Message notification method, work management device, and computer program

[0042]A work management system 1000 being an Example 1 of this invention will be described. Referring to FIG. 1, the work management system 1000 comprises one or more input / output devices 1, a communication network 2, a work management device 3, a storage device 4, and one or more notification devices 5.

[0043]The work management device 3 comprises a job flow management section 31, a job staff management section 32, a job progress management section 33, a job display section 34, a direct notification section 35, an indirect notification section 36, and an importance calculation section 37.

[0044]Referring to FIG. 2, a description will be given of an example of work managed by the work management device 3 The work shown in FIG. 2 represents a job flow in which a job 2 (202 in FIG. 2) is performed next to a job 1 (201 in FIG. 2), then a job 3 (203 in FIG. 2) and a job 4 (204 in FIG. 2) are performed in parallel, and finally a job 5 (205 in FIG. 2) is performed. Hereinbelow, 201, 202, 203

[0083]A work management system 2000 being an Example 2 of this invention will be described. In the Example 1 described above, when a change in job flow, staff, or job progress occurs, it is notified to each worker as a job change. In the Example 2, addition, deletion, or update of a file relating to a job or addition of a comment to a job is further notified to each worker as a job change.

[0084]Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 17, the work management system 2000 further comprises a job-file mapping management section (38 in FIG. 17) for managing files relating to jobs and a job comment management section (39 in FIG. 17) for adding comments relating to jobs. Further, in the work management system 2000, importances corresponding to these job classifications are registered in an importance calculation table as shown at 1801 in FIG. 18. By this, according to the work management system 2000, not only upon the occurrence of a change in job flow, staff, or job progress, but also upon the occurre

[0085]A description will be given of an example of managing more specific atypical jobs using the work management system 1000 of the Example 1. In this Example, as an example of the atypical jobs, use is made of a job flow in which a subordinate (section chief) prepares a document (proposal paper, budget plan, or the like) by order of a superior officer (department head). Further, the example of FIG. 8 is used as notification device management data and the importance calculation table (a) in FIG. 10 is used as an importance calculation table.

[0086]First, it is assumed that, using the job flow management section 31 and the job staff management section 32, the department head defines a job flow shown in (a) Initial State of FIG. 19 by referring to a job flow of document preparation carried out in the past.

[0087]Then, when the department head has completed a job “Preparation of Document” using the job progress management section 33, a change in job progress occurs. The importance judging