Process Flow Diagrams Integrating Business Rules and Software Artifacts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional process flow diagrams lack information about the software applications and business rules involved in each step, making it difficult for operators to determine which applications need modification and how business processes are executed.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that combines process flow diagrams with technical information and business rules from underlying software applications, allowing users to associate business rules with nodes and display this information, enabling easier identification of necessary modifications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If traditional process flow diagrams are used to describe business processes, then the process flow and steps are clearly visible, but information about software applications and business rules is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements nested information layers where business rules and software application details are embedded within process flow nodes. Users can drill down from high-level process views to detailed technical implementations, with each node potentially containing multiple levels of information about associated software and business logic.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a new dimension to traditional process flow diagrams by incorporating vertical layering of information. The diagram displays both process flow elements and associated business rule/software information in different visual layers, allowing operators to access technical details without cluttering the horizontal process flow view.
2Ease of operation
If detailed information about software applications and business rules is included in process flow diagrams, then operators can identify necessary modifications, but the diagrams become more complex and harder to read
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments information into distinct categories (process steps, business rules, software applications) that can be independently displayed or hidden. This allows operators to focus on specific aspects of the process without being overwhelmed by all available information simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic information display where the level of detail shown in process flow diagrams can be adjusted based on user needs. Information about software applications and business rules can be expanded or collapsed, allowing the diagram to adapt between simplified and detailed views.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for associating a technical artifact and one or more business rules with one or more portions of a process flow diagram by extracting a plurality of technical artifacts from a computing system having a plurality of software applications, providing a process flow diagram having a plurality of nodes and a plurality of edges, associating one or more of the plurality of technical artifacts with one or more of the plurality of nodes of the process flow diagram, displaying the process flow diagram, and when the node is actuated, displaying the associated technical artifact.