Dynamic workflow architectures for loan processing

Abstract

A method according to certain aspects includes launching a plurality of activities representing tasks to be completed in the processing of a workflow. The method can include determining that a set of the plurality of activities are not currently available for execution, and updating an output comprising a user interface based at least in part on the determination.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . Non-transitory computer storage comprising instructions which, when executed, direct a computer system coupled to at least one repository to perform a method comprising:
 launching, by the computer system, a plurality of activities representing tasks to be completed in the processing of a workflow, wherein execution to completion of at least some of the activities is dependent upon a change in state of at least one other of the plurality of activities;   providing, by the computer system, output comprising a user interface including graphical indications of at least some of the activities;   at a current stage in the processing of the workflow, and by the computer system:
 determining that a first set of the plurality of activities are currently available for execution; 
 determining that a second set of the plurality of activities are not currently available for execution, wherein the availability for execution of the activities in the second set is currently dependent upon a change in state of the at least one other of the plurality of activities; 
 updating the output based at least in part on the determining that a second set of the plurality of activities are not currently available for execution; and 
 in response to user interaction with the user interface, executing at least one activity in the first set of activities. 
   
     
     
         2 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the sequence of execution of the plurality of activities dynamically unfolds and is not statically defined at the outset of processing the workflow. 
     
     
         3 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the availability for execution of at least some of the activities in the second set of activities is dependent on a change in state of at least one of the activities in the first set. 
     
     
         4 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises, for a first activity of the plurality of activities:
 detecting an event that indicates a change in state of another activity of the plurality of activities that renders the first activity no longer complete and valid; and   changing a status of the first activity to indicate that the first activity is no longer complete and valid,   wherein the availability for execution of at least one of the activities in the second set is dependent upon the first activity being complete and valid.   
     
     
         5 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the workflow is for processing a loan application. 
     
     
         6 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
 during the processing of the workflow, adding a new rule associated with one or more of the plurality of activities; and   by the computer system, processing the one or more activities for which the new rule was added using at least the new rule.   
     
     
         7 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
 during the processing of the workflow, adding an activity to the plurality of activities; and   by the computer system, launching the added activity.   
     
     
         8 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises, based on the role of a current user in a group of users associated with the processing of the workflow, filtering the plurality of activities to arrive at a subset of the plurality of activities that are associated with the current user, wherein the activities in the first set are included in the subset. 
     
     
         9 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises:
 during the processing of the workflow, adding a new user to the group of users associated with the workflow, wherein said step of filtering the plurality of activities to arrive at the subset is performed for the new user.   
     
     
         10 . Non-transitory computer storage comprising instructions which, when executed, direct a computer system coupled to at least one repository to perform a method comprising:
 launching, by the computer system, a plurality of activities representing tasks to be completed in the processing of a workflow, wherein execution to completion of at least some of the activities is dependent upon a change in state of at least one other of the plurality of activities;   providing, by the computer system, output comprising a user interface including graphical indications of at least some of the activities;   determining, by the computer system, that a first set of the plurality of activities are currently available for execution;   in response to a change in state of at least one of the activities in the first set of activities, determining, by the computer system, that a second set of the plurality of activities are currently available for execution, wherein at least one of the activities in the second set is not included in the first set; and   updating, by the computer system, the graphical indications based at least in part on the determining that a second set of the plurality of activities are currently available for execution in response to a change in state of at least one of the activities in the first set of activities.   
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein the sequence of execution of the plurality of activities dynamically unfolds and is not statically defined at the outset of processing the workflow. 
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein the workflow is for processing a loan application. 
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises, in response to a change in state of an activity of the plurality of activities from being complete and valid to being no longer complete and valid, determining that an activity in the first set is no longer available for execution and is not to be included in the second set. 
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises:
 during the processing of the workflow, adding a new rule associated with one or more of the plurality of activities; and   by the computer system, processing the one or more activities for which the new rule was added using at least the new rule.   
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises:
 during the processing of the workflow, adding an activity to the plurality of activities; and   by the computer system, launching the added activity.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises:
 based on the role of a current user in a group of users associated with the processing of the workflow, filtering the plurality of the plurality of activities to arrive at a subset of the plurality of activities that are associated with the current user; and   wherein the first and second sets of the plurality of activities include only activities in the filtered subset.   
     
     
         17 . Non-transitory computer storage comprising instructions which, when executed, direct a computer system coupled to at least one repository to perform a method comprising:
 launching, by the computer system, a plurality of activities representing tasks to be completed in the processing of a workflow, wherein execution to completion of at least some of the activities is dependent upon a change in state of at least one other of the plurality of activities;   providing, by the computer system, output comprising a user interface including graphical indications of at least some of the activities;   at a first stage in the processing of the workflow, by the computer system:
 determining that a first set of the plurality of activities are currently available for execution; 
 determining that a second set of the plurality of activities are not currently available for execution, wherein the availability for execution of the activities in the second set is currently dependent upon a change in state of the at least one other of the plurality of activities; 
 updating the graphical indications based at least in part on the determining that a second set of the plurality of activities are not currently available for execution; 
   at a second stage in the processing of the workflow that is subsequent to the first stage, by the computing system:
 in response to a change in state of an activity in the first set of activities, determining that a third set of the plurality of activities are currently available for execution, and wherein the third set of activities includes at least one of the activities in the second set of activities; and 
   completing execution of the plurality of activities to process the workflow.