Patent ID: 8700694

Claim:
A method for automatically managing workflow, the method comprising: creating, in a first computing device, a first database, which belongs to a first class of a hierarchical plurality of classes, containing a first set of specifications of job processing requirements; creating, in a second computing device, a second database, which belongs to a second class of the hierarchical plurality of classes, the second class being hierarchically below the first class, the second database containing a second set of specifications of job processing requirements consistent with the first set of specifications of job processing requirements; creating, in the second database, a plurality of templates for a plurality of job types in accordance with the first and second sets of specifications of job processing requirements; creating, in a third computing device, a third database, which belongs to a third class of the hierarchical plurality of classes, the third class being hierarchically below the second class, the third database containing at least one customized template created by a job-originating user of the third class based on at least one of the plurality of templates in accordance with the second set of specifications of job processing requirements; receiving, at the third computing device, a job request from the job-originating user; identifying at least one job processing requirement of the job request; and generating a job record, based on the job request and the customized template, that includes a set of computer-readable instructions for the at least one job processing requirement.