Task Approval Workflow Decomposition for Granular Permission Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional systems for managing task approvals in computing environments are inefficient, particularly in complex systems with granular permission data, leading to difficulties in navigating multiple permissions and requiring significant time and computing resources.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that decompose tasks into subtasks and apply approval policies at the subtask level, using an approvals application to determine whether policies are satisfied, thereby improving efficiency and cybersecurity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional systems manage task approvals with granular permission data, then security control is improved, but system complexity and time consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments complex tasks into smaller subtasks, each with its own approval policies. This decomposition reduces the complexity of managing permissions at the task level by breaking down granular permission data into manageable subtask units, allowing reviewers to evaluate smaller, more focused approval requests rather than navigating entire complex task structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary approval request mechanism that mediates between the task execution system and the permission management system. This intermediary layer handles the complexity of granular permission evaluation, presenting simplified approval interfaces to reviewers while maintaining comprehensive security controls in the background.
2Reliability
If conventional systems manage task approvals with granular permission data, then security control is improved, but time consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting tasks into subtasks with distinct approval policies, the system enables parallel processing of approval requests and reduces the time reviewers spend evaluating each request. Reviewers can quickly assess smaller subtask approvals rather than navigating through entire complex task structures with granular permission data.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-defining approval policies for subtasks and automatically evaluating permissions before presenting requests to reviewers. This preliminary processing reduces the time consumption during the actual approval process by pre-preparing evaluation criteria and filtering out obviously approved or rejected subtasks.
3Productivity
If tasks are decomposed into subtasks with approval policies, then task approval efficiency is improved, but policy evaluation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating specific approval policies tailored to each subtask's characteristics and requirements. Instead of using uniform complex policies across all tasks, the system defines localized approval criteria for each subtask, making policy evaluation simpler and more relevant to the specific context of each subtask while maintaining overall system efficiency.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
In some examples, systems and methods for managing task approvals are provided. An example method includes receiving a task identifier for a task that is requested to be approved, and one or more subtasks decomposed from the task, and generating a task request including a task request identifier. In some examples, the task request is associated with the task, the task request identifier corresponds to the task identifier, and each subtask of the one or more subtasks of the task corresponds to one or more approval policies. In some examples, the method further includes: determining, for each subtask of the one or more subtasks of the task, whether the one or more approval policies are satisfied, in response to determining that, for each subtask of the one or more subtasks of the task, the one or more approval policies are satisfied, approving the task, and outputting an indication of the approval.