Patent ID: 8190370

Claim:
A machine-implemented method for managing information describing a process flow, comprising: receiving, at a data processing system for managing process flow information, an element hierarchy that is machine readable and that describes activities for performing the process flow using different classes of process elements, wherein the process elements are arranged in the element hierarchy to describe the activities of the process flow at various levels of detail, wherein the element hierarchy is independent of a formula that describes inputs and outputs of the process flow in that changes to the element hierarchy do not result in the creation of a new version of formula record in the data processing system for managing process flow information; receiving, at the data processing system for managing process flow information, a first formula description that is machine readable and that describes a first input and an output of the process flow, wherein the first formula description is independent of the element hierarchy in that changes to the first formula description do not result in the creation of a new version of the element hierarchy in the data processing system for managing process flow information; receiving, at the data processing system for managing process flow information, a second formula description that is machine readable and describes a second input and the same output of the process flow, wherein the second formula description is independent of the element hierarchy in that changes to the second formula description do not result in the creation of a new version of the element hierarchy in the data processing system for managing process flow information; associating the element hierarchy with one of the first formula description and the second formula description to form an association between the element hierarchy and the one of the first formula description and the second formula description; and storing the element hierarchy in association with the one of the first formula description and the second formula description in a data storage device.