Patent ID: 7996250

Claim:
A method of controlling workflow, comprising: (a) identifying an individual job that is part of an overall deliverables package, the overall deliverables package covering a plurality of jobs; (b) obtaining, by a system having a processor, an aggregate utility function that specifies utility based on a specified aggregate metric across the overall deliverables package; (c) determining, by the system, a current operating point on the aggregate utility function, wherein the current operating point on the aggregate utility function is based on one or more of: (i) past processing of jobs in the overall deliverables package, and (ii) expected future jobs in the overall deliverables package; (d) calculating, by the system, an effective utility for the individual job based on the aggregate utility function and the current operating point, wherein calculating the effective utility based on the aggregate utility function comprises modifying an independent utility function of the individual job by combining the independent utility function of the individual job with a bias value that represents a change in value of the aggregate utility function due to excluding the individual job; and (e) controlling, by the system, execution of work based on evaluation of the effective utility for the individual job.