Patent ID: 6853974

Claim:
A workflow control method in a workflow system connected to a plurality of client computers for carrying out business procedures each comprising a plurality of related business processes, at least one of the business procedures being allowed to execute some of the related business processes concurrently, said workflow control method comprising the steps of: previously defining in a definition table a start condition and a completion condition for each business process and an abnormal status change to be detected in related business processes capable of being executed concurrently with each other by said client computers; detecting an occurrence of said abnormal status change in one of the plurality of related business processes based on said definition table; selecting at least one user who has been already ordered to execute an interdependent business process having a start condition identical to that of the business process in which the abnormal status change was detected or to a completion condition of a business process executed concurrently with the business process in which said abnormal status change was detected; and notifying a client computer corresponding to the selected user of the occurrence of abnormality in the related business process so as to prevent the selected user from completing the interdependent business process.