Workflow Suspension for Multitasking Bottlenecks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Employees face challenges in multitasking due to the need to manage multiple overlapping work items simultaneously, leading to a cluttered workspace and increased processor load, which impedes processing time.
Innovation Solution
A system that temporarily suspends the workflow of one work item to allow for actions on another, by disconnecting the communicable link with the queue, storing user interfaces and rules in volatile memory, and restoring them upon completion of the higher-priority work item.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple work items are processed simultaneously, then employee productivity is improved through multitasking, but workspace clutter and processor load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically manages work item states by introducing suspend and resume capabilities. Work items can be temporarily suspended to clear the workspace and processed later when needed, allowing the system to adapt its state based on current priorities and reducing workspace clutter while maintaining productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters of work items by introducing priority levels and suspend/resume states. High-priority items can interrupt lower-priority ones, and suspended items are temporarily removed from active processing, transforming the workspace from a static multi-tasking environment to a dynamic, priority-driven system
2Productivity
If multiple work items are processed simultaneously, then task completion rate is improved, but processing time per work item decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic action through suspend and resume operations. Instead of continuously processing multiple items with constant context switching, the system periodically suspends lower-priority items to allow focused processing of higher-priority items, then resumes the suspended items later, reducing time loss from context switching
3Speed
If user interfaces and rules are stored in volatile memory during suspension, then processing speed is improved, but data loss risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by saving work item data to persistent storage before suspending, and restores it afterward. This preliminary save operation ensures data is preserved in reliable storage before the speed-critical volatile memory is released, eliminating data loss risk while maintaining fast processing during active work
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the invention are directed to systems, methods, and computer program products for temporarily suspending a workflow associated with a work item. The system is configured to establish a communicable link with a queue to retrieve a first work item. The system is configured to receive a notification from a first device, where the notification comprises a second work item. The system temporarily suspends the first work item and the work flow associated with the first work item, in response to receiving the second work item from the first device. Once the system determines execution of a user action associated with the second work item, it restores the suspended first work item and the one or more suspended sessions associated with the first work item.