Multi-Platform Process Service Standardizing User Interfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Enterprises face challenges in managing different platform-specific process applications for various processes, leading to costly training and increased human error due to the need to familiarize employees with multiple platforms, each with unique interfaces and input requirements.
Innovation Solution
A multi-platform process service that provides a standardized, uniform user interface to interface with various platform-specific process applications, allowing users to execute processes through a single interface by identifying the relevant process type, selecting the appropriate platform-specific process application, and modifying inputs to match the specific application's data fields.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If employees are trained to use multiple platform-specific process applications, then the system can support diverse platform requirements, but training costs and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal process execution layer that can invoke multiple different platform-specific process applications through a single standardized interface. This layer translates generic process requests into platform-specific commands, allowing the system to support diverse platforms without requiring users to learn multiple interfaces. The process execution layer acts as a multi-functional adapter that handles different platform protocols uniformly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary process execution layer between the user interface and platform-specific applications. This intermediary translates standardized process requests into platform-specific formats, mediating between the uniform user experience and the diverse underlying platforms. Users interact with the intermediary through a consistent interface, while the intermediary handles the complexity of platform-specific variations.
2Reliability
If multiple platform-specific process applications are deployed, then platform-specific functionality is optimized, but human error increases due to interface complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the system into distinct layers: a user interface layer, a process execution layer, and platform-specific application layers. This segmentation isolates the complexity of platform-specific variations from the user interface, allowing users to interact with a simplified, standardized interface while the process execution layer handles platform-specific complexities. Errors are contained within the process execution layer rather than propagating to users.
Solution Approach 2:
The process execution layer serves as an intermediary that shields users from platform-specific interface variations. It translates standardized user requests into platform-specific formats, preventing users from making errors related to platform-specific interface complexities while maintaining optimized platform-specific functionality through accurate translation of process requests.
3Ease of operation
If a standardized interface is implemented across multiple platforms, then user experience is simplified, but the complexity of adapting to different platform-specific data formats increases
Solution Approach 1:
The process execution layer acts as an intermediary that handles data format adaptation between the standardized user interface and platform-specific applications. It receives standardized process requests from users, translates them into platform-specific data formats, and manages the complexity of format conversion internally. This allows the user interface to remain simple and consistent while the intermediary handles the complexity of adapting to different platform data formats.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs parameter changes to adapt data formats between different platforms. The process execution layer modifies process request parameters according to platform-specific requirements, transforming standardized parameters into platform-appropriate formats. This allows the system to maintain a consistent user interface while dynamically adjusting data format parameters to match different platform specifications.
Data Source
AI summary
Execution of a process using a select platform-specific process application is provided, including identifying, from a set of received inputs, a collection of selection input parameter values uniquely associated in memory with a select platform-specific process application among different platform-specific process applications configured to implement a process of a process type, identifying a process population template associated in memory with the select platform-specific process application, the process population template identifying data input fields accepted as inputs to the select platform-specific process application, receiving, from a uniform user interface, a set of user inputs, and executing the process population template. The executing includes modifying the set of user inputs to generate modified inputs of a form consistent with the data input fields accepted as inputs to the select platform-specific process application and executing the select platform specific process application based on the modified inputs.