Workflow Model Abstraction for Secure Inter-Enterprise Collaboration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional workflow systems face challenges in inter-enterprise collaboration due to incompatible nomenclature and semantics, as well as confidentiality concerns, limiting the complexity and quantity of interactions between enterprises.
Innovation Solution
A three-tier workflow model that abstracts private workflows into virtual workflows, allowing for the creation of a collaborative workflow that maintains the order of operations and execution states, facilitated by a mediator for secure communication and execution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If enterprises share their private workflows with external parties for collaboration, then inter-enterprise collaboration complexity and quantity improve, but confidentiality and security of business processes deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a mediator entity that acts as an intermediary between participating enterprises. The mediator manages the coalition workflow view, coordinates task execution, and facilitates communication without requiring enterprises to share their complete private workflows. This intermediary structure enables complex collaborations while preserving confidentiality, as each enterprise only exposes the minimal necessary information through their workflow view to the mediator.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the workflow information into two distinct layers: private workflows (confidential internal processes) and workflow views (public abstractions). This segmentation allows enterprises to maintain their complete private workflows confidentially while sharing only the necessary abstracted views for collaboration. The coalition workflow view is itself segmented to reference multiple workflow views without exposing their underlying implementations.
2Reliability
If enterprises use their own private workflows independently, then workflow security and confidentiality are maintained, but inter-enterprise interaction capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The mediator serves as a secure intermediary that enables interaction without compromising workflow security. It manages the coalition workflow view that references multiple private workflows, allowing enterprises to interact while their private workflows remain secure and confidential. The mediator handles the complexity of coordination without requiring direct exposure of private workflow details between enterprises.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a new dimensional layer (the coalition workflow view) that operates above and alongside private workflows. This dimensional change allows multiple private workflows to be coordinated in a collaborative manner without requiring them to be merged or exposed to each other. The coalition workflow view provides a new space for interaction that preserves the independence and security of underlying private workflows.
3Adaptability or versatility
If enterprises formulate new workflows for collaboration, then interaction capability improves, but implementation complexity and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
Enterprises perform preliminary action by creating workflow views in advance that abstract their private workflows. These pre-prepared workflow views can be directly referenced in coalition workflows without requiring new workflow formulation during collaboration setup. This preliminary abstraction work eliminates the time-consuming process of creating new collaborative workflows from scratch, as enterprises can simply reference their existing workflow views.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses copying by creating workflow views as abstracted copies of private workflows. These workflow views serve as stand-in representations that can be referenced in coalition workflows without copying or reproducing the complete private workflows. The copying approach allows rapid coalition workflow formulation by simply referencing existing workflow view copies rather than creating new workflows.
Data Source
AI summary
A workflow model is described. In one example of the workflow model, a first workflow is associated with a first party, and a first workflow view is used to represent an abstraction of the first workflow. Similarly, a second workflow is associated with a second party, and a second workflow view is used to represent an abstraction of the second workflow. Then, a coalition workflow view referencing the first workflow view and the second workflow view provides a collaborative workflow that specifies tasks that the first party and the second party are required to perform. In this way, multiple parties may easily partner with one another to accomplish a business objective, while maintaining a level of confidentiality of their workflow processes.