Patent ID: 7765291

Claim:
A workflow automation system comprising a network of computers equipped with workflow automation software to permit a business process to proceed across at least portions of the network based upon rules stored in the network, wherein the software permits a business process owner to refine the rules for a business process as the business process proceeds and which includes a business process owner's client software that enables the business process owner to perform the following functions: a. View an UnRuly Event for which there are no rules and no links, b. View a reason and an audit trail why the UnRuly Event was triggered, c. View variables collected by the process and their current values, d. View the rules, inputs and actions for an step of the business process associated with the UnRuly Event, e. Set or change a rule for the UnRuly Event, f. Set or change an input for a rule for the UnRuly Event, g. Set or change an action associated with the rule for the UnRuly Event, h. Enter or edit a description of the rule, i. Submit the UnRuly Event for re-evaluation, j. View a business process map of an incident associated with an UnRuly Event to graphically determine the incident's status, k. View an audit trail of the incident associate with the UnRuly Event to determine where the incident is in a business process, l. View an electronic form for the incident to find relevant information, m. View the events, inputs and actions of all the rules for all business processes for which the business process owner has access rights, n. Enter or edit the events, inputs and actions of all the rules for all business processes for which the business process owner has access rights, o. View the events, inputs and actions of all the process level or global rules for which the business process owner has access rights, and p. Enter or edit the events, inputs and actions of all the business process level or global rules for which the business process owner has access rights.