Patent ID: 8479095

Claim:
A workflow executing device connected to plural service providing units via a network, the workflow executing device comprising: a workflow executing unit configured to execute a workflow including a combination of processes provided by the plural service providing units; a receiving unit configured to receive a first data item; a first data generating unit configured to generate first identification information for uniquely identifying the first data item received at the receiving unit; a first preview property extracting unit configured to extract, as a first preview property from the first data item, an element including position information of an image configuration of the first data item; a second data generating unit configured to generate second identification information for uniquely identifying a second data item obtained as a result of the first data item being processed by the plural service providing units; a second preview property extracting unit configured to extract, as a second preview property, an element including position information of an image configuration of the second data item based on the second data item and the first preview property stored in association with the first identification information; a preview property managing unit configured to manage preview properties by storing, in association with each other, the first identification information generated by the first data generating unit and the first preview property extracted by the first preview property extracting unit, and storing, in association with each other, the second identification information generated by the second data generating unit and the second preview property extracted by the second preview property extracting unit; and a preview creating unit configured to create preview images based on the first and second preview properties respectively associated with the first and second identification information, based on the first and second identification information respectively generated by the first and second data generating units and stored in the preview property managing unit.