Workflow Tag Association Using NLP for Stage Identification

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional workflow management systems require users to manually search and analyze multiple stages to identify relevant tasks, consume significant computing resources, and are prone to errors due to syntax requirements and typographical issues, leading to inefficiencies and delays.

Innovation Solution

A collaborative work platform that utilizes a user-friendly interface allowing users to create tags in natural language, which are automatically linked to relevant workflow stages through natural language processing, reducing manual searching and ensuring accurate stage association.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If users manually search and analyze multiple stages to identify relevant tasks, then workflow completeness is improved, but time consumption and computational overhead increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveworkflow completion accuracyVSAvoidtime for stage identification
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically identifies and associates stages with users based on workflow configuration, eliminating the need for manual searching and analysis by users. The workflow management system self-determines which stages are relevant and notifies appropriate users automatically.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Manual mechanical searching and analyzing of stages is replaced by automated computational processes. The system uses programmed logic to automatically identify relevant stages and associate them with users, substituting human manual operations with automated system processes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Difficulty of detecting and measuring

If conventional search queries are used to identify stages, then stage identification is possible, but computing resources are consumed excessively

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestage identification capabilityVSAvoidcomputing resource consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Difficulty of detecting and measuringVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary configuration and association of stages with users during workflow setup. This preliminary action stores the mapping relationships, so that during execution, the system can quickly retrieve relevant stages without performing computationally intensive search queries each time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The workflow management system automatically manages stage identification and user association without requiring external search queries. The system self-determines relevant stages based on pre-configured workflow logic, eliminating the need for resource-intensive manual or automated search operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Stability of the object's composition

If predefined syntax requirements are enforced for stage association, then system consistency is improved, but user-friendliness and operational ease deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem data consistencyVSAvoiduser-friendliness in stage association
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

An intermediary layer is introduced between user input and system processing. The system accepts user-friendly stage descriptions and automatically translates them into the required predefined syntax format for consistent system storage and processing, mediating between user convenience and system requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the parameter of user input acceptance from strict predefined syntax to flexible user-friendly descriptions. While maintaining internal consistency through predefined syntax for data storage, the interface allows users to provide stage associations in more natural, convenient formats that are automatically normalized.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP4654103A1Workflow management
Publication Date: 2025.11.26 HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC
  • EP4654103A1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP4654103A1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP4654103A1 patent drawingFigure 1C

AI summary

Techniques for managing workflow are disclosed. A tag creation signal is received upon interaction with an actionable component of a collaborative work platform having a workflow that includes a plurality of stages, each having a stage descriptor linked therewith. The tag creation signal indicates a request to define a tag for being linked with one of the stages. Acquisition of user-defined tag content is then initiated for being associated with the tag. The tag content is then parsed to derive a tag descriptor. Further, a correlation is determined between the tag descriptor and the stage descriptor linked with each of the plurality of correlated stages. A stage correlating with the tag descriptor is then identified and the tag content is associated with the identified stage. Further, upon initialization of the identified stage, an alert generation signal is generated to indicate the user-defined tag content associated with the identified stage.