JP4983546B2 - Business flowchart creation program and business flowchart creation apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a business flowchart creating program and a business flowchart creating apparatus, and more particularly to a business flowchart creating program and a business flowchart creating apparatus for automatically creating a business flowchart.

In recent years, a method of drawing a business flowchart representing a business flow and analyzing an existing business is often used for the purpose of improving business and reducing costs by increasing efficiency.
In the business flow chart, the flow of a business can be visualized by defining a node in a processing unit constituting the business and associating each node with a link that connects the nodes according to the processing order.

  Furthermore, recently, there is a tendency to require internal control in a company, and the transparency of operations within the company is further demanded. Business flowcharts are also very useful for such purposes as clearly representing such business and showing it to others, and interest in the business flowchart is further increasing.

  Here, the procedure, method, and notation method for creating a business flowchart are not unified, and the creator must create the business flowchart by repeating trial and error, which places a burden on the creator. Yes. In addition, the business flowcharts created in this manner are greatly different in notation even if the business flowcharts are created for the same business if the creators are different. Therefore, in order to grasp the flow of business with reference to each business flowchart, there is a difficulty that various notation methods must be understood.

  Further, the business flowchart need not be created only once, but needs to be recreated as appropriate. For example, with the passage of time, work performed in one department in the organization is transferred to another department, or the work flow itself is improved to improve work efficiency. In such a case, it is necessary to recreate the business flowchart once created into a new business flowchart. For this reason, there is a problem that a great deal of labor is required when correcting a work flowchart as the number of works increases.

  Here, as a means for dealing with the above-described problem, use of a business flowchart creation tool can be cited. The business flowchart creation tool reduces the burden of creating a business flowchart by allowing the creator to input only information that is the main point of the business and drawing based on the information. For example, a method is known in which a node representing a process is drawn on a business flowchart and the creator is drawn only by a link between the nodes, thereby reducing the burden of the creator's drawing (see, for example, Patent Document 1). ). Further, a method is also known in which a creator is allowed to define a reference relationship with preceding and following nodes for each node, and a link between nodes is automatically created based on the definition information (see, for example, Patent Documents 2 and 3). ). In addition, for each business, the contents of the process belonging to the business, the organization to be executed, the information to be read and written by the process are input to the list by the creator, and nodes and links between nodes are automatically drawn based on the table There is also known a method for greatly reducing the burden on the creator (see, for example, Patent Document 4).

Using the business flowchart creation tool not only greatly reduces the burden on the creator as described above, but also eliminates the difference in notation for each business flowchart by drawing with the ruled notation by the tool. Therefore, it becomes easy to represent the flow of business by unified notation. In addition, even if there is a change in the business flowchart, the business flowchart is automatically updated just by updating the information that is the main point of the business initially entered by the creator. Labor is also reduced.
JP 2003-308421 A JP-A-6-274504 JP-A-9-231280 JP-A-7-249024

  However, in the methods described in Patent Documents 2 to 4, the business flowchart creation tool automatically arranges each node, and the execution sequence between the nodes of the business flowchart is determined by associating the nodes with the preceding and following nodes defined in each node. Create a link that represents the relationship. At this time, the link may cross depending on the arrangement of the nodes. If the links between the nodes intersect, it becomes difficult to see the business flowchart and it is difficult to determine the order of the nodes at the intersection. In addition, even if the creator manually corrects the business flowchart so that the links between the nodes of the business flowchart do not cross, if the arrangement of each node is changed at the time of update, the workflow is automatically created by the business flowchart creation tool In some cases, links between nodes are redrawn, resulting in crossing of related lines. Such a crossing of links between nodes appears more prominently as the scale of business increases, and becomes a factor that hinders understanding of the business flowchart.

  The present invention has been made in view of these points, and provides a business flowchart creation program and a business flowchart creation apparatus that automatically creates a business flowchart that can be easily viewed and that can easily understand the flow of business processing. For the purpose.

  In the present invention, in order to solve the above-described problems, a business flowchart creation program for causing a computer to execute the processing shown in FIG. 1 is provided. A computer 10 that executes this business flowchart creation program includes business information storage means 11, drawing means 12, and link control means 13. The business information storage unit 11 stores business information that defines a plurality of business processes constituting a business flow, a business organization that executes each business process, and an execution order relationship between the business processes. The drawing unit 12 reads the business information from the business information storage unit 11 and creates a lane representing the business organization. Then, the drawing means 12 creates a node representing the business process according to the execution order relationship, arranges it in the lane corresponding to the business organization executing the business process, and creates a link connecting the nodes representing the execution order relationship. . When the plotting unit 12 creates a link, the link control unit 13 includes a first node, a second node, and a third node in the first lane, and a fourth node in the second lane. Is arranged, the second node is arranged behind the first node and in front of the third node in the lane direction, and the third node is second than the second node in the width direction of the lane. The second node branches to the business process represented by the second node and the business process represented by the third node following the business process represented by the first node. When the execution order relationship in which the business process represented by the fourth node is executed following the business process represented is detected, control is performed so that the drawing unit 12 does not create a link on the path from the first node to the third node. To do.

  According to such a business flowchart creation program, the drawing means 12 creates a lane representing a business organization that executes business processing. Then, the drawing means 12 creates a node representing the business process in accordance with the execution order relationship, and creates a link connecting the nodes representing the execution order relationship, arranged in the lane corresponding to the business organization executing the business process. Is done. In addition, when the plotting unit 12 creates a link by the link control unit 13, the first node, the second node, and the third node are arranged in the first lane, and the fourth node is in the second lane. The second node is arranged behind the first node and in front of the third node in the lane direction, and the third node is arranged from the second node in the lane width direction. In the arrangement relation arranged near the second lane, the business process represented by the first node branches to the business process represented by the second node and the business process represented by the third node following the business process represented by the first node. When the execution order relationship in which the business process represented by the fourth node is executed following the business process represented by the node is detected, the plotting means 12 creates a link on the path from the first node to the third node. It is controlled not to.

  In addition, in order to solve the above problems, in a business flowchart creation device that automatically creates a business flowchart that visualizes a business flow, a plurality of business processes constituting the business flow, a business organization that executes each business process, and a business process Business information storage means that stores business information that defines the execution order relationship between them, reads business information from the business information storage means, creates a lane that represents the business organization, and creates a node that represents the business process according to the execution order relation The drawing means for creating a link for connecting the nodes representing the execution order relationship, and the first lane when the drawing means creates the link, are arranged in the lane corresponding to the business organization that executes the business process. The first node, the second node, and the third node are arranged in the second lane, and the fourth node is arranged in the second lane. Are arranged behind the first node and before the third node, and the third node is arranged closer to the second lane than the second node in the width direction of the lane. Branching into the business process represented by the second node and the business process represented by the third node following the business process represented by the first node, and the fourth node following the business process represented by the second node. Link control means for controlling the drawing means not to create a link on the path from the first node to the third node when the execution order relationship in which the business process to be expressed is detected is detected, A business flowchart creation apparatus is provided.

  According to such a business flowchart creation device, a lane representing a business organization that executes business processing is created by the drawing means. Then, the drawing means creates a node representing the business process according to the execution order relationship, creates a link connecting the nodes representing the execution order relationship, arranged in the lane corresponding to the business organization executing the business process. The In addition, when the plotting means creates a link by the link control means, the first node, the second node, and the third node are arranged in the first lane, and the fourth node is in the second lane. Is arranged, the second node is arranged behind the first node and in front of the third node in the lane direction, and the third node is second than the second node in the width direction of the lane. The second node branches to the business process represented by the second node and the business process represented by the third node following the business process represented by the first node. When an execution order relationship in which the business process represented by the fourth node is executed following the business process represented is detected, the plotting means does not create a link on the path from the first node to the third node. Be controlled.

  In the present invention, when connecting each node representing a business process in a business flowchart with a link representing an execution order relationship, a link in the lane is created among the links in the lane after the branch of the business process and the links across the lanes. By not doing so, we decided to eliminate the link intersection. As a result, it is possible to create a business flowchart that is simple and easy to see and that can easily understand the flow of business processing.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. First, an outline of the present invention will be described, and then specific contents of the embodiment will be described.
FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of the invention applied to the embodiment. The computer 10 shown in FIG. 1 connects the nodes representing the business processes in the business flowchart with the links representing the execution order relationship, and the links within the lane after the branch of the business processes and the links across the lanes. Avoid crossing links by not creating links.

The computer 10 includes business information storage means 11, drawing means 12, and link control means 13.
The business information storage unit 11 stores business information that defines a plurality of business processes constituting a business flow, a business organization that executes each business process, and an execution order relationship between the business processes.

  The drawing unit 12 reads the business information from the business information storage unit 11 and creates a lane representing the business organization. Then, the drawing means 12 creates a node representing the business process according to the execution order relationship, arranges it in the lane corresponding to the business organization executing the business process, and creates a link connecting the nodes representing the execution order relationship. . The drawing means 12 draws the work flowchart 21 by creating the nodes and links.

  When the drawing unit 12 creates a link between nodes, the link control unit 13 controls the drawing unit 12 based on the execution order relationship between business processes. Specifically, the link control means 13 includes a first node, a second node, and a third node in the first lane, and a fourth node in the second lane. The second node is arranged behind the first node and before the third node with respect to the direction, and the third node is arranged closer to the second lane than the second node with respect to the width direction of the lane. Branching into the business process represented by the second node and the business process represented by the third node following the business process represented by the first node, and following the business process represented by the second node. When the execution order relationship in which the business process represented by the fourth node is executed is detected, the plotting means 12 performs control so as not to create a link on the route from the first node to the third node.

  According to such a business flowchart creation program, when the drawing means 12 creates a link between nodes by the link control means 13, in the lane after the branch of the business process, based on the execution order relationship between the business processes. The drawing means 12 is controlled so as not to create a link in the lane among the links crossing the lane and the lane, and the intersection of the links is eliminated.

As a result, it is possible to create a business flowchart that is simple and easy to see and that can easily understand the flow of business processing.
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the work flowchart creation apparatus.
The business flowchart creation apparatus 100 is entirely controlled by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101. A random access memory (RAM) 102, a hard disk drive (HDD) 103, a graphics processing device 104, an input interface 105, and a communication interface 106 are connected to the CPU 101 via a bus 107.

  The RAM 102 temporarily stores at least part of an OS (Operating System) program and application programs to be executed by the CPU 101. The RAM 102 stores various data necessary for processing by the CPU 101.

The HDD 103 stores data handled by the OS and application programs on the work flowchart creation apparatus 100.
A monitor 160 is connected to the graphic processing device 104. The graphic processing device 104 displays an image on the screen of the monitor 160 in accordance with a command from the CPU 101. A keyboard 170 and a mouse 180 are connected to the input interface 105. The input interface 105 transmits a signal sent from the keyboard 170 or the mouse 180 to the CPU 101 via the bus 107.

  The communication interface 106 is connected to the network 190. The communication interface 106 transmits / receives data to / from other computers via the network 190.

With the hardware configuration as described above, the processing functions of the present embodiment can be realized.
Next, the functional configuration of the work flowchart creation apparatus 100 will be described.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating functions of the business process flow chart creation apparatus.
The business flowchart creation device 100 includes a business information storage unit 110, a two-dimensional arrangement unit 120, a coordinate calculation unit 130, a drawing unit 140, and a link control unit 150. The business flowchart created by the business flowchart creation apparatus 100 is a visualization of a business flow by arranging nodes representing business processes from top to bottom in time series.

  The business information storage unit 110 stores business information that defines a plurality of business processes constituting a business flow, a business organization that executes each business process, and an execution order relationship between the business processes. The creator of the business flowchart stores the business information in the business information storage unit 110 by inputting using the keyboard 170 or the mouse 180. Here, as a table for managing business information, there is a business information table (described later).

  Here, in the business process flowchart, nodes representing business processes are drawn using symbols such as rectangles and rhombuses. Therefore, the creator defines parameters for determining the size of these symbols and the interval at which the symbols are arranged, and stores them in advance as drawing information in the business information storage unit 110 by the above input method. Here, the table for managing the drawing information includes a symbol size table and a lane size table (described later).

  The two-dimensional arrangement unit 120 creates a lane representing a business organization based on the business information stored in the business information storage unit 110. Then, the two-dimensional arrangement unit 120 creates a node representing the business process according to the execution order relationship, and places the node in a lane corresponding to the business organization that executes the business process. At this time, the two-dimensional arrangement unit 120 divides the lane into rows and columns, and arranges the nodes in association with the divided rows and columns based on a predetermined arrangement rule. The two-dimensional arrangement unit 120 stores, in the business information storage unit 110, two-dimensional arrangement information that is information that defines the association between node row and column arrangements and nodes. Here, as a table for managing the two-dimensional arrangement information, there is a two-dimensional arrangement table (described later).

  The coordinate calculation unit 130 creates coordinate information for drawing a node based on the business information, the drawing information, and the two-dimensional arrangement information stored in the business information storage unit 110. The coordinate calculation unit 130 stores the coordinate information in the business information storage unit 110. Here, as a table for managing the coordinate information, there is a coordinate table (described later).

  The drawing unit 140 creates a node in the business process flowchart based on the coordinate information stored in the business information storage unit 110. Then, the drawing unit 140 creates a link between nodes based on the execution order relationship between business processes.

  When the plotting unit 140 creates the link, the link control unit 150, based on the execution order relationship between the business processes, out of the links in the lane after the branch of the business process and the links across the lane, The drawing unit 140 is controlled not to create a link.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary data structure of the business information table. Information entered by the creator from the work information input screen is set in the work information table 111. Since this business information input screen has the same configuration as that of FIG. 4, FIG. 4 will be described as a business information table 111 or a business information input screen 111a for convenience. The business information input screen 111a is displayed on the monitor 160 by the business flowchart creation apparatus 100, for example.

  In the business information table 111, an item indicating an item number, an item indicating a business, an item indicating a process category, an item indicating a process (class, content, department), an item indicating an input (content, department), and an output (content) , A section) is provided. Information arranged in the horizontal direction of each item is associated with each other to form information about one process.

  In the item indicating the item number, a number assigned in the row order of the table is set. Business processing flows from the line with the smallest item number. The name of the business is set in the item indicating the business. The item indicating the business need only be set once in the row with the smallest item number for each business category. For example, since the processes of item numbers “1” to “7” shown in the work information table 111 are all classified as “sales”, they indicate the work corresponding to the item number “1”. It is only necessary to set “sale” in the item. In this case, the item indicating the business corresponding to the item numbers “2” to “7” is blank.

  In the item indicating the process (classification), a process classification such as whether the process is a normal process or an if process is set. In the case of normal processing, the processing (section) column is blank. “If” in the table indicates that the corresponding process is an if process. “If-yes” and “if-no” indicate post-determination processing following the if processing. “If-yes” is a process executed when the determination of the if process is true. “If-no” is a process executed when the determination of the if process is false. “Endif” is a symbol indicating that all the processes following the “if” process have been completed, and the process following the if process is set subsequently. The content of the process is set in the item indicating the process (content). In the item indicating the process (department), the department and the person in charge who execute the process defined by the category and content of the process are set.

  In the item indicating input (content), a name indicating the input content for the above process is set. For example, a data name and a medium name are set. In the input (department), a department and a person in charge as the input source are set. Here, when there is no input for the above process, the input (content, department) column is blank.

  In the item indicating output (content), a name indicating the output content from the above processing is set. For example, a data name and a medium name are set. In the output (department), the above-mentioned output destination department and charge are set. If there is no output for the above process, the output (content, department) column is blank.

  The contents of the input and output are generally data names and medium names, but are not particularly limited in the business flowchart creation program of the present invention. The contents of input and output may be, for example, verbal information. Further, as described above, the input and output in each process can be arbitrarily set when drawing the work flowchart. For this reason, even in a business where the contents of the input and output of each process are not clearly determined, it is possible to visualize with a business flowchart.

  In the business information table 111, for example, the item number is “1”, the business is “sales”, the process (category) is blank, the process (content) is “reception”, the process (department) is “bookstore”, and the input (content) ) Is “book order”, input (department) is “customer”, output (content) is blank, and output (department) is blank.

  In addition, when inputting to the items indicating the process (department), input (department), and output (department) on the work information input screen 111a by the creator, for example, from among the predefined department and the name of the person in charge, for example, It is desirable to enable selection by a pull-down method. In this way, it is possible to eliminate input mistakes such as inputting an incorrect department name in the department column and to quickly perform input work. In addition, it is desirable that the item indicating the business on the business information input screen 111a can be selected from the predefined business names as described above.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a data structure example of a department / department table. The department / charge table 112 is stored in the business information storage unit 110. The department / department table 112 includes an item indicating a department ID, an item indicating a department name, and an item indicating a lane width size. Information arranged in the horizontal direction of each item is associated with each other to form information about one department.

  In the item indicating the department ID, a department identification number is set. In the item indicating the department name, the name of the department is set. The item indicating the department name is set when the creator of the business flowchart inputs the name in advance based on an interface for defining the name of the department. The item indicating the department name is not limited to the department name, and the name of the person in charge may be set. In the item indicating the lane width size, a value indicating the width of the lane for drawing the work flowchart in each department is set. The value set in the item indicating the lane width size is automatically calculated and set by the coordinate calculation unit 130 according to the arrangement of the nodes in the lane.

In the department / department table 112, for example, information that the department ID is “1”, the department name is “customer”, and the lane width size is “152” is set.
It should be noted that the selection target for prompting the creator to select as an item indicating the processing (department), input (department), and output (department) on the business information input screen 111a is set to the department name in the department / department table 112 It can be extracted from the name.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the data structure of the business table. The business table 113 is stored in the business information storage unit 110. The business table 113 includes an item indicating a business ID, an item indicating a business name, and an item indicating a lane height size. Information arranged in the horizontal direction of each item is associated with each other to constitute information about one business.

  In the item indicating the business ID, a business identification number is set. The name of the business is set in the item indicating the business name. In the item indicating the lane height size, a value indicating the height of the lane for creating the corresponding job is set. The value set in the item indicating the lane height size is automatically calculated and set by the coordinate calculation unit 130 according to the arrangement of the nodes in the lane.

In the business table 113, for example, information that the business ID is “1”, the business name is “sales”, and the lane height size is “505” is set.
It should be noted that the selection target for prompting the creator to select as an item indicating the business on the business information input screen 111 a can be extracted from the name set in the business name of the business table 113.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a data structure example of the symbol size table. The symbol size table 114 is stored in the business information storage unit 110. The setting of each item in the symbol size table 114 is predefined by the creator. Information arranged in the horizontal direction of each item is associated with each other to form information about one symbol.

  The symbol size table 114 includes an item indicating a symbol type, an item indicating a width abbreviation, an item indicating a width size, an item indicating a height abbreviation, and an item indicating a height size. In the item indicating the symbol type, the type of processing is set. A symbol representing a process in the business flowchart can be designated by the name of the process. For example, a rectangle is specified for the processing unit, the input unit, and the output unit, and a diamond is specified for if. In the item indicating the width abbreviation, a character string indicating the width of the corresponding symbol is set. In the item indicating the width size, a numerical value indicating the width of the corresponding symbol is set. In the item indicating the height abbreviation, a character string indicating the height of the corresponding symbol is set. In the item indicating the height size, a numerical value indicating the height of the corresponding symbol is set.

  In the symbol size table 114, for example, information that the symbol type is “processing unit”, the width abbreviation is “p_w”, the width size is “60”, the height abbreviation is “p_h”, and the height size is “30” is set. Is done.

  In the symbol size table 114, “maximum value of symbol width” is set as the symbol type. As the width size corresponding to the symbol type “maximum value of symbol width”, the value of the width size of the symbol having the maximum width among the symbols used for drawing the business flowchart is set. In the example of the symbol size table 114, “100” that is the value of the width size of “if” is set as the width size corresponding to the symbol type “maximum value of symbol width”. It is not necessary to set information on the height abbreviation and height size corresponding to the symbol type “maximum value of symbol width”, and the setting of these items is “− (hyphen)”.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a data structure example of the lane size table. The lane size table 115 is stored in the business information storage unit 110. The setting of each item of the lane size table 115 is defined in advance by the creator. Information arranged in the horizontal direction of each item is associated with each other to constitute information about the size of the margin portion of one lane.

The lane size table 115 includes an item indicating a dimension name, an item indicating a width abbreviation, an item indicating a width size, an item indicating a height abbreviation, and an item indicating a height size.
In the item indicating the dimension name, the name of the length of the margin part of the lane or the length of the link part between the nodes is set. In the item indicating the width abbreviation, a character string representing the width specified by the dimension name is set. In the item indicating the width size, a numerical value indicating the width specified by the dimension name is set. In the item indicating the height abbreviation, a character string representing the height specified by the dimension name is set. In the item indicating the height size, a numerical value indicating the height specified by the dimension name is set.

  The lane size table 115 includes, for example, information that the dimension name is “top margin height”, the width abbreviation and the width size are “− (hyphen)”, the height abbreviation is “t_h”, and the height size is “10”. Is set. When the dimension name is “Top Margin Height”, the information specified by the name is only the height information, so it is not necessary to set the width abbreviation and the width size. -(Hyphen) ".

  FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing symbols and dimensions of each part of the lane. The abbreviations of the respective parts shown in FIG. 9 correspond to the abbreviations of the respective parts shown in the symbol size table 114 and the lane size table 115.

  “P_w” indicates a width abbreviation of the symbol type “processing unit” in the symbol size table 114, and the corresponding width size is “60”. “P_h” indicates the height abbreviation of the symbol type “processing unit” in the symbol size table 114, and the corresponding height size is “30”. Note that “in_w”, “in_h”, “o_w”, “o_h”, “if_w”, “if_h”, “e_w”, and “e_h” are also abbreviations of the width and height of each part of the symbol size table 114. Corresponding to

  “L_w” indicates a width abbreviation of the dimension name “cell left margin width” in the lane size table 115, and the corresponding width size is “46”. “T_h” indicates the height abbreviation of the dimension name “top margin height” in the lane size table 115, and the corresponding height size is “10”. “B_h”, “r_w”, “re_h”, and “re2_h” also correspond to the abbreviations of the width and height of each part of the lane size table 115 in the same manner.

  Here, the X coordinate is a coordinate system in which the value increases from left to right in the width direction with the upper left corner of each lane as the origin, and the Y coordinate is from the top to the bottom in the height direction with the upper left corner of each lane as the origin. A coordinate system with increasing values. X and Y coordinates are defined in the lane.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a data structure example of the two-dimensional arrangement table. The two-dimensional arrangement table 116 is stored in the business information storage unit 110. The two-dimensional arrangement unit 120 associates lanes representing business organizations with columns, for example, “column 1 (customer)”, “column 2 (bookstore)”, “column 3 (wholesaler)” in the two-dimensional arrangement table 116. ”. Then, the two-dimensional arrangement unit 120 divides the height direction of the lane into rows, and defines them as “row 1”, “row 2”, and “row 3” in the two-dimensional arrangement table 116, for example. Then, the two-dimensional arrangement unit 120 arranges nodes representing business processes in association with the divided rows and columns based on a predetermined arrangement rule.

  The two-dimensional arrangement unit 120 creates a two-dimensional arrangement table 116 with reference to the business information table 111 stored in the business information storage unit 110. In the two-dimensional arrangement table 116, each process is expressed in alphabets associated with item numbers in the business information table 111. The alphabet is “P” for “processing” in the business information table 111, “I” for “input”, “O” for “output”, followed by the item number of the business information table 111. Give. In this way, in the two-dimensional arrangement table 116, for example, information of I1 (book order) in row 1 column 1 and P1 (acceptance) in row 1 column 2 is set based on a predetermined arrangement rule. Is done.

The coordinate calculation unit 130 can acquire information on the execution order relationship of each node based on the two-dimensional arrangement table 116 created in this way.
FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the execution order relationship of each node.

  The two-dimensional arrangement 116a represents the execution order relationship of each node based on the two-dimensional arrangement table 116. The execution order of each node is defined in the order of input (symbol: I), processing (symbol: P), and output (symbol: O) in the same row. Furthermore, the execution order of each node is defined in order from top to bottom in ascending order of row numbers. If no input or output is defined, that node is skipped and the execution order is defined to the next node. For example, if there is an output “O1” for a certain process “P1”, the process is connected from the output “O1” to the next process “P2”. When there is no output “O1”, the process is linked from the process “P1” to the next process “P2”.

  The coordinate calculation unit 130 refers to the two-dimensional arrangement table 116 to acquire information on the execution order relationship of each node as indicated by the two-dimensional arrangement 116a. And the coordinate calculation part 130 calculates the coordinate which arrange | positions each node based on this information.

  12 and 13 are diagrams showing examples of the data structure of the coordinate table. The coordinate table 117 is stored in the business information storage unit 110. The coordinate table 117 is set by the coordinate calculation unit 130 based on the business information table 111, the symbol size table 114, the lane size table 115, and the two-dimensional arrangement table 116. The coordinate table 117 includes an item indicating a two-dimensional arrangement, an item indicating a symbol, an item indicating contents, an item indicating work, an item indicating a department, an item indicating a width, an item indicating a height, and an item indicating a center X coordinate. , Item indicating the center Y coordinate, item indicating the upper contact (X coordinate, Y coordinate), item indicating the lower contact (X coordinate, Y coordinate), item indicating the right contact (X coordinate, Y coordinate), left contact ( An item indicating (X coordinate, Y coordinate) is provided. Information arranged in the horizontal direction of each item is associated with each other to constitute information about one node.

  In the item indicating the two-dimensional arrangement, row and column information in the two-dimensional arrangement table 116 for the node is set. A node processing category is set in the item indicating a symbol. The content of processing is set in the item indicating the content. In the item indicating the business, the name of the business in which the node is classified is set. In the item indicating the department, the name of the department executing the process and the name of the person in charge are set. In the item indicating the width, a value indicating the width of a symbol drawn as a node is set. In the item indicating height, a value indicating the height of a symbol drawn as a node is set. In the item indicating the center X-coordinate, the X-coordinate at which the center of the node is arranged is set. In the item indicating the center Y coordinate, the Y coordinate for arranging the center of the node is set. In the item indicating the upper contact (X coordinate, Y coordinate), the X coordinate and the Y coordinate of the point at which the link connecting the corresponding node and the immediately preceding node contacts the corresponding node are set. In the item indicating the lower contact (X coordinate, Y coordinate), the X coordinate and the Y coordinate of the point where the link connecting the corresponding node and the immediately following node contacts the corresponding node are set. In the item indicating the right contact (X coordinate, Y coordinate), an X coordinate and a Y coordinate of a point at which a link connecting the corresponding node and the immediately following node contacts the corresponding node are set. In the item indicating the left contact point (X coordinate, Y coordinate), an X coordinate and a Y coordinate of a point where a link connecting the corresponding node and the immediately preceding node contacts the corresponding node are set. The coordinate table 117 stores data from top to bottom in time series in the order of node execution.

  As described above, with respect to the contact points of the upper, lower, left, and right links of a node, a link connecting a node to the next node is connected to the right contact or the lower contact of the node. A link connecting a certain node and the immediately preceding node is connected to the left contact or the upper contact of the node. If the node is an if process, a link with the node representing the if-yes process is connected to the lower contact of the if process node, and the if-no process is represented at the left contact of the if process node. Connect the link with the node. That is, the if-no process “P4” in the two-dimensional arrangement 116a is a process branched in the width direction of the lane in the work flowchart, and is closer to column 3 (the “wholesale” lane) than the if-yes process “P3”. Placed in.

  In the coordinate table 117, for example, the two-dimensional arrangement is “1 row and 1 column”, the symbol is “input”, the content is “book order”, the business is “sales”, the department is “customer”, and the width is “60”. , Height is "40", center X coordinate is "76", center Y coordinate is "30", upper contact (X coordinate) is "76", upper contact (Y coordinate) is "10", lower contact (X Coordinate) is “76”, lower contact (Y coordinate) is “50”, right contact (X coordinate) is “46”, right contact (Y coordinate) is “30”, and left contact (X coordinate) is “106”. The information that the left contact (Y coordinate) is “30” is set.

Next, details of the business flowchart creation processing in the business flowchart creation apparatus 100 having the above configuration will be described.
FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing a procedure for creating a work flowchart. In the following, the process illustrated in FIG. 14 will be described in order of step number.

  [Step S100] The creator inputs business information according to the business information input screen 111a. The business information storage unit 110 stores the input information as a business information table 111.

[Step S200] The two-dimensional arrangement unit 120 refers to the business information table 111 and executes a two-dimensional arrangement process.
[Step S300] The coordinate calculation unit 130 performs coordinate calculation processing based on the business information table 111, the symbol size table 114, the lane size table 115, and the two-dimensional arrangement table 116 stored in the business information storage unit 110.

[Step S400] The drawing unit 140 executes a drawing process of a work flowchart based on the coordinate table 117 stored in the work information storage unit 110.
Details of the processing shown in steps S200, 300, and 400 will be described below. First, the two-dimensional arrangement process in step S200 will be described.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the two-dimensional arrangement process. In the following, the process illustrated in FIG. 15 will be described in order of step number.
[Step S <b> 201] The two-dimensional arrangement unit 120 acquires a department name defined from the business information table 111.

[Step S202] The two-dimensional arrangement unit 120 creates a lane associated with each department name. The two-dimensional arrangement unit 120 manages each lane by dividing it into rows and columns.
[Step S203] The two-dimensional arrangement unit 120 initializes a row counter N indicating a table reference row in the business information table 111 to 1.

[Step S204] The two-dimensional arrangement unit 120 refers to the Nth row of the business information table 111 and acquires the business information set in the table.
[Step S205] The two-dimensional arrangement unit 120 arranges the input, processing, and output nodes included in the business information in the corresponding lane row, and sets the arrangement result data in the two-dimensional arrangement table 116. The two-dimensional arrangement unit 120 stores the two-dimensional arrangement table 116 in the business information storage unit 110.

[Step S206] The two-dimensional arrangement unit 120 increments the value of the row counter N by one.
[Step S207] The two-dimensional arrangement unit 120 determines whether or not there is no data in the Nth row of the business information table 111. When the data is lost, the two-dimensional arrangement process is completed. If data exists, the process proceeds to step S204.

Next, the coordinate calculation process in step S300 will be described.
FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the coordinate calculation process. In the following, the process illustrated in FIG. 16 will be described in order of step number. The parameters such as “p_w”, “p_h”, “l_w”, and “t_h” described below are all defined in the symbol size table 114 and the lane size table 115. The parameters representing the symbol size will be described assuming that the symbol type is a processing unit, but the same applies to symbol types such as an input unit, an output unit, and if.

[Step S301] The coordinate calculation unit 130 initializes a row counter N indicating a table reference row in the two-dimensional arrangement table 116 to 1.
[Step S302] The coordinate calculation unit 130 refers to the Nth row of the two-dimensional arrangement table 116 and acquires the two-dimensional arrangement data of each node.

  [Step S303] The coordinate calculation unit 130 determines whether or not the value of the row counter N is greater than one. If N is greater than 1, the process proceeds to step S304. If N is not greater than 1, that is, N is 1, the process proceeds to step S306.

  [Step S304] The coordinate calculation unit 130 determines whether the node is other than if-no processing. If the process is other than the if-no process, the process proceeds to step S305. If the process is not the if-no process, that is, if-no process, the process proceeds to step S307.

  [Step S305] The coordinate calculation unit 130 refers to the two-dimensional arrangement data and determines the direction of the arrow of the link from the node immediately before the node that is the target of coordinate calculation. If the arrow of the link is pointing to the right (hereinafter referred to as “right expansion”), the process proceeds to step S308. If the direction of the arrow of the link is leftward (hereinafter referred to as left expansion), the process proceeds to step S309. If the direction of the link arrow is other than right or left, the process proceeds to step S310.

  [Step S306] The coordinate calculation unit 130 calculates the X coordinate for arranging the center of the node as X = “l_w” + ½ × “p_w”, and the Y coordinate as Y = “t_h” + ½ × “p_h”. .

  [Step S307] The coordinate calculation unit 130 sets the X coordinate for arranging the center of the node as X = (X coordinate of the center of the node defined immediately before the node in the lane) + 1/2 × “max_w “+ 1/2 ד p_w ”, Y coordinate is calculated as Y = (Y coordinate of the lower contact point of the node defined immediately before the node in the lane) +“ re2_h ”+ 1/2 ד p_h ” To do.

  [Step S308] The coordinate calculation unit 130 calculates the X coordinate for arranging the center of the node as X = “l_w” + ½ × “p_w”. Then, the coordinate calculation unit 130 sets the Y coordinate at which the center of the node is arranged as the Y coordinate of the node immediately before being connected to the target node.

  [Step S309] The coordinate calculation unit 130 defines the X coordinate for arranging the center of the node as X = “l_w” + ½ × “p_w”, and the Y coordinate as Y = (one of all the nodes defined previously). (Y coordinate of the lower contact of the node) + “re_h” + ½ × “p_h”. Here, when a node is arranged with the Y coordinate calculated by this equation, if it overlaps with another node, “re2_h” is further added to the value of the Y coordinate so that the nodes do not overlap each other. Adjust the position in the height direction.

  [Step S310] If there is a node immediately before the node connected to the target node, the coordinate calculation unit 130 sets the same X coordinate as that of the immediately preceding node, and is connected like endif. If there is no immediately preceding node, the same X coordinate as that of the corresponding node for if processing or the like is used. In addition, when there is a node immediately before being connected to the target node, the coordinate calculation unit 130 sets the Y coordinate where the center of the node is arranged as Y = (the node defined immediately before one of the nodes in the same lane). Y = (re_h) + 1/2 × “p_h”, and if there is no immediately preceding node to be connected like endif, Y = (one previous node in the same lane) Y coordinate of the lower contact point of the node defined in (1)) + “re2_h” + ½ × “e_h”.

[Step S311] The coordinate calculation unit 130 calculates a connection point of links in the node.
[Step S312] The coordinate calculation unit 130 recalculates the width of the lane in which the node is arranged.

[Step S313] The coordinate calculation unit 130 increments the value of the row counter N indicating the reference row in the two-dimensional arrangement table 116 by one.
[Step S314] The coordinate calculation unit 130 determines whether there is no data in the Nth row of the two-dimensional arrangement table 116. When there is no data, the coordinate calculation process is completed. If data exists, the process proceeds to step S302.

Next, the drawing process in step S400 will be described.
FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the drawing process. In the following, the process illustrated in FIG. 17 will be described in order of step number.

[Step S401] The drawing unit 140 initializes a row counter N indicating a table reference row in the coordinate table 117 to 1.
[Step S402] The drawing unit 140 refers to the Nth row of the coordinate table 117 and obtains the coordinate data of each node.

[Step S403] The drawing unit 140 creates a node based on the coordinate data.
[Step S404] The link control unit 150 determines the processing classification of the node created in step S403. If the process classification of the node is other than if-yes process, if-no process, or endif process, the process proceeds to step S405. If the process classification of the node is an if-yes process, the process proceeds to step S406. If the process classification of the node is an if-no process, the process proceeds to step S407. If the node processing classification is endif processing, the process proceeds to step S408.

  [Step S405] The drawing unit 140 connects the node created in step S403 and the immediately preceding node with an arrow that is a link representing the execution order relationship of the processes. Here, the immediately preceding node is a node that is executed immediately before the target node due to the execution order relationship. Normally, the processing flows in order from the top of the coordinate table 117. However, for example, when the target node is an if-yes process or an if-no process, the drawing unit 140 sets the immediately preceding node as a node representing the if process. Control is performed such that the output of the if-yes process and the if-no process are not connected by a link.

  [Step S406] The link control unit 150 has already created a node representing the if-no process corresponding to the node representing the if-yes process to be drawn, and further has a node representing the if-no process. It is determined whether left lane processing is connected to another lane processing by a link. If the if-no process has already been created and the link of the left development is connected, “Yes” is written on the node representing the target if-yes process, and the process proceeds to step S408. If the if-no process has not been created, or if a left-deployed link is not connected even though it has been created, the process moves to step S405.

  [Step S407] The link control unit 150 has already created a node representing the if-yes process corresponding to the node representing the if-no process to be drawn, and further displays a node representing the if-yes process. It is determined whether or not it is connected by a link with another lane processing by right development. If the if-yes process has been created and the right-expanded link is connected, “No” is written on the node representing the target if-no process, and the process proceeds to step S408. If the if-yes process has not been created, or if it has been created but the right-expanded link is not connected, the process proceeds to step S405.

[Step S408] The drawing unit 140 increments the value of the row counter N indicating the reference row in the coordinate table 117 by one.
[Step S409] The drawing unit 140 determines whether or not there is no data in the Nth row of the coordinate table 117. If there is no more data, the drawing process is completed. If data exists, the process proceeds to step S402.

Thus, the link control unit 150, when the drawing unit 140 creates a link between nodes,
Based on the execution order relationship between business processes, the drawing means 12 is controlled so as not to create a link in the lane among the links in the lane after the branch of the if process and the links crossing the lane, thereby eliminating the crossing of the links. To do. Even when the link is not created, the relationship between the if process and the if-no process is clear by the symbol “No” given to the top of the if-no process. That is, the execution order between nodes can be understood without creating a link. As a result, the crossing of the links is eliminated, so that it is possible to create a business flowchart that is simple and easy to see and can easily understand the flow of business processing.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a created work flowchart.
The business flowchart 161 is a business flowchart related to a book sales business created based on the information shown in the business information table 111.

  From the node “stock check” which is the if process shown in the work flowchart 161, the process branches to a node “stock update” which is an if-yes process and a node “book order” which is an if-no process. The drawing unit 140 assigns a symbol “No” to the node “book order”, which is an if-no process, to clearly indicate that the process is an if-no process for a branch of the if process. Thereby, the relationship between the if process and the if-no process is clear, and the execution order between the nodes can be understood even if there is no link. In addition, the drawing unit 140 indicates that the end of the if process is completed if the endif is arranged on the work flowchart, and it is clear that the process after the if process continues from there. A link between the if-yes process and the if-no process and endif is not created. In this way, if the flow of the preceding and following nodes is clear even if the link representing the execution order relationship of each node is omitted, by not creating the target link, the intersection of the links is eliminated, and the conciseness is simplified. It is possible to create a business flowchart that is easy to see and can easily understand the flow of business processing.

  If it is desired to modify the arrangement of each node in the work flowchart 161, the work information input screen 111a replaces or inserts the line in which the information of the target node is defined with the line to be changed, and the work information table 111 Reflect changes to. If the lane order is to be changed, the department ID in the department / charge table 112 is changed. The department ID corresponds to the layout of the lane. For example, when the lane of the “customer” and the lane of the “bookstore” are to be changed, the department ID of the “customer” and the department ID of the “bookstore” are exchanged. The change is reflected in the department / charge table 112. Upon receiving a change in the work information table 111 or the department / department table 112, the work flowchart creation apparatus 100 recalculates the arrangement coordinates of each node and automatically redraws the revised work flowchart. As described above, even when the work flowchart 161 is corrected, the correction can be easily performed only by updating the data of the target table.

FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating an example of a work flowchart when links intersect.
The work flowchart 162 is a part including the if process of the work flowchart 161. However, in the work flowchart 162, a case where drawing is performed while allowing the intersection of links is shown as an example. If there is a link crossing, the execution order between nodes cannot be immediately determined at the crossing part, which is a factor that hinders understanding of the flow of business processing.

FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating an example of a business flowchart in which a link intersection is eliminated.
The work flowchart 163 is a part including the if process of the work flowchart 161. In the business flowchart 163, when the drawing unit 140 creates a link between nodes by the link control unit 150, the business flow 163 crosses the links and lanes in the lane after the branch of the if processing based on the execution order relationship between the business processing. In this example, the drawing means 12 is controlled so as not to create a link in the lane among the links, and the result of eliminating the crossing of the links is shown.

By doing in this way, it is possible to create a business flowchart that is simple and easy to see and that can easily understand the flow of business processing.
In the above description, “processing” in the business information table 111 is exemplified as if-yes and if-no corresponding to the if processing. However, if-yes and if-no are not limited to “processing”. It may be “input” or “output”.

  Further, in the above description, only the if process is shown as the conditional branch. However, the case process may be used for the conditional branch. In the following, a description will be given of drawing of a business flowchart when the case process is used.

FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data structure of a two-dimensional arrangement table in case processing.
The two-dimensional arrangement table (case processing) 118 is the same as the two-dimensional arrangement table 116 in terms of the row and column structure, and thus the description thereof is omitted. In the two-dimensional arrangement table (case processing) 118, “column 1 (W1)” is set as the lane. Then, the case processing is set to rows “1” to “7” for the lane of “column 1 (W1)”.

FIG. 22 is a schematic diagram showing the execution order relationship of each node in case processing.
A two-dimensional arrangement (case process) 118 a represents an execution order relationship of each node based on the two-dimensional arrangement table (case process) 118. In the two-dimensional arrangement (case process) 118a, “P11” is arranged in row 1 and column 1 as the first branch of the case process, and “P12” is connected as a process following “P11”. Also, “P13” is arranged in row 3 column 1 as the second branch of the case process, and “P14” is connected as a process subsequent to “P13”. Further, “P15” is arranged in row 5 and column 1 as the third branch of the case process, and “P16” is connected as a process subsequent to “P15”. End case “P17” indicating completion of the case process is arranged in row 7 column 1.

FIG. 23 is a diagram showing a work flowchart in case processing.
The work flowchart 164 is a work flowchart drawn by the drawing unit 140 based on the two-dimensional arrangement table (case processing) 118. Since it is clear that the case processes shown in “P11”, “P13”, and “P15” represent the respective conditions of the case process, the drawing unit 140 provides a link with the process that follows each case process. It is only created, and the link between “P11”, “P13”, and “P15” is not created. In addition, if the end case such as “P17” is arranged on the work flowchart, the drawing unit 140 indicates completion of the above case processing, and it is clear that the processing after the case processing continues from there. Therefore, a link with the above case process is not created.

  As described above, regarding the case processing, since the relationship of the processing is clear by referring to the node on the work flowchart, the drawing unit 140 does not create a link between the node representing the case processing and the node representing the endcase. . As a result, it is possible to create a business flowchart that is simple and easy to see and can easily understand the flow of business processing.

  As mentioned above, although the business flowchart creation program and the business flowchart creation device of the present invention have been described based on the illustrated embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and the configuration of each unit is arbitrary having the same function. It can be replaced with that of the configuration. Moreover, other arbitrary structures and processes may be added to the present invention. Further, the present invention may be a combination of any two or more configurations (features) of the above-described embodiments.

  The above processing functions can be realized by a computer. In that case, a program describing the processing contents of the functions that the computer should have is provided. By executing the program on a computer, the above processing functions are realized on the computer.

  The program describing the processing contents can be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. Examples of the computer-readable recording medium include a magnetic recording device, an optical disk, a magneto-optical recording medium, and a semiconductor memory. Examples of the magnetic recording device include an HDD, a flexible disk (FD), and a magnetic tape (MT). Optical disks include DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), DVD-RAM, CD-ROM (Compact Disc-Read Only Memory), CD-R (Recordable) / RW (ReWritable), and the like. Magneto-optical recording media include MO (Magneto-Optical disk).

  When the program is distributed, for example, a portable recording medium such as a DVD or CD-ROM in which the program is recorded is sold. It is also possible to store the program in a server computer and transfer the program from the server computer to another computer via a network.

  The computer that executes the program stores, for example, the program recorded on the portable recording medium or the program transferred from the server computer in its own storage device. Then, the computer reads the program from its own storage device and executes processing according to the program. The computer can also read the program directly from the portable recording medium and execute processing according to the program. In addition, each time the program is transferred from the server computer, the computer can sequentially execute processing according to the received program.

It is a conceptual diagram of the invention applied to embodiment. It is a figure which shows the hardware constitutions of the work flowchart preparation apparatus. It is a block diagram which shows the function of a work flowchart preparation apparatus. It is a figure which shows the example of a data structure of a work information table. It is a figure which shows the example of a data structure of a department and charge table. It is a figure which shows the example of a data structure of a business table. It is a figure which shows the example of a data structure of a symbol size table. It is a figure which shows the example of a data structure of a lane size table. It is a schematic diagram showing the symbol and the dimension of each part of a lane. It is a figure which shows the data structure example of a two-dimensional arrangement | positioning table. It is a schematic diagram which shows the execution order relationship of each node. It is a figure which shows the example of a data structure of a coordinate table. It is a figure which shows the example of a data structure of a coordinate table. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of work flowchart preparation. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of a two-dimensional arrangement | positioning process. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of a coordinate calculation process. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of a drawing process. It is a figure which shows the produced work flowchart. It is a figure which shows the example of the work flowchart in case a link crosses. It is a figure which shows the example of the work flowchart which eliminated the crossing of the link. It is a figure which shows the example of a data structure of the two-dimensional arrangement | positioning table in the case of case processing. It is a schematic diagram which shows the execution order relationship of each node in the case of case processing. It is a figure which shows the work flowchart in the case of case processing.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Computer 11 Business information storage means 12 Drawing means 13 Link control means 21 Business flowchart

Claims (3)

In the business flowchart creation program that automatically creates a business flowchart that visualizes the business flow,
Computer
Business information storage means for storing business information that defines a plurality of business processes constituting the business flow, a business organization that executes each business process, and an execution order relationship between the business processes;
In the lane corresponding to the business organization that reads the business information from the business information storage unit, creates a lane representing the business organization, creates a node representing the business processing according to the execution order relationship, and executes the business processing Creating a link that connects between the nodes representing the execution order relationship,
When the drawing means creates the link, the first node, the second node, and the third node are arranged in the first lane, and the fourth node is arranged in the second lane. The second node is disposed behind the first node and in front of the third node with respect to the direction, and the third node is more than the second node with respect to the width direction of the lane. 2, the business relationship represented by the first node branches to the business processing represented by the second node and the business processing represented by the third node. When the execution order relationship in which the business process represented by the fourth node is executed following the business process represented by the second node is detected, the plotting means is on the path from the first node to the third node. That controls to avoid creating links Your means,
A business flowchart creation program characterized in that it functions as a program. Further causing the computer to function as an operation receiving unit that receives an instruction to change the adjacent relationship of the plurality of lanes created by the drawing unit;
When the operation receiving unit receives an instruction to change the adjacency relationship, the link control unit re-determines whether or not a link is created based on the changed node arrangement relationship.
The business flowchart creation program according to claim 1. In the business flowchart creation device that automatically creates a business flowchart that visualizes the business flow,
Business information storage means for storing business information that defines a plurality of business processes constituting the business flow, a business organization that executes each business process, and an execution order relationship between the business processes;
In the lane corresponding to the business organization that reads the business information from the business information storage unit, creates a lane representing the business organization, creates a node representing the business processing according to the execution order relationship, and executes the business processing And creating a link for connecting the nodes representing the execution order relationship,
When the drawing means creates the link, the first node, the second node, and the third node are arranged in the first lane, and the fourth node is arranged in the second lane. The second node is disposed behind the first node and in front of the third node with respect to the direction, and the third node is more than the second node with respect to the width direction of the lane. 2, the business relationship represented by the first node branches to the business processing represented by the second node and the business processing represented by the third node. When the execution order relationship in which the business process represented by the fourth node is executed following the business process represented by the second node is detected, the plotting means is on the path from the first node to the third node. That controls to avoid creating links And control means,
A business flowchart creation device characterized by comprising:

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