may be performed before all of the placement of graphic parts is completed. Alternatively, the system may be configured so that the placement processing of graphic parts (steps S132 to S147) can be executed even after the connections and placement of additional information have been performed. Furthermore, additional information may be placed while the connections are being made.

[0088] For example, a graphic part placement process start button, a connect connection process start button, an additional information placement process start button, etc. may be displayed on the display screen of the display means 23, and when the user operates the input unit 24 to click (select) a button on the display screen, an instruction to start the corresponding process is sent to the server 1, and the corresponding process is started under the control of the control unit 11. Specifically, if a graphic part placement process is instructed, the process from step S132 is executed; if a connect connection process is instructed, the process from step S150 is executed; and if an additional information placement process is instructed, the process from step S160 is executed.

[0089] According to the business flowchart creation support system S of this embodiment described above, business flowcharts can be created through dialogue with the user, so even someone who does not have advanced knowledge about business flowcharts can easily create a business flowchart by simply responding to the displayed questions.

[0090] For example, even if you have no knowledge of the process boxes that make up a business flowchart and their placement, how to draw connections between process boxes, or swimlanes, you can create a business flowchart simply by answering questions about the task subject and the work content.

[0091] Furthermore, in this embodiment, after entering a response to the question displayed on the display means 23, when the user selects the "Reflect" button, the information entered by the user is sent to the server 1, and each means of the control unit 11 acquires this information and displays the business flowchart on the display means 23 based on that information, allowing the user to grasp the status of the creation of the business flowchart in real time.

[0092] The scope of application of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. Although the server 1 is configured to include the respective means of the business flowchart creation support system S of the present invention, the present invention may be realized by a system in which multiple devices are configured to be accessible to each other.

[0093] S Business flow chart creation support system 1 Business flow chart creation support server 11 Control unit 12 Storage unit 13 Display unit 14 Input unit 15 Communication unit 2A to 2D Terminal device 21 Control unit 23 Display means 24 Input unit 25 Communication unit

Claims

1. A business flowchart creation support system for creating a business flowchart consisting of a plurality of graphic parts and a plurality of swimlanes through dialogue with a user, comprising: task entity inquiry means for displaying a question to the user on a display means to ask the user to identify one or more task entities involved in the task; task entity information acquisition means for acquiring information on the task entities input by the user as a response to the question; lane assignment means for assigning swimlanes to each task entity based on the task entity information acquired by the task entity information acquisition means; task content inquiry means for displaying a question to the user on the display means to ask the user about a task entity; task content information acquisition means for acquiring information on the task entity input by the user as a response to the question; task entity selection information acquisition means for displaying a question to the user on the display means to prompt the user to select a task entity that will perform the task related to the task entity from among the task entities included in the task entity information acquired by the task entity information acquisition means, and acquiring selection information on the task entity selected by the user as a response to the question; a placement position specifying means for specifying a swimlane assigned to a worker indicated by the worker selection information acquired by the worker selection information acquisition means as a placement position of a graphic part representing the work indicated by the work content information acquisition means; and a display control means for displaying on the display means a business flowchart in which the graphic part representing the work indicated by the work content information acquisition means is placed at the placement position specified by the placement position specifying means.

2. The business flowchart creation support system according to claim 1, characterized in that the business flowchart is created by repeatedly performing a series of operations in which the work content inquiry means asks the user about the next work content, the work content information acquisition means acquires information about the next work content, the work subject selection information acquisition means acquires selection information about the work subject who will perform the work related to the next work content, the placement position identification means identifies the placement position of the graphic parts based on the work subject selection information acquired by the work subject selection information acquisition means, and the display control means displays on the display means a business flowchart in which graphic parts representing the work indicated by the work content information acquired by the work content information acquisition means are placed in the placement position identified by the placement position identification means.

3. A business flowchart creation support system as described in claim 2, characterized in that it comprises: branch information inquiry means for displaying a question on the display means to the user to ask about branch information that exists between the task immediately before the next task and the task immediately after the next task; and branch information acquisition means for acquiring the branch information input by the user as a response to the question, wherein the placement position identification means identifies the space between the graphic part representing the task immediately before and the graphic part representing the next task as the placement position of the graphic part representing the branch, and the display control means displays on the display means a business flowchart in which the graphic part representing the branch indicated by the branch information acquired by the branch information acquisition means is placed in the placement position identified by the placement position identification means.

4. The system comprises a work tool inquiry means for displaying a question on the display means to the user to inquire about information about the work tools to be used in the work, and a work tool information acquisition means for acquiring the information about the work tools input by the user as a reply to the question, wherein the lane allocation means allocates swim lanes for work tools based on the work tool information acquired by the work tool information acquisition means, and a work tool selection information acquisition means for displaying a question on the display means to the user to prompt them to select a work tool to be used for work related to the work content information acquired by the work content information acquisition means from among the work tools included in the work tool information acquired by the work tool information acquisition means, and acquiring selection information of the work tool selected by the user as a reply to the question, and the placement position identification means identifies the swim lane allocated to the work tool indicated by the work tool selection information acquired by the work tool selection information acquisition means as the placement position of a graphic part representing the work tool, The business flowchart creation support system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the display control means displays on the display means a business flowchart in which graphic parts representing the work tools indicated by the work tool selection information acquired by the work tool selection information acquisition means are arranged at the placement positions identified by the placement position identification means in association with graphic parts representing the work indicated by the work content information acquisition means.

5. A business flowchart creation support system as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it comprises: a connect information inquiry means for displaying a question to the user on the display means and asking the user which two graphic parts of the plurality of graphic parts arranged in the business flowchart displayed on the display means the user wishes to connect; and a connect information acquisition means for acquiring, as a response to the question, connect information identifying a graphic part selected by the user from the plurality of graphic parts arranged in the business flowchart, wherein the display control means connects the two graphic parts identified by the connect information acquired by the connect information acquisition means using a connector and displays them on the display means.

6. A business flowchart creation support system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it comprises: additional information inquiry means for displaying a question to the user on the display means and inquiring about the graphic part for which the user wishes to display additional information from among the plurality of graphic parts arranged in the business flowchart displayed on the display means and the content of the additional information; additional information related information acquisition means for acquiring, as a response to the question, graphic part identification information for identifying the graphic part for which the user wishes to display additional information, entered by the user, as additional information related information; and wherein the display control means associates the additional information with the graphic part identified by the graphic part identification information based on the additional information related information acquired by the additional information related information acquisition means and displays the additional information on the display means.

7. A method for supporting the creation of a business flowchart for creating a business flowchart consisting of a plurality of graphic parts and a plurality of swimlanes through dialogue with a user, comprising: a task entity inquiry step of displaying a question to the user on a display means to inquire about one or more task entities involved in the task; a task entity information acquisition step of acquiring information about the task entities input by the user as a response to the question; a lane assignment step of assigning a swimlane to each task entity based on the task entity information acquired in the task entity information acquisition step; a task content inquiry step of displaying a question to the user on the display means to inquire about a task entity; a task content information acquisition step of acquiring information about the task entity input by the user as a response to the question; and a task entity selection information acquisition step of displaying a question to the user on the display means to prompt the user to select a task entity that will perform the task related to the task entity from among the task entities included in the task entity information acquisition step, and acquiring selection information about the task entity selected by the user as a response to the question. a layout position specifying step of specifying a swimlane assigned to the worker indicated by the worker selection information acquired in the worker selection information acquisition step as a layout position of a graphic part representing the work indicated by the work content information acquisition step; and a display control step of displaying on the display means a business flowchart in which the graphic part representing the work indicated by the work content information acquisition step is placed at the layout position specified in the layout position specifying step.

8. The method for supporting creation of business flowcharts according to claim 7, wherein the business flowchart is created by sequentially arranging the graphic parts in the sequence by repeating a series of steps, wherein the work content inquiry step asks the user about the next work content, the work content information acquisition step acquires information about the next work content, the work subject selection information acquisition step acquires selection information about the work subject who will perform the work related to the next work content, the placement position specification step specifies the placement position of the graphic parts based on the work subject selection information acquired in the work subject selection information acquisition step, and the display control step displays on the display means a business flowchart in which graphic parts representing the work indicated by the work content information acquired in the work content information acquisition step are placed in the placement position specified in the placement position specification step.

Images