Portable Software Packages for Automated IT Process Configuration
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Solution Overview
Problem
IT departments face challenges in implementing formal IT management processes due to technical and human-related issues, such as lack of infrastructure, learning curves, and duplication of effort, leading to inefficiencies in automating and sharing IT or business processes.
Innovation Solution
Portable packages containing declarative encodings of processes that can be plugged into software stacks to automate business or IT processes, allowing for separation of process information from underlying technology and enabling efficient sharing and implementation across different IT systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If IT departments implement formal IT management processes manually, then process automation capability is improved, but implementation time and resource requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates reusable process templates that can be copied and applied across multiple IT systems and departments. These templates contain pre-defined process definitions, workflows, and configurations that can be instantiated repeatedly without recreating processes from scratch, dramatically reducing implementation time while maintaining full automation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary configuration work by pre-defining process templates with all necessary parameters, workflows, and integrations before actual deployment. This advance preparation allows IT departments to quickly deploy automated processes by simply selecting and configuring templates rather than building automation logic from scratch, reducing implementation time while preserving automation benefits.
2Adaptability or versatility
If IT departments develop custom process implementations, then process specificity is improved, but duplication of effort across departments increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments process definitions into modular templates that can be independently configured and combined. Each template represents a discrete, reusable unit of process logic that can be customized through parameters while sharing common infrastructure. This segmentation allows different departments to have specific process instances while avoiding redundant development of common process elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates universal process templates that can serve multiple IT departments and systems simultaneously. A single template definition can be instantiated across numerous deployments with different configurations, allowing the same core process logic to fulfill diverse departmental needs without requiring separate custom implementations for each department.
3Adaptability or versatility
If IT departments learn and retrain personnel on new processes, then process adoption is improved, but human resource requirements and training costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables self-service process deployment through intuitive template selection and configuration interfaces. IT personnel can independently instantiate and configure process templates without requiring extensive training on complex automation concepts. The system guides users through configuration steps and handles the complex automation logic automatically, reducing training requirements while maintaining high adoption capability.
4Extent of automation
If IT infrastructure is expanded to support process automation, then automation capability is improved, but infrastructure complexity and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple automation functions and capabilities into unified process templates. Rather than requiring separate infrastructure components for workflow management, task scheduling, error handling, and reporting, the templates integrate all these functions into cohesive process definitions. This consolidation reduces infrastructure complexity while maintaining comprehensive automation capability.
Data Source
AI summary
Portable packages containing encodings of processes are applied to software stacks. The packages are portable and distinct from the software stacks. The packages may be in the form of declarative code for configuring the software stack and can be plugged into the software stack to allow the technology stack to play the packages, thereby configuring the stacks to be capable of automating the processes encoded by the packages. An application or software component can be provided to read a package and apply parts thereof to appropriate corresponding software stack components.