Patent ID: 8121716

Claim:
A system for integrating and/or managing software applications, particularly MES applications, comprising: a plurality of computer units for storing the software applications, such that at least some of the software applications are stored at computer units which can be located physically remote from each other and which are connected by the Internet or other network, at least one framework program coupling the software applications, a display apparatus for: displaying in a first screen area a hierarchy of successive workflow steps that collectively define a workflow of different software applications in form of a tree structure, wherein each displayed workflow step defines a different entry point of a corresponding software application, including different software applications located physically remote from each other, such that individual displayed workflow elements act as user-selectable entry points for starting the corresponding individual software applications upon user selection of the individual displayed workflow elements, wherein display of the hierarchy of the successive software applications can be altered to show different function related tree structures depending on a user role, wherein the function is selected from the group consisting of: production, planning, report and system and wherein the user role further determines access authorizations and display option, and displaying state information of an individual software application that has been selected in the first screen area in a second screen area, a user interface allowing a user to graphically modify the workflow by rearranging one or more displayed relationships between one or more elements of different software applications physically remote from each other, and at least one adapter for connecting the software applications to the framework program, with provision being made for communication between the software applications using the framework program.