Abstract: Methods and apparatuses enable rendering business context data in a desktop widget. The business context data describes a resource, a view, and actionable context data that relate to a business scenario. The business context data is processed to determine a UI component to generate to represent the business context data. The component is then generated and rendered in a desktop widget to provide access to the actionable context data on a client device via the desktop widget. An active business client receives and processes the business context data. The active business client can operate as a widget engine for the business context data to enable the rendering of the business context data on the client device.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses enable generation of and consumption of business context data. A server generates business context data that describes a resource, a view, and actionable context data related to a business scenario. The business context data is not specific to any particular UI capability of the client device, and may include little or no UI information. The server transmits the business context data to a client device that has an active client. The active client identifies one or more UI capabilities of the client device and generates a UI component based on the business scenario and the UI capabilities. The UI component enables functionality in the client device related to execution of the actionable context data. In one embodiment, the active client enables predictive deployment of services on the client device based on an understanding of the business scenario.

Abstract: A system and method for persistently associating a control widget with a plurality of managed widgets operating within a widget runtime environment; changing a state of the managed widgets as a group, the state including one of open, closed, or hidden; and representing the changed state of the managed widgets via a display. Managed widgets having a closed state are neither displayed nor connected with a data source, widgets having an open state are both displayed and connected with a data source, and widgets having an intermediate state are not displayed (e.g. hidden) but are connected with a data source and capable of receiving updated information while hidden.

Abstract: Systems and techniques to improve workflow using worksets. In general, in one implementation, the technique includes: providing a data object directed to a particular work role. The data object includes task data for performing the work role, portal environment data for presenting information to a user via a portal, and meta-data descriptive of the work role.

Abstract: A transparent identification server receives an ID tag associated with a transferable business item from a domain-specific entity and allocates a virtual object ID for the transferable business item. The transparent identification server also receives artifact metadata tracking the activity of the transferable business item. The transparent identification server correlates artifact metadata with the virtual object ID.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses enable interaction with an end-user application to perform functional operations with selected elements of the end-user application or an operating environment of the end-user application. An application runtime receives an indication of a selection of an item of the end-user application, and a command to have the selected item interact with a target. The interaction of the item with the target initiates an action that is based on functionality associated with the selected item and a type of the target. The target type may be a widget, a folder, the desktop, etc. The interaction may result in creation of a standalone widget, execution of the functionality, creation of a relationship, etc. An item from the desktop may also be selected and caused to interact with the end-user application to provide additional functionality to the end-user application.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses enable providing an action related to a business object in response to receiving a request to access the business object. In one embodiment, a related action is identified based on a context of a work environment from which the request is generated. The context may include a business role of the requester, a type of the requested object, a specific instance of the object, a relationship of the requester to the specific instance, a channel from which the request is received, etc. The identified related action is provided to a consumer of the business object.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses enable triggering a work action from instantiation of a document. A system identifies instantiation of a document that has an associated business scenario. Based on the business scenario, a work action or activity as part of an stand-alone workflow is generated to accomplish the work of the business scenario. In one embodiment, a workflow is generated that includes multiple actions, including actions that may be performed by users other than a user that instantiated the document. In one embodiment, the workflow generated is a distributed workflow generated from reusable workflow building block components.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses enable providing a workflow management environment that provides different workflow management perspectives with different views on a variety of reusable workflow components or workflow resources. The different views may include a swim lane view having multiple separate sections that each represents a different performer, and a list view that represents the resources in transactional order. The workflow management environment defines reusable workflow components and associates the components with the different performers and with each other. The defining of the components and the relationships can define a portion of a workflow.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses enable generating distributed workflows that couple actions with a business scenario, and relate activities to each other with request-to-perform (RTP) relationships. The activities are coupled to the business scenario to generate a workflow, and the RTP relationships enable management of distributed activities that are part of the workflow. Individual actions and activities that are part of a business objective are modeled. The modeled actions define resources related to a business activity. The individual activities can be instantiated and related with RTP relationships to result in a workflow that can be generated and managed by the enterprise system. Interactions between users can be captured within the system as part of the workflow. In one embodiment, distributed workflows operate within traditional fixed (e.g., ERP) workflows, for example, by modeling complex tasks of a fixed workflow that actually requires multiple actions before being completed.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses enable evolution of components used in developing modeled applications and processes. A framework allows for observing and storing information regarding the relatedness of a component to another component. The framework can provide context changes and component modifications based at least in part on the observed relatedness information for use in development and/or execution of developed applications and processes.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses provide a search tool to conduct a deep enterprise search for business objects related to a query received at a search interface. The search tool identifies an object type and an argument, and searches the enterprise via one or more enterprise services for one or more business objects related to the argument of the search string. Results can be particularly formatted to be appropriate for the context and device with which the search was requested.

Abstract: A method includes defining collaborative information spaces (CISs) on a corporate intranet using semantic definitions that reflect how people work together. A classification scheme allows network spaces (e.g., intranet spaces) to be defined, e.g., defining resources and/or information associated with tasks and people. The classification scheme may also be used to define standard collaborative entities that should be supported within an enterprise. The CIS(s) and/or collaborative entities may have associated privacy levels to control access to information and resources of the CIS. The classification scheme allows a user, or group of users, to define public and private information spaces. For example, a user may define public information on a web-page that defines the users skills and assigned tasks. The user may have another set of private information that is accessible only to other members of others having a common task.

Abstract: Systems and techniques to facilitate construction of software applications may use patterns that represent generic processes, objects, user interfaces, and content. In general, in one implementation, the technique includes identifying requirements for a desired application and identifying pattern types corresponding to the identified requirements. The pattern types may be selected from process patterns, user interface patterns, and generic object patterns. Patterns that best match the identified requirements may be selected from a set of available patterns, and the selected patterns may be configured according to the identified requirements to produce an application.

Abstract: A framework (200, 300) for a composite application, the framework (200, 300) including: an object access layer (210, 330) operable to exchange data with a plurality of enterprise base systems (290a, b . . . z, 390a, b . . . z) and to present the data to a composite application through a uniform interface; a business object modelling layer (146, 410) including a business object modeller (146, 410) operable to provide a user interface for constructing a business object; the framework (200, 300) further including: a service layer (220, 340) operable to provide services to the composite application, wherein the service layer (220, 340) includes a collaboration services module (344) operable to provide a plurality of collaboration services to the composite application, wherein the object modelling layer (146, 410) is operable to directly link at least one of the plurality of collaboration services associated with the business object to the business object.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses enable providing an action center in which to perform work. The action center is generated as a modeled software application that provides dynamic access to data and one or more callable services with which to perform an activity related to the data. The dynamic access is provided via determining an authorization based on a business role associated with a request for the data related. The request for the data is related to a work activity of a workflow associated with the data.

Abstract: A computer implemented method for running a plurality of business services within an explicitly defined business context wherein the context and the business services are representing meaningful instances of work situation or actions, the method comprising: provisioning web services and/or a composition of services with an additional input/output interface for passing data from and to a parent business context; enabling this interface to handle long running, stateful actions; and implementing a standardized user interaction behavior to make the user interface of an action reusable across contexts. An embodiment of the invention introduces an “action” concept which can be technically described as a wrapping layer on top of enterprise services that provides a special plug&execute interface to enable a service or a composition of services to interact with a parent context.

Abstract: A computer implemented method for providing a user interface, the method including: providing an interface generator for generating a user interface, the user interface allowing a user to perform a search within a business object or within business objects in a business situation, using a combination of searching using one or more key words and browsing in accordance with predefined options.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for hybrid contextual floor plans for object instances. A method for providing a user interface for running business entities wherein data related to a process instance and data related to an object instance are managed in a uniform way, includes enabling a generalized meta model to unify process data and object data where there is a direct relationship between process and object instance, enabling an interface generator for directly generating a user interface from the generalized meta model, that allows the user to manipulate data either directly by manipulating the object data or indirectly by performing a process step, and enabling the user interface by the interface generator, the user interface providing a hybrid view of a process view representing phase data of an instantiated process instance and an object view representing object data of an instantiated object instance.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for contextual navigation and action stacking.