System and method of scheduling work within a workflow with defined process goals
A system and method schedule work within a workflow with defined process goals. A plurality of work queues are defined that comprise work items. The plurality of work queues are associated with one or more links between a parent work queue and at least one child work queue to form at least one work process. At least one work process goal is defined for each work process. A work schedule to achieve the work process goals is generated.
1. A computer-implemented method for utilizing a graphical user interface for dynamically optimizing schedules for a workflow with underlying constraints, the method comprising:
initializing the graphical user interface having a toolbar, a properties tab, and a canvas, wherein the toolbar has a plurality of work queues movable by a user from the toolbar to the canvas, wherein each of the plurality of work queues graphically represents a predefined, specific step in the workflow;
moving at least two of the plurality of work queues from the toolbar to the canvas;
creating a plurality of directional graphical links connecting at least two of the plurality of work queues on the canvas to form the workflow, wherein the workflow has at least one work process, wherein the work process has at least one parent work queue and at least one child work queue such that the parent work queue and the child work queue are connected by at least one directional graphical link, wherein each work process is indicated with a unique color, each work queue and further each graphical link not part of a work process are graphically depicted by a single unique color, and wherein each work queue graphically depicts each of the unique colors for each of the work process to which it belongs;
utilizing the properties tab to assign at least one constraint to at least one of the plurality of work queues or at least one of the plurality of graphical links;
utilizing the properties tab to assign at least one work process goal to the at least one work process; and
determining an optimized work schedule by performing a simulated annealing technique, wherein the simulated annealing technique generates the schedule for the workflow, evaluates the resultant simulated workflow, and iteratively alters the schedule and evaluates the resultant simulated workflow until the at least one work process goal is met.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising assigning at least one express or hidden constraint to at least one of the plurality of work queues or at least one of the plurality of graphical links.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the express constraint statically relates work items in the parent work queue to work items in the child work queue.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the hidden constraint dynamically relates work items in the parent work queue to work items in the child work queue.
5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the schedule is generated or evaluated based on the at least one express or hidden constraint.
6. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
receiving at least one dynamic modification to the at least one hidden constraint; and
generating a plurality of work schedules for evaluation.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the schedule is evaluated based on at least one performance metric.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the at least one performance metric comprises a service level score based upon at least upon an average queue wait time at each of the plurality of work queues and an unfinished workload at the end of a process goal time.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising updating the toolbar with a list of all work processes appearing on the canvas.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising differentiating the work queues belonging to different work processes by enclosing the work queues belonging to a particular work process in a frame displayed on the canvas.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one work process goal is a time to complete the work process.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein each work queue comprises a plurality of work items wherein once the task is performed on each work item a new work item is created at a next work queue in the work process.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein a user creates a plurality of graphical links between a parent work queue on the canvas and at least two child work queues on the canvas.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein at least one property of each of the plurality of graphical links between the parent work queue and the at least two child work queues is a percentage of a workflow volume passing to the respective one of the at least two child work queues.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein each of the plurality of graphical links between the parent work queue and the at least two child work queues displays the percentage of the workflow volume passing to the respective one of the at least two child work queues.
16. A graphical user interface for dynamically optimizing schedules for a workflow with underlying constraints, the graphical user interface comprising:
a toolbar, a properties tab, and a canvas;
wherein the toolbar includes a plurality of work queues movable by a user from the toolbar to the canvas;
wherein each of the plurality of work queues graphically represents a predefined, specific step in the workflow; and
a plurality of directional graphical links connecting at least two of the plurality of work queues on the canvas to form the workflow, wherein the workflow has at least one work process; wherein the work process has at least one parent work queue and at least one child work queue such that the parent work queue and the child work queue are connected by at least one directional graphical link, wherein each work process is indicated with a unique color, each work queue and each graphical link not part of a work process are graphically depicted by a single unique color, and further wherein each work queue graphically depicts each of the unique colors for each of the work process to which it belongs;
wherein the properties tab is configured to assign at least one property to at least one of the plurality of work queues or at least one of the plurality of graphical links,
wherein the properties tab is configured to assign at least one work process goal to the at least one work process and assign at least one constraint to at least one of the plurality of work queues, or at least one of the plurality of graphical links and
wherein an optimized work schedule is determined by performing a simulated annealing technique, wherein the simulated annealing technique generates the schedule for the workflow, evaluates the resultant simulated workflow, and iteratively alters the schedule and evaluates the resultant simulated workflow until the at least one work process goal is met.
17. The method of claim 6 , wherein the dynamic hidden constraint overrides at least one of the express constraints based on determining the optimized work schedule is unattainable due to the at least one express constraint.