METHOD AND SYSTEM TO MANAGE A BUSINESS PROCESS

1 . A system comprising:

a monitor to monitor ad-hoc events related to a main task, the ad-hoc events associated with end-user task-management activities;

a collector to collect data associated with the ad-hoc events related to the main task;

a task pattern generator to generate a task pattern based on the collected data.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the ad-hoc events originate in a context of a client email application.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the monitor comprises a task commencement detector to detect an event associated with a commencement of the main task.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the monitor comprises a task status detector to detect an event associated with a completion of the main task.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the monitor comprises a task delegation detector to detect an event associated with a sub-task of the main task, the sub-task resulting from a delegation event.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the main task is associated with a to do item generated by an e-mail client module.

7 . The system of claim 1 , comprising a task pattern reuse manager to execute the task pattern and to store execution history of the task pattern.

8 . The system of claim 1 , comprising a workflow model generator to generate a formal workflow model based on the task pattern and the execution history of the task pattern.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the workflow model generator is to enhance the formal workflow model with comments describing one or more ad-hoc events from the task pattern, the comments associated with respective ad-hoc events from the task pattern based on a mapping scheme.

10 . A method comprising:

detecting an ad-hoc event indicative of a main task;

monitoring ad-hoc events related to the main task, the ad-hoc events associated with end-user task-management activities;

collecting the ad-hoc events related to the main task;

generating a task pattern based on the collected ad-hoc events related to the main task.

11 . The method of claim 10 , comprising storing the task pattern for future use.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the main task is a to do item originated in an end-user office application.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the end-user office application is an e-mail client application.

14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the ad-hoc events related to the main task include a task delegation event.

15 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the ad-hoc events related to the main task include an e-mail message related to the main task.

16 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the generated task pattern includes one or more artifacts associated with the main task.

17 . The method of claim 10 , comprising generating a formal workflow model based on the task pattern and a mapping scheme.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the generating of the formal workflow model comprises associating a workflow model entity from the formal workflow with an ad-hoc event from the task pattern.

19 . A method comprising:

collecting ad-hoc events related to a main task, the ad-hoc events comprising a task commencing event, a task delegating event, a task progress event, and a task completion event;

arranging the collected ad-hoc events into a task pattern;

generating a formal workflow model utilizing the task pattern and a mapping scheme, the mapping scheme providing association between ad-hoc events and workflow model entities; and

enhancing the formal workflow model with comments describing one or more ad-hoc events from the task pattern, the comments associated with respective ad-hoc events from the task pattern based on the mapping scheme.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the generating of the formal workflow model includes utilizing execution history of the task pattern.