Patent ID: 8141033

Claim:
A method for forming a workflow and an application program to implement, at least in part, said workflow, said method comprising the steps of: recording that a first computer program function is capable of implementing, at least in part, a first business process step, said first business process step being implemented for substantially all instances of a first business process; recording that a second computer program function is capable of implementing, at least in part, a second business process step, said second business process step being implemented for a first instance of said first business process based on a first decision made in said first business process step; recording that a third computer program function is capable of implementing, at least in part, a third business process step, said third business process step being implemented for a second instance of said first business process based on a second decision made in said first business process step; a user, with a graphical user interface of a computer system, forming a graphical representation of said first business process and a second business process and an interconnection between said second and first business processes indicating that said second and first business processes are part of a workflow; and said computer system displaying representations of said first, second and third business process steps in parent-child format indicating that said first business process step is implemented as a parent for said second and third business process steps and indicating that said second and third business process steps are implemented as children of said first business process step such that said first business process step is implemented for both said first and second instances of said first business process and only one of said second and third business process steps is implemented for said first business process in one of said first and second instances of said workflow.