Workflow management method and workflow management apparatus

1. A workflow management method, implemented on a workflow management apparatus, comprising:

a workflow starting step of determining, at the workflow management apparatus, a workflow based on one or more tags attached to a workflow document based on a received input from a user, retrieving a status tag, a document type tag, and a participant tag from a tag database, attaching the retrieved status tag, document type tag, and participant tag to the workflow document, and starting the workflow;

a document filtering step of filtering, at the workflow management apparatus, the workflow document based on one or more tags attached to the workflow document indicating a document type; and

a review/approval step of requesting, at the workflow management apparatus, review or approval of the workflow document based on the status tag and the participant tag and updating the status tag and the participant tag after the review and/or approval,

wherein the workflow starting step includes

registering the one or more tags for determining the workflow in association with the workflow document,

determining the workflow based on the registered one or more tags and displaying the determined workflow to request confirmation for starting the workflow, and

registering the participant tag indicating a first participant of the workflow and the status tag indicating a status of the workflow in association with the workflow document; and

the review/approval step includes delivering metadata of the workflow document to a corresponding participant based on the participant tag to request the review or approval of the workflow document,

updating the status tag and, if there is a next participant, updating the participant tag so as to indicate the next participant based on the result of the review or approval, and

repeating the delivering and updating steps until the workflow is completed.

2. The workflow management method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein, the workflow document is identified by searching a database of workflow documents based on a tag specified in a request for metadata and the metadata of the identified workflow document are delivered.

3. The workflow management method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

authenticating a user when the user tries to register the workflow document or when the user tries to review or approve the workflow document and allowing a subsequent process if the user is a legitimate user.

4. The workflow management method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

obtaining definitions of the status tag and the participant tag from the tag database containing the definitions when confirming a status and a participant of the workflow during the review or approval or when attaching or updating the status tag and the participant tag.

5. The workflow management method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

determining the one or more tags to be attached to the workflow document based on a user name or an organizational unit of a user.

6. The workflow management method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

determining the one or more tags to be attached to the workflow document based on a document type and/or an organizational unit selected by a user.

7. A workflow management apparatus, comprising:

a non-transitory memory configured to store a tag definition database;

a workflow starting unit configured

to determine a workflow based on one or more tags attached to a workflow document based on a received input from a user,

to retrieve a status tag, a document type tag, and a participant tag from the tag definition database stored in the non-transitory memory,

to attach the retrieved status tag, document type tag, and participant tag to the workflow document, and

to start the workflow; and

a review/approval unit configured to filter the workflow document based on document type tags,

to request review or approval of the workflow document based on the status tag, the document type tag, and the participant tag and to update the status tag and the participant tag after the review or approval,

wherein

the workflow starting unit is configured to register the one or more tags for determining the workflow in association with the workflow document, to determine the workflow based on the registered one or more tags, to display the determined workflow to request confirmation for starting the workflow, and to register the participant tag indicating a first participant of the workflow and the status tag indicating a status of the workflow in association with the workflow document; and

the review/approval unit is configured to deliver metadata of the workflow document to a corresponding participant based on the participant tag to request the review or approval of the workflow document, and to update the status tag and, if there is a next participant, to update the participant tag so as to indicate the next participant based on the result of the review or approval.

8. The workflow management apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the review/approval unit is configured to identify the workflow document by searching a database of workflow documents based on a tag specified in a request for metadata and to deliver the metadata of the identified workflow document.

9. The workflow management apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , further comprising:

an authentication unit configured to authenticate a user when the user tries to register the workflow document or when the user tries to review or approve the workflow document and to allow a subsequent process if the user is a legitimate user.

10. The workflow management apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , further comprising:

a tag analysis unit configured to obtain definitions of the status tag and the participant tag from the tag definition database for use by the workflow starting unit to attach the status tag and the participant tag to the workflow document or for use by the review/approval unit to confirm a status and a participant of the workflow during the review or approval or to update the status tag and the participant tag.

11. The workflow management apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , further comprising:

a tag management unit configured to determine the one or more tags to be attached to the workflow document based on a user name or an organizational unit of a user.

12. The workflow management apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , further comprising:

a tag management unit configured to determine the one or more tags to be attached to the workflow document based on a document type or an organizational unit selected by a user.