Patent ID: 7620709

Claim:
A workflow system comprising: manipulating computer terminals, for executing a workflow between persons in charge, said manipulating computer terminals being connected to a network; a designing computer terminal for designing said workflow by designating project variables for multiplexing a plurality of processes for nodes, each process indicating a unit of operations to be handled; and a workflow server for managing said workflow designed by said designing computer terminal, wherein the workflow server is coupled to both the designing computer terminal and the manipulating computer terminals through the network, wherein the designing computer terminal includes functions for designing said workflow, wherein the designing computer terminal further includes definition functions for realizing duty processing by the workflow system, wherein the designing computer terminal is used for accessing said manipulating computer terminals in accordance with activities that indicate operations assigned to said nodes, wherein the designing computer terminal is used for designing the workflow to design a flow of operations of duties to be performed and a data structure for use in said operations of duties to be performed, wherein the designing computer terminal is used for arranging the nodes and connecting the nodes by paths such that said nodes and paths determine a workflow definition that determines a processing order of the nodes in conjunction with said flow of operations of duties to be performed, and wherein designing computer terminal is used for prescribing a data definition relating to the workflow definition and for prescribing attributes of the nodes and of the paths.