Hybrid Workflow Interface Balancing Visual Clarity and Runtime Flexibility
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current workflow management systems either require a fully defined order of activities at design-time in graph-based formats, limiting flexibility, or offer flexibility in rule-based formats but lack intuitiveness and visual representation, necessitating a combination of both for an intuitive and flexible user interface.
Innovation Solution
A hybrid approach that combines graph-based workflow modeling for design-time visualization with rule-based representation for execution, allowing automatic generation of rules from user inputs and business object interactions, enabling flexible exception handling and control flow modification at runtime.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If graph-based format workflow is used, then visual understanding and ease of manipulation are improved, but flexibility and adaptability are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The workflow system is segmented into two distinct representation formats: graph-based format for design-time visualization and rule-based format for runtime execution. This segmentation allows each format to specialize in its strengths while the system as a whole achieves both visual understanding and flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
A workflow compiler acts as an intermediary that automatically translates graph-based workflow definitions into rule-based representations. This mediator enables the system to maintain the visual intuitiveness of graph-based formats while executing with the flexibility of rule-based formats.
2Adaptability or versatility
If rule-based format workflow is used, then flexibility and adaptability are improved, but visual understanding and intuitiveness are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The system adds a temporal dimension to the workflow representation by using graph-based format at design-time for visualization and automatically generating rule-based format at runtime for execution. This dimensional separation allows users to benefit from visual understanding when creating workflows while the system gains flexibility during execution.
3Ease of manufacture
If graph-based format workflow is used, then ease of manipulation is improved, but execution flexibility is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The workflow compiler performs preliminary action by automatically translating the graph-based workflow definition into an executable rule-based representation before runtime execution. This preliminary translation enables the system to maintain ease of manipulation during design while achieving execution flexibility during runtime.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system are provided for providing a user interface in a workflow management system. The method includes, responsive to user inputs defining a workflow in the workflow management system, displaying the workflow in a graph-based format, wherein the workflow includes a set of steps and a control flow. The method further includes deriving a set of automatically-generated rules from the set of steps and the control flow to create a rule-based format representing the workflow. There may more manual-maintained rules that are not a part of the graph or control flow, but attached to one or more steps. The method further includes executing the rule-based format workflow at a server.