Rule-Based Change Request Approval System
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing manual approval processes for change requests (CRs) within organizations are time-consuming and inefficient, requiring significant human intervention and lacking flexibility and cost-effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
A rule-based system that automates the approval of CRs by referencing predefined databases, allowing for configuration of conditions at multiple levels (domain, security, operations) to enable auto-approval based on predefined criteria, reducing the need for manual intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual approval processes are used for change requests, then human oversight and control are maintained, but the process becomes time-consuming and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an automated approval system that acts as an intermediary between change request submissions and final approval decisions. This system uses predefined rules, conditions, and criteria to automatically evaluate and approve or reject change requests, eliminating the need for manual human review while maintaining control through configurable parameters. The automated system serves as a mediator that preserves the integrity of the approval process while dramatically improving speed and efficiency.
2Productivity
If automated rule-based approval is implemented, then processing speed and efficiency are improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The automated approval system is segmented into distinct modular components: rule definition modules, condition evaluation modules, criteria checking modules, and decision execution modules. Each module performs a specific function in the approval process, making the overall complex system manageable through clear separation of concerns. This segmentation allows administrators to configure and modify individual rules without affecting the entire system, reducing the perceived complexity while maintaining high automation capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-defining approval rules, conditions, and criteria before change requests are submitted. Administrators configure the approval logic in advance, and the system automatically applies these pre-established rules to incoming change requests. This preliminary configuration approach eliminates the need for complex real-time decision-making logic during the actual approval process, simplifying the operational complexity while maintaining high automation efficiency.
3Reliability
If multiple approval levels (domain, security, operations) are implemented, then comprehensive control is achieved, but the approval process becomes more time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic multi-level approval routing that automatically adjusts the approval path based on the specific change request characteristics. The system dynamically determines which approval levels are necessary by evaluating the change request against predefined criteria and routing it only to the relevant domains (security, operations, domain-specific). This dynamic routing eliminates unnecessary approval steps while maintaining comprehensive control where needed, significantly reducing approval time without sacrificing thoroughness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies partial approval actions by allowing certain change requests to be approved at subset levels rather than requiring all levels. Based on the predefined rules and conditions, the system determines the minimum necessary approval hierarchy for each specific change request, applying only the required level of scrutiny. This approach maintains comprehensive control for complex changes while enabling faster approval for simpler, lower-risk changes.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of automatically approving change requests within an organization. The method can include creating a change request (CR) based on a received request to create the CR, and defining one or more conditions associated with the CR, wherein the conditions are based on at least one of a domain level, security level, or operations level within the organization. In addition, the method may include determining if the CR meets the one or more conditions with respect to the domain level within the organization, and upon determining that the CR meets the one or more conditions with respect to the domain level within the organization, automatically approving the CR at the domain level of the organization.