Patent ID: 8055523

Claim:
A computer-implemented method comprising: assigning, through a processing device, an activity involving a business object to a worklist group according to a workflow, the workflow identifying a sequence of activities involving the business object, the business object is a software object representing a business transaction, the software object including a plurality of elements representing data associated with the business transaction, the worklist group including a plurality of users; incorporating a time limit specifier in the business object through the processing device, the time limit specifier including a time limit element and a persistence identifier element; reassigning the activity to another entity through the processing device when a user in the worklist group has not picked up the assigned activity before a deadline specified in a deadline element of the business object; automatically readjusting the deadline in the deadline element when reassigning the activity; when the persistence identifier element is set to persistent, sending an electronic reminder to a manager of the assigned activity through a communications network when the time limit element has lapsed regardless of whether the assigned activity is designated as complete, the manager varying depending on whether the activity has been reassigned; and otherwise, when the persistence identifier element is not set to persistent, sending the electronic reminder to the manager of the assigned activity when the time limit element has lapsed and the assigned activity is still designated as incomplete.