Business Object Reminder Specifier for Workflow Automation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing collaboration systems lack a provision for reminding the sender responsible for initiating a workflow, which can lead to forgotten tasks and inefficient management of business documents, especially in high-volume workflows.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a reminder specifier directly into the business object, allowing users to set arbitrary reminders that are independent of workflow deadlines and visible only to the relevant users, enabling managers to oversee progress without burdening recipients and allowing reminders to persist regardless of the object's status.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If workflow automation is implemented to route tasks and automate business processes, then productivity and process efficiency are improved, but the ability to remind senders of their tasks is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the reminder functionality with the business object itself by adding a reminder specifier field to the business object structure. This allows the workflow system to automatically manage reminders for senders while maintaining automation efficiency, resolving the contradiction between productivity and ease of operation.
2Reliability
If manual tracking of document progress is required, then workflow completeness can be ensured, but time consumption and human error increase
Solution Approach 1:
The business object performs self-service by automatically generating and managing reminders for senders through the reminder specifier. The system autonomously tracks workflow progress and notifies relevant users without requiring manual intervention, thereby ensuring reliability while reducing time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the workflow system automatically monitors task completion status and sends reminders to senders based on predefined conditions. This closed-loop feedback ensures workflow completion while eliminating the need for continuous manual tracking.
3Ease of operation
If multiple reminder systems are used (groupware tools, subroutines), then reminder functionality is available, but system complexity and integration overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines reminder functionality directly into the business object structure, eliminating the need for separate groupware tools or subroutines. This integration reduces system complexity while maintaining ease of operation, as reminders are managed natively within the workflow system.
4Ease of operation
If workflow tasks are assigned to specific users, then task responsibility is clarified, but the sender may forget to follow up on their own tasks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements automatic feedback by monitoring task completion status and sending reminders to senders when tasks are due or overdue. This ensures that senders are notified of their responsibilities without compromising the clarity of task assignments, thereby maintaining both ease of operation and reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
In a business automation software system, a specifier setting a reminder is added to a business object to provide a arbitrary reminder to the user adding the reminder. Prior to forwarding a business object from a sender to a recipient, a specifier is added to the business object indicating a threshold time limit for a reminder to be sent to the sender. If the threshold time limit specified in the business object is determined to have expired, the reminder is automatically sent to the sender.