Patent ID: 7237199

Claim:
A computer implemented framework for monitoring workflow within a computer application, said workflow including coordination of at least one activity from a set of activities originating from outside said application, said framework having multiple levels of functionality and capable of coordinating a plurality of said activities for said workflow from different sources outside said application for use in said application, said framework comprising: (a) a user interface for facilitating interaction between a user and said application; (b) a process level for selecting a process definition defining a set of process steps to be applied to a data set during said workflow according to the coordination of said activities whereby said process steps are associated with said set of activities, said process level comprising a process selector for selecting said process definition from a group of at least one process definition and a data selector for selecting said data set from a group of at least one data set, each said groups being stored in a data storage device accessible by said application; (c) a sub-process level including an aggregation of selected activities from said set of activities, said aggregation of activities associated with said process definition, said sub-process level enabling navigation between ones of said selected activities during execution of said process definition for monitoring said workflow; and (d) an activity level including said at least one activity from said set of activities, said at least one activity having a property that is modified as a result of the execution of said process definition during said workflow, whereby each said at least one activity is applied to said data set during its respective process step in said set of process steps to produce an output data set for subsequent use.