Development framework for case and workflow systems

Abstract

A workflow processing framework provides common objects and business processes for the creation of an enterprise-wide workflow processing system. Conventional workflow, database and other platforms are accessed using standardized protocols. The use of common objects providing robust functionality while being insulated from the specific platforms used to implement the workflow processing system enable the common objects to be reused to perform many functions in many different lines of business without modification. If necessary, foundation objects are written to utilize the existing platforms more fully than permitted by standardized protocols. The business processes are generalized as much as possible, but are customized as required to fit the enterprise environment.

What is claimed:  
     
         1 . A workflow processing framework, scalable for use by a single department to an entire enterprise, comprising: 
 a set of software objects, each unique throughout the enterprise, supporting corresponding business functions;    a database, accessed by a subset of the software objects, defining work taxonomy and work steps for workflow processing; and    a workflow engine utilizing the software objects and the work taxonomy to perform the workflow processing, wherein the workflow processing framework defines work step divisions for at least one of the work steps.    
     
     
         2 . The workflow processing framework as recited in  claim 1  wherein the work step divisions for the at least one of the work steps are prioritized when presented to a user.  
     
     
         3 . A workflow processing framework, scalable for use by a single department to an entire enterprise, comprising: 
 a set of software objects, each unique throughout the enterprise, supporting corresponding business functions;    a database management system, accessed by a subset of the software objects, defining work taxonomy and work steps for workflow processing, wherein the database management system comprises 
 a workflow engine utilized by the set of software objects and the subset of the software objects using the work taxonomy to perform the workflow processing and utilized by the workflow processing framework in combination with the database management system to perform case processing, the workflow processing framework defining work step divisions for at least one of the work steps, wherein the work step divisions correspond to component processes defined by work step rules and assigning a case to a work step division based on case data and the work step rules associated with the work step and assigning the case to a user based on work load computed using case data and a work load factor in the database management system when the work step division is a user type.  
   
     
     
         4 . A workflow processing framework, scalable for use by a single department to an entire enterprise, comprising: 
 a business process layer using a common objects layer to perform enterprise specific functions;    a common objects layer providing common case and workflow processing functions to support different applications and to abstract out information about the conventional platform used;    a conventional platforms layer comprising a workflow engine and a database; and    a foundation objects layer providing communications between the common objects and the workflow engine, wherein 
 the database and workflow engine, accessed by the foundation objects, define work taxonomy and work steps for workflow processing, and  
 the workflow processing framework define work step divisions for at least one of the work steps.  
   
     
     
         5 . The workflow processing framework as recited in  claim 5 , wherein the work step divisions for the at least one of the work steps are prioritized when presented to a user.  
     
     
         6 . The workflow processing framework as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the workflow engine, the database, and the layers allow the workflow processing framework to operate across business functions.  
     
     
         7 . The workflow processing framework as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the foundation object layer and the conventional platform layer allow the workflow processing framework to operate across different workflow engines.  
     
     
         8 . The workflow processing framework as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the database comprises user-definable tables comprising baseline tables for the workflow processing framework and business specific tables defined for each department.  
     
     
         9 . The workflow processing framework as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the baseline tables and the business specific tables allow the workflow processing framework to operate across different departments.