JP7709294B2 - Business management system, its execution method and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a business management system, its execution method, and program.

In recent years, as the need for work style reform has grown, an increasing number of companies are introducing Robotic Process Automation (RPA) as a means of streamlining operations. With RPA, software robots are trained to memorize routine tasks that humans perform using a task management system with a keyboard and mouse, and the software robots then carry out computer operations in place of humans, thus automating operations.

In addition, in response to the trend towards teleworking and working from home, business management systems are being introduced that run on PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) such as tablets and smartphones that can be used at home, in addition to desktop PCs that are primarily used in the office. By introducing RPA to the various OS (Operating Systems) and hardware (mouse, touch panel, display, etc.) environments in which business management systems run, companies are expected to further improve their business efficiency.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that records software operation procedures operated in an area where the relative display positional relationship between each piece of software is defined, and controls the operation of the software according to the operation procedures, even when the software is executed in a display environment different from the display environment when the software operation procedures were recorded.

However, in the information processing device and program of Patent Document 1, when a business management program is operated using RPA in an environment different from the OS or hardware on which the operations of the business management program were recorded, the recorded position information cannot be applied to the relative display positions of buttons, etc. on the screen, because the relative display positions of buttons, etc. on the screen differ depending on the OS or hardware. In addition, a user may customize the positions of buttons, etc. on the business management program of the business device they use to improve the usability of the business management system. Therefore, the positions of buttons, etc. on the business management system may differ on each business device.

Due to differences in hardware or software environments, or user customization, the operation screen for a specific operation of the business management program may differ for each business management system or business management device. Even if the operation screen is different, it is required that the RPA software program can properly execute the above-mentioned specific operations on the business management program.

Patent Publication 2018-206288

The objective of the present invention is to enable RPA that operates a business management program to operate normally even on different business management devices (systems).

In order to solve the above problem, the first business management system of the present invention includes a storage unit that stores a business management program for managing a company's business, an RPA (Robotic Process Automation) tool that operates the business management program, RPA definition information that defines processing using a UI (User Interface) control for the business management program by the RPA tool, and search information including an identifier of the UI control that is the operation target when the RPA tool is executed based on the RPA definition information, and an RPA execution control unit that, when it is determined that the UI control to be operated cannot be detected during the execution of the processing defined by the RPA definition information, detects an identifier that matches the identifier included in the search information from among identifiers included in or assigned to UI controls on the operation screen of the processing, and executes the processing defined by the RPA definition information with the UI control to which the detected identifier is assigned as the operation target.

According to this business management system, even if the UI control to be operated cannot be detected when operating a business management program using an RPA tool, the UI control can be searched for by detecting an identifier contained in or linked to the UI control, thereby allowing the RPA to operate normally.
Here, the term "business management system" refers to a computer system in which a business management program is installed, and the term "business management device" also refers to such a computer system. The computer system may be standalone, may include multiple computers, or may take the form of what is known as a "cloud."

The RPA tool may record the user's operation of a business management program to generate the RPA definition information, and the business management system may further include a search information generation unit that generates the search information by assigning the identifier to each UI control on the operation screen when generating the RPA definition information, each time the user points to the UI control.

According to this, when RPA definition information is generated, search information corresponding to the RPA definition information is generated, so that the RPA definition information and the search information can be stored in a storage unit, making it easy to reuse.

The identifier may be a character contained in the UI control.
The identifier may also be a coded image associated with the UI control.

This makes it easy to detect the identifier and search for the UI control to be operated.
Here, the characters included in the UI control are characters of specific process contents included in buttons such as "Execute Print" or "Execute Registration" (an example of a UI control in a Graphical User Interface (GUI)). The coded image linked to the UI control is, for example, a two-dimensional barcode including a QR Code (registered trademark) or a color code.

The search information generation unit may generate the search information by capturing an image of a UI control to which the identifier is assigned during the pointing operation, and the RPA execution control unit may detect an image from the operation screen that matches the captured image of the UI control included in the search information, and execute the process defined by the RPA definition information with the UI control of the detected image as the operation target.

This makes it possible to detect a UI control even if it is not possible to detect (search) for the UI control using its identifier.

The RPA definition information includes a first coordinate on the operation screen of a UI control that is to be operated by the RPA tool in a process based on the RPA definition information, and the search information includes a second coordinate on the operation screen of the UI control to which the identifier is assigned, and when it is determined that the UI control to be operated cannot be detected, the RPA execution control unit may add the difference between the first coordinate and the second coordinate to the movement distance of a pointer that points to the UI control in the process defined by the RPA definition information.

This allows the pointer to accurately point to the UI control even if the coordinates (first coordinates) of the UI control to be operated in the RPA definition information differ from the coordinates (second coordinates) of the UI control detected based on the identifier.

The storage unit may further store a first display setting of the operation screen of the business management program, and the RPA execution control unit may acquire a second display setting of the operation screen of the business management program when executing the RPA tool, calculate a difference between the first display setting and the second display setting, and convert the RPA definition information based on the calculated difference.

As a result, even if the first display setting and the second display setting are different, the RPA definition information is converted when the RPA tool is executed, allowing the RPA to operate normally.

The RPA execution control unit may launch a test program for acquiring the second display settings before launching the business management program, and acquire the display settings of the execution screen of the test program as the second display settings.

This allows the second display settings acquired before the business management program is launched to be used when the RPA tool is executed, making the operation of the RPA tool more reliable.

A method for executing a business management program according to another aspect of the present invention includes the steps of:
A business management system that has installed a business management program for managing a company's business and an RPA (Robotic Process Automation) tool that operates the business management program.
storing RPA definition information that defines a process using a UI (User Interface) control for the business management program by the RPA tool;
storing search information including an identifier of a UI control to be operated by an RPA tool when the RPA tool is executed based on the RPA definition information;
When it is determined that the UI control of the operation target cannot be detected during execution of the process defined by the RPA definition information, an identifier that matches the identifier included in the search information is detected from among identifiers included in or assigned to the UI control on the operation screen of the process;
The UI control to which the detected identifier is assigned is treated as an operation target, and a process defined by the RPA definition information is executed.

A program according to another aspect of the present invention includes:
A business management system in which a business management program for managing a company's business and an RPA (Robotic Process Automation) tool for operating the business management program are installed.
Storing RPA definition information that defines a process using a UI (User Interface) control for the business management program by the RPA tool;
Storing search information including an identifier of a UI control to be operated by an RPA tool when the RPA tool is executed based on the RPA definition information;
When it is determined that the UI control to be operated cannot be detected during execution of the process defined by the RPA definition information, an identifier that matches the identifier included in the search information is detected from among identifiers included in or assigned to the UI control on an operation screen of the process;
The step of executing a process defined by the RPA definition information is executed by making the UI control to which the detected identifier is assigned an operation target.

According to the present invention, it becomes possible to operate an RPA that operates a service management program normally even in different service management devices (systems).
The present invention has the advantage that common RPA tools and RPA definition information can be used across different models and operating systems. Another advantage is that the RPA tool can continue to function as normal.

1 is a configuration diagram of a business management system according to an embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a configuration diagram of a service management device and a service device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the flow of information processing in the present embodiment. FIG. 11 is a flow diagram of a recording process by the RPA module 600 according to this embodiment. FIG. 11 is a flow diagram of a reproduction process (automatic execution process) by the RPA tool 300 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of an operation state of the RPA module 600 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of an output in the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of RPA definition information 400 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of search information 450 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of conversion information 460 according to the embodiment. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a modified example of the above embodiment. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a flow of information processing in a modified example of the embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen according to a modified example of the embodiment.

The following describes embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings. The following embodiments are preferred specific examples of the present invention and disclose various preferred techniques, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to these aspects.

[Configuration of the business management system]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a business management system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in the figure, the business management system is constructed within a company and has a business management device 100 (server) and employee business devices 200 (A-E, etc.), which are connected to each other so that they can communicate with each other via a network 50 (e.g., an in-house LAN, etc.).

The business management system is a business management system that mainly handles business processes for a company, such as personnel, work, and payroll. Each business management program 500 for personnel, work, payroll, etc. is installed on the employee's business device 200. In other words, the business management program 500 is a software program for managing the business of the company. Of course, business applications required for each employee's business, such as an office suite, browser, CAD (Computer-Aided Design), etc., are stored as appropriate.

The employee's business device 200 also stores an RPA tool 300 and RPA definition information 400 that defines the processing content using the RPA tool 300.

RPA (Robotic Process Automation) is software that automates tasks that are primarily performed by humans using a computer, and is also called a software robot. In this embodiment, an existing software robot application that is introduced to automate business processes is called the RPA tool 300. In this embodiment, the RPA tool 300 is a software program for operating the business management program 500.

The employee's business device 200 is, for example, a desktop type PC (Personal Computer), and in addition to the above-mentioned desktop type PC, the employee's business device 200 also includes so-called PDAs (Personal Digital Assistances) such as notebook PCs and tablets.

[Configuration of the business management device and business device]
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the service management equipment 100 and the service equipment 200. As shown in FIG.

As shown in the figure, the service management device 100 includes a control unit 110 (CPU; Central Processing Unit), a memory unit 120 (a database consisting of a hard disk drive (HDD), a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), etc.), and a communication interface 150, which is, for example, a network interface card (NIC) or a wireless communication interface and is responsible for communication processing with the service device 200. The service management device 100 may also include a display device 130 and an input device 140 as appropriate.

The memory unit 120 stores RPA definition information 400 and search information 450. Details will be described later.

The business device 200 includes a control unit 210 (CPU), a memory unit 220 (a database consisting of a HDD, RAM, ROM, etc.), a communication interface 250 consisting of, for example, a NIC or a wireless communication interface, a display device 230 (for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display, etc.), and an input device 240 (a mouse, a touch panel, etc.).

The storage unit 220 stores the RPA tool 300, multiple RPA definition information 400, multiple search information 450, and multiple business management programs 500 (A, B, ...). Examples of the individual business management programs 500 include an employment management program, an entry management program, a personnel management program, and a salary management program, and the RPA definition information 400 is stored for each of the employment management programs and for each different task using each employment management program.

The business device 200 also has an RPA execution control unit 211, a search information generation unit 212, and a display screen comparison unit 213 as functional modules of the control unit 210.

The RPA execution control unit 211 controls the execution of the RPA tool 300 according to the state of the business management program 500 installed in the business device 200.

The search information generation unit 212 and display screen comparison unit 213 described below become functional modules of the control unit 210 when the RPA module 600 (described later with reference to FIG. 3) is executed by the control unit 210.

When reproducing the business management program 500 installed in the business device 200 by the RPA tool 300, the display screen comparison unit 213, for example, includes multiple two-dimensional barcodes in the capture information of the login screen of the business device 200, and calculates the coordinate difference and the scale difference. The display screen comparison unit 213 generates conversion information 460 based on information such as the difference in display settings of the display device 230, for example, the difference in scale, size, and aspect ratio of the operation screen, and stores the conversion information 460 in the memory unit 220.

The search information generation unit 212 generates search information 450 based on the capture information including the two-dimensional barcode, the calculated coordinate difference and scale difference, screen settings, and other information, and stores the search information 450 in the memory unit 220.

The business management device 100 and the business device 200 are connected to each other so that they can communicate with each other via their communication interfaces 150 and 250. As shown in FIG. 1, there are multiple business devices 200, which are connected to the network 50, but the detailed configuration of the other business devices 200 is omitted.

[RPA Module Description]
3 is an explanatory diagram of the flow of information processing according to this embodiment. In FIG. 3, a flow of operations from recording the operation procedure of the business management program 500 by the RPA tool 300 according to the embodiment of the present invention, to generating and saving the RPA definition information 400, reading the RPA definition information 400, and operating the business management program 500 is shown. In FIG. 3, the business device 200A is a business device 200 in which the RPA tool 300 installed therein records the operation procedure of the business management program 500 by the operator. On the other hand, the business device 200B is a business device 200 in which the RPA tool 300 installed therein executes the recorded operation procedure for the business management program 500.

In the business device 200A, the RPA tool 300 records the operation status of the business management program 500 of the business device 200A operated by the operator, generates RPA definition information 400, and stores the generated RPA definition information 400 in the business management device 100 so that the business device 200B can use it. In the business device 200B, the RPA tool 300 reads the RPA definition information 400 stored in the business management device 100, and reproduces the processing of the business management program 500 as if it were operated in the business device 200A according to the RPA definition information 400. However, when the display screen comparison unit 213 of the RPA module 600 compares the display setting (first display setting) of the business device 200A with the display setting (second display setting) of the business device 200B and detects a difference in coordinates, the operation of the RPA tool 300 is reproduced while taking into account the difference in coordinates.

The RPA module 600 is provided to the business management system by the RPA vendor in the form of, for example, an API (Application Programming Interface) or a DLL (Dynamic Link Library). By incorporating and applying the RPA module 600 to the business management system, the RPA vendor can seamlessly operate various programs of the business management system to which the RPA module 600 is also applied using the RPA tool 300, regardless of the OS or hardware.

The RPA module 600, which is part of the business management program 500, is executed by the control unit 210 in the business device 200A to function as the search information generation unit 212, and generates search information 450 based on capture information including two-dimensional barcodes, calculated coordinate differences and scale differences, screen settings, and other information, and stores the search information 450 in the memory unit 220.

The RPA module 600, which is part of the business management program 500, also functions as the display screen comparison unit 213 when executed by the control unit 210 in the business device 200B, and when reproducing the business management program 500 installed in the business device 200B using the RPA tool 300, for example, includes multiple two-dimensional barcodes in the capture information of the login screen of the business device 200, and calculates the difference in coordinates and the difference in scale.

[Overview of Information Processing in the Present Embodiment]
Next, the operation of the service management system configured as above will be described. In the following description, the control unit 110 of the service management device 100 and the control unit 210 of the service device 200 will be described as the main operating entities, but the operation is executed in cooperation with a control program including an RPA tool 300 and an RPA module 600 possessed by the service management device 100 and the service device 200, as well as a service management program 500 and other programs installed in the service device 200.

As shown in FIG. 3, in this embodiment, roughly divided into two types of information processing are executed. The first is information processing in which the RPA module 600 records the operation of the business management program 500 by the operator, and generates and stores the RPA definition information 400, search information 450, and conversion information 460. The business device 200 that records the operation is hereinafter referred to as the "business device 200A." The second is information processing in which the operation of the business management program 500 by the operator is reproduced based on the RPA definition information 400, search information 450, and conversion information 460 that are stored or downloaded from the business management device 100. The business device 200 that reproduces the operation is hereinafter referred to as the "business device 200B."

Figure 4 is a flow diagram of the recording process by the RPA module 600 according to this embodiment. Also, Figure 5 is a flow diagram of the reproduction process (automatic execution process) by the RPA tool 300 according to this embodiment. Figures 6 and 7 are explanatory diagrams of the operating state of the RPA tool 300 according to this embodiment. As an example, a state in which an employment management program of an employment management application is being operated is explained. Note that this example shows a so-called ERP (Enterprise Resources Planning) type business program package that can operate an employment management program, an entry management program, a payroll management program, and other accounting programs and bookkeeping programs (not shown) in an integrated manner.

[Recording process of operations of the business management program 500]
When an ERP-type business management program 500 is introduced to a company, it is efficient to have RPA execute routine tasks. In this case, for example, RPA definition information 400 is created on one business device 200A installed in the general affairs department, and distributed to other business devices 200 (for example, business device 200B), and the other business devices 200 reproduce the operation of the business management program 500 for the routine tasks based on the RPA definition information 400, thereby further improving business efficiency. The recording process of the operation of the business management program 500 described below is a process for creating the RPA definition information 400 and the corresponding search information 450.

The operator starts a new business management program 500 (e.g., an employment/entry/payroll/personnel program) to be executed by the RPA tool 300. In this case, as shown in FIG. 4, first, the control unit 210 of the business device 200 (business device 200A in FIG. 3) accepts an operation from the operator to start execution/recording of the business management program 500 by the RPA tool 300 (step S101). When the operator is able to execute the business management program 500, the control unit 210 starts the RPA tool 300 (step S102).

After the business management program 500 is started, the control unit 210 obtains data such as the size of the display screen from the RPA module 600 and stores it as conversion information 460 (step S103). Specific recording of the conversion information 460 will be described later.

First, the control unit 210 records the operator's operations on the business management program (the loop marked with S104 to S110 in FIG. 4) until an explicit termination operation by the operator is detected (S104/No).

Next, the control unit 210 detects a pointing operation on a UI control on the operation screen using a pointing device, such as clicking a mouse cursor (S105). The pointing operation here includes various pointing operations including mouse over, clicking, double clicking, placing, etc.

If a pointing operation is detected, the control unit 210 acquires the coordinates of the pointed UI control (S106).

Next, the control unit 210 assigns an identifier to the pointed UI control (S107). If the UI control already includes an identifier, S107 can be omitted.

Next, the control unit 210 captures an image of the UI control to which the identifier has been assigned or which includes the identifier (S108).

Next, the control unit 210 (search information generation unit 212) generates and records search information 450 based on the coordinates on the operation screen of the location where the pointing operation was performed, the assigned or included identifier, and the captured image of the UI control (S109). The specific recording of the search information 450 will be described later.

Next, the control unit 210 records the value entered by the operator and details of the pointing operation (such as clicking or double-clicking) as the action performed by the operator (S110).

When the end of RPA is detected (S104/Yes), the control unit 210 stores the information recorded in S106 and S110 as RPA definition information 400 and the information recorded in S107 and S108 as search information 450 in the memory unit 220 (S111). Next, the control unit 210 stops the RPA tool 300 and ends the recording process of the operations of the business management program 500 (S112).

As described above, when generating the RPA definition information 400, the control unit 210 assigns and attaches an identifier to the UI control (S107) each time the operator points to a UI control (S105), thereby generating search information 450 (S109).

The search information 450 and conversion information are recorded in the memory unit 220 of the business device 200 while the business management program 500 is running, and when the business management program 500 is terminated, they are transmitted to the business management device 100, which receives them and records them in its database.

The processing from S106 to S109 will be explained with reference to the operational state diagram of the RPA tool 300 according to this embodiment in FIG. 6.

Figure 6 (A) shows the entire operation screen 2300 displayed on the display device 230 of the business device 200. On the operation screen 2300 are an RPA tool launch button 2301, a mouse cursor 2303, and a window 2302 of the business management program 500. Figure 6 (A) shows multiple UI controls, one of which, UI control 2304, is a UI control linked to a command that instructs the business management program 500 to create a "Weekly Work Report."

When the operator moves the mouse cursor 2303 over a UI control 2304 in the window 2302 of the business management program 500, a QR code 2305 (an example of an identifier) is displayed. On the other hand, no identifier is displayed on the menu 2306, because the mouse has not been moved over the menu 2306 and so it is not in focus. The identifier may be a character string included in the UI control 2304 ("Weekly Work Report" in FIG. 6), etc.

Figure 6 (B) shows the state in (A) where the personal designation dialog 2307 is displayed by mouse clicking. Similarly, when the operator moves the mouse cursor 2303 over the UI control 2308 ("Print") in the window 2302 of the business management program 500, a QR code 2309 (an example of an identifier) is displayed.

When the operator clicks on UI control 2308 in the state shown in FIG. 6(B), a weekly work report as shown in FIG. 7 is printed. FIG. 7 shows an example of the output in this embodiment.

Continuing on from the state of (B), FIG. 6 (C) shows the right end of the personal specification dialog 2307. Similarly, when the operator moves the mouse cursor 2303 over the UI control 2310 ("Exit") in the window 2302 of the business management program 500, a QR code 2311 (an example of an identifier) is displayed. There is no screen transition between (B) and (C), but the control unit 210 detects the pointing operation and records the pointed coordinates, the identifier of the pointed UI control, a captured image of the UI control, and details of the pointing operation.

As described above, the control unit 210 monitors the movement of the pointing device. The captured image may also include a QR code attached to the control. The action performed by the operator may also include values entered by the operator.

[Reproduction process of the operation of the business management program 500]
Next, a flow of the reproduction process will be described. The reproduction process of an operation is also called an automatic execution process of the business management program 500. This process is a process in which the business device 200B executes RPA based on the RPA definition information 400 created by the business device 200A.

As shown in FIG. 5, first, the control unit 210 of the business device 200B accepts an operation from an operator to start execution/reproduction of the business management program 500 by the RPA tool 300 (step S201). The operation is, for example, the operator clicking the RPA tool start button 2301. The control unit 210 starts the RPA tool 300 and reads the RPA definition information 400 obtained by reading it from the storage unit 220 or by downloading it from the business management device 100 (step S202).

Based on the loaded RPA definition information 400, the RPA tool 300 starts the business management program 500 and begins preparations to reproduce the operations (step S203).

The RPA execution control unit 211 formed in the control unit 210 by the business management program 500 started by the RPA tool 300 and the embedded RPA module 600 reads the conversion information 460, one or more pieces of RPA definition information 400, and the search information 450 linked to the RPA definition information 400 (S204).

Next, the RPA execution control unit 211 generates a conversion table based on the display settings of the business device 200A in which the RPA definition information 400 is recorded and the business device 200B based on the conversion information 460, and converts the RPA definition information 400 using the conversion table (S205). In this process, for example, the coordinates of the UI control in the RPA definition information 400 are converted.

In the subsequent processing, one or more RPA definition information 400 are processed sequentially in order.

First, the control unit 210 determines whether or not there is a conversion of the RPA definition information 400 according to the conversion information 460 in S205 (S206). If there is a conversion of the RPA definition information 400, there is a difference in the display screen, so the control unit 210 operates all graphical user interface operations, such as pointing operations, in a mode in which they are converted based on the conversion information 460 (S207). On the other hand, if there is no conversion of the RPA definition information 400, there is no difference in the display screen, so the control unit 210 operates all graphical user interface operations, such as pointing operations, in the normal mode (S208).

Next, the control unit 210 determines whether there is any unprocessed RPA definition information 400 (S209). If there is any unprocessed RPA definition information 400, the control unit 210 sets the unprocessed RPA definition information 400 as the RPA definition information 400 currently being processed.

The control unit 210 then determines whether the business management program 500 can be detected (S210). If it cannot be detected, it aborts the process as an error.

Next, the control unit 210 determines whether or not the UI control to be operated can be detected at the coordinates included in the information defined in the RPA definition information 400 being executed (S211). If it can be detected, the control unit 210 (RPA tool 300) executes the operation process defined for the detected UI control (S212).

Here, if the control unit 210 determines that the UI control to be operated cannot be detected, it searches for the UI control. Specifically, the control unit 210 detects an identifier that matches an identifier included in the search information 450 corresponding to this RPA definition information 400 from among the identifiers included in or assigned to the UI control on the operation screen being processed (S213).

If an identifier that matches an identifier included in the search information 450 can be detected from among the identifiers of the UI controls on the operation screen (S213/Yes), the operation process defined for the UI control with the detected identifier is executed (S212).

If an identifier matching the identifier included in the search information 450 cannot be detected among the identifiers of the UI controls on the operation screen (S213/No), the control unit 210 detects an image on the operation screen that matches the capture image of the UI control to be operated that is included in the search information 450 (S214). If it is detected, it executes the operation process defined for the UI control of the detected image (S212). If it is not detected, the process returns to S206.

Here, in executing the operation process for the detected UI control (S212), the control unit 210 (RPA execution control unit 211) processes by adding the difference between the position of the UI control in the search information 450 (second coordinate) and the first coordinate to the movement distance to the position of the UI control defined in the RPA definition information 400 (first coordinate). The RPA definition information 400 includes the first coordinate on the operation screen of the UI control that is the operation target of the RPA tool in the process based on the RPA definition information. The search information 450 includes the second coordinate on the operation screen of the UI control to which an identifier is assigned.

After the control unit 210 processes one or more RPA definition information 400 in order (S209/No), it stops the RPA tool 300 and ends the process (S215). Through this series of processes, the weekly work report as shown in FIG. 7 is automatically printed and output by the business management program 500. The only operation the operator needs to do is to click the RPA tool start button 2301.

[Regarding RPA definition information 400]
8 is an example of the RPA definition information 400. The RPA tool 300 recognizes the control on the display screen operated by the operator on the business device 200, and records and saves the coordinates and the operation content (operation, input content, etc.). When reproducing the business management program 500 on the business device 200, the RPA tool 300 detects the desired control on the display screen using the coordinates saved in the RPA definition information 400, and reproduces the operation of the operator using the saved operation content.

As shown in FIG. 8, the RPA definition information 400 includes a sequence number (the order of operation processing), the program to be operated, the operation content, the UI control to be operated, the input content (such as a numerical value), the X coordinate and Y coordinate of the UI control to be operated, and a description of the operation.

[Regarding search information 450]
9 is an example of the search information 450. First, when an operator operates the business management program 500, the RPA module 600 incorporated in the business management program 500 displays a QR code attached to a control on the operated screen display, and further captures and records the screen display, and saves it together with coordinates in the search information 450. Note that the coordinates are used as reference values for coordinates when the size of the display screen is based on VGA, for example.

In addition, when the operation of the business management program 500 is reproduced using the RPA tool 300 in the business device 200B (again, as in FIG. 3, the operation recording side is "business device 200A" and the operation reproduction side is "business device 200B"), the RPA module 600 incorporated in the business management program 500 operated by the RPA tool 300 reads the search information 450, reads the first control saved in the search information 450, searches for the read control within the display screen of the business device 2 to identify its position, calculates the difference between the screens of the business device 200A and the business device 200B from the coordinates, and thereafter, in the reproduction operation of the business management program 500 by the RPA tool 300, moves the mouse cursor to reflect the calculated difference each time the mouse cursor is moved to a UI control on the display screen.

As shown in FIG. 9, the search information 450 includes a sequence number (the order of the operation process), the program to be operated, the operation content, the UI control to be operated, a captured image of the UI control, the X coordinate and Y coordinate of the UI control to be operated, and a description of the operation.

[Regarding conversion information 460]
10 is an example of the conversion information 460. First, when an operator operates the business management program 500 on the business device 200A (again, as in FIG. 3, the operation recording side is assumed to be "business device 200A" and the operation reproduction side is assumed to be "business device 200B"), the RPA module 600 incorporated in the business management program 500 measures and saves the size of the operated screen display. For example, if the display screen size is VGA, it will be compared with the standard VGA and become 1.0.

In addition, when the operation of the business management program 500 is reproduced using the RPA tool 300 in the business device 200B, the RPA module 600 incorporated in the business management program 500 operated by the RPA tool 300 measures and saves the size of the operated screen display. For example, if the display screen size is XGA, it will be 1.6 compared to the business device 200 (standard VGA) on the operation recording side.

[Effects of the embodiment]
In this way, according to this business management system, even if the UI control to be operated cannot be detected when the business management program 500 is operated by the RPA tool 300, the UI control can be searched for by detecting the identifier contained in or linked to the UI control, thereby allowing the RPA to operate normally.

Another advantage of this example is that the same RPA tool and RPA definition information can be used across different models and operating systems. Another advantage is that the RPA tool can continue to function as normal.

The RPA tool 300 in this example prints out the weekly work report performed by the operator, but regardless of the OS or hardware of the business device being used, the print process can be performed using the RPA definition information 400 created by the RPA tool 300 through the operation of the operator. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the RPA tool 300 can be easily introduced and used in a business management system, improving business efficiency.

The RPA tool 300 in this example records the operation of the operator's business management program 500 to generate the RPA definition information 400. The business device 200A (again, as in FIG. 3, the operation recording side is the "business device 200A" and the operation reproduction side is the "business device 200B") has a search information generation unit 212 that generates search information 450 by allocating an identifier to each UI control on the operation screen each time the operator points to the UI control when generating the RPA definition information 400.

According to this, when the RPA definition information 400 is generated, the search information 450 corresponding to the RPA definition information 400 is generated, so that the RPA definition information 400 and the search information 450 can be stored in the storage unit 220, making it easy to reuse.

The search information generation unit 212 in this example generates search information 450 by capturing an image of a UI control with an identifier attached during a pointing operation, and the RPA execution control unit 211 detects an image from the operation screen that matches the captured image of the UI control included in the search information 450, and executes the process defined by the RPA definition information 400 with the UI control of the detected image as the operation target.

This makes it possible to detect a UI control even if it is not possible to detect (search) for the UI control using its identifier.

The memory unit 220 in this example further stores a first display setting of the operation screen of the business management program 500 (this first display setting is the display setting of the operation screen of the business device 200A). When the RPA tool 300 is executed, the RPA execution control unit 211 acquires a second display setting of the operation screen of the business management program 500 (the display setting of the operation screen of the business device 200B), calculates the difference between the first display setting and the second display setting, and converts the RPA definition information based on the calculated difference.

As a result, even if the first display setting and the second display setting are different, the RPA definition information is converted when the RPA tool is executed, allowing the RPA to operate normally.

The RPA definition information 400 in this example includes first coordinates on the operation screen of a UI control that is to be operated by the RPA tool 300 in processing based on the RPA definition information, and the search information 450 includes second coordinates on the operation screen of a UI control to which an identifier is assigned. Furthermore, when the RPA execution control unit 211 determines that the UI control to be operated cannot be detected, it adds the difference between the first coordinates and the second coordinates to the movement distance of a pointer that points to the UI control in the processing defined by the RPA definition information 400.

This allows the UI control to be accurately pointed to by the pointer even if the coordinates (first coordinates) of the UI control to be operated in the RPA definition information 400 differ from the coordinates (second coordinates) of the UI control detected based on the identifier.

[Modification]
The above-described embodiment can be modified in various ways.

Variation 1:
In the above embodiment, a two-dimensional barcode is shown as an identifier of a UI control. It is also shown that the identifier may be characters such as "print execution" or "end" included in the UI control. In this manner, the above embodiment is an example of the RPA definition information 400 of a screen with a unique QR code, but a color code or characters may be used instead of the two-dimensional barcode. The color code may be stealthy by reducing the difference with the surrounding colors so that it can be identified by the RPA module 600 but cannot be identified by humans. Coded images such as color codes and two-dimensional barcodes can also be used as "identifiers" to be linked to UI controls in the present disclosure.

This makes it easy to detect the identifier and search for the UI control to be operated.

Variation 2:
In the above embodiment, when the operation of the business management program 500 is reproduced using the RPA tool 300 in the business device 200B, the RPA module 600 incorporated in the business management program 500 operated by the RPA tool 300 reads the search information 450, reads the first UI control saved in the search information 450, searches for the read UI control within the display screen of the business device 200B to identify its position, calculates the difference between the screens of the business device 200A and the business device 200B from the coordinates, and thereafter, in the reproduction operation of the business management program 500 in the RPA tool 300, moves the mouse cursor to reflect the calculated difference each time the mouse cursor is moved to a UI control on the display screen.

However, when reproducing the operation of the business management program 500 using the RPA tool 300 in the business device 200B, the RPA module 600 incorporated in the business management program 500 operated by the RPA tool 300 may read the search information 450, display all of the UI controls stored in the read search information 450 by adding QR codes on the display screen of the business device, calculate the coordinates of each UI control, and store them in the RPA definition information 400 of the business device 200B, which the RPA tool 300 may reread and reproduce. FIG. 11(A) is an example of a display screen when displaying all.

This allows the coordinates of the UI controls to be stored in advance in the RPA definition information 400, ensuring reliable operation. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 11(B), this is effective even if the layout of the controls on the display screen of the business device 200A differs due to differences in OS, for example. FIG. 11(B) is an example of a display screen of the business device 200A that provides the same functions as FIG. 11(A) but has a different display layout.

Variation 3:
In the above embodiment, as shown in Fig. 3, the display settings of the business device 200A are also used in the business device 200B to generate the conversion information 460. Alternatively, the conversion information 460 may be generated in advance by the business management device 100. Fig. 12 shows a flow in this case. Fig. 13(A) shows an example of an operation screen 2300 including a login screen 1302 for acquiring the conversion information by the following image matching. Fig. 13(A) shows an operation screen 1301 of the business management program 500 together with an RPA tool start button 2301 in the operation screen 2300, and a login screen 1302 is shown in the operation screen 1301.

In this case, for example, when the business management program 500 is operated on the business device 200A, the login screen 1302 in the operation screen 1301 of the business management program 500 includes multiple QR codes, which are captured and recorded. Also, when the business management program 500 is reproduced on the business device 200B, the login screen 1302 of the business management program 500 includes multiple QR codes, which are captured, and the coordinate difference and scale difference with the recorded business device 200A are calculated by image matching, recorded in the conversion information, and reflected in the mouse cursor operation when the RPA tool 300 performs the reproduction operation. Note that, if the desired control is lost during the reproduction operation of the RPA tool 300, this is detected by the RPA module 600, and the RPA module 600 obtains a QR code from the captured image of the search information 450, and searches by hovering the mouse over the display screen to display the QR code, and when the coordinate is identified, it is reflected in the mouse cursor operation.

This eliminates the need to execute the reproduction process based on the display settings of the business device 200A.

Variation 4:
The above embodiment does not disclose a method for acquiring conversion information in advance. Therefore, for example, when the business management program 500 is operated, a trial program may be started to acquire screen size information that is the basis for measuring the degree of screen shrinkage of each PC. An example of the trial program screen (trial program windows 1305 and 1306) is shown in Fig. 13(B). Note that windows 1305 and 1306 in Fig. 13(B) are examples of screen displays that differ depending on the operating system.

When reproducing the business management program 500 on the business device 200B, a trial program is started on the business device 200B, information on the screen size of the business device 200B is recorded, and compared with the information on the screen size of the business device 200A, coordinate differences and scale differences are calculated and saved as conversion information, and when the RPA tool 300 performs the reproduction operation, the RPA module 600 reflects the conversion information in the operation of the mouse cursor. The screen size information is not shown, but is, for example, the number of pixels for each display screen of the business device 200 and the screen aspect ratio.

This makes it possible to generate conversion information in advance, resulting in light processing, and enabling processing to be reliably executed even on business devices 200 with low performance.

Variation 5:
In the above embodiment, the RPA module 600 that creates the conversion information 460 is incorporated into the business management program 500 of some of the business devices 200. Since the conversion information 460 can be used in common by business devices with the same OS and hardware environment, for example, the function of creating the conversion information may be incorporated into the business management program 500 of the business device 200 used by the administrator, and the function of creating the conversion information may not be included in the business management program 500 of the business device 200 used by a general operator. In this case, the business device 200 used by the operator reads the conversion information 460 that is stored in the business management device 100 and has the same environment as the business device 200, and the RPA tool 300 performs the reproduction operation.

This allows the conversion information to be reused, enabling efficient system operation. The conversion information can also be used when reproducing other business management programs 500 (personnel, employment, payroll, etc.).

Other variations:
In the above embodiment, the RPA execution control unit 211, the search information generation unit 212, and the display screen comparison unit 213 functionally configured in the control unit 210 are configured by the RPA tool 300 for the RPA execution control unit 211, and the search information generation unit 212 and the display screen comparison unit 213 are configured by the RPA module 600 for example. However, this is not limited to this, and the function of the RPA execution control unit 211 may be configured by the RPA module 600 or may be configured by another software program. Similarly, the search information generation unit 212 and the display screen comparison unit 213 may be configured by the RPA tool 300 or may be configured by another software program.

The technology of the present invention can be ideally used in business management systems that handle corporate business processes such as personnel, employment, and payroll.

Furthermore, the present invention may be modified as appropriate within the scope that does not contradict the gist or concept of the invention that can be read from the claims and the entire specification, and the business management system and computer program that involve such modifications are also included in the technical concept of the present invention.

100...service management device 200...service device 210...control unit 211...RPA execution control unit 212...search information generation unit 213...display screen comparison unit 220...storage unit 300...RPA tool 400...RPA definition information 450...search information 460...conversion information 500...service management program 600...RPA module 2304...UI control

Claims (9)

An operations management program for managing the business operations of a company;
An RPA (Robotic Process Automation) tool for operating the business management program;
RPA definition information that defines a process using a UI (User Interface) control for the business management program by the RPA tool;
a storage unit that stores search information including an identifier of a UI control to be operated by an RPA tool when the RPA tool is executed based on the RPA definition information;
When it is determined that the UI control of the operation target cannot be detected during execution of the process defined by the RPA definition information, an identifier that matches the identifier included in the search information is detected from among identifiers included in or assigned to the UI control on the operation screen of the process;
an RPA execution control unit that executes a process defined by the RPA definition information by operating the UI control to which the detected identifier is assigned;
and
The RPA tool records an operation of a user's business management program to generate the RPA definition information,
The business management system is:
The system further includes a search information generating unit that generates the search information by assigning the identifier to each UI control on an operation screen when the RPA definition information is generated, each time the user performs a pointing operation on the UI control.
Business management system. The business management system according to claim 1 ,
The identifier is a character contained in the UI control. The business management system according to claim 1 ,
The identifier is a coded image associated with the UI control. 4. The business management system according to claim 1 ,
the search information generation unit generates the search information by capturing an image of a UI control to which the identifier is assigned during the pointing operation;
The RPA execution control unit detects an image from the operation screen that matches a captured image of the UI control included in the search information, and executes the processing defined by the RPA definition information with the UI control of the detected image as the operation target. 5. The business management system according to claim 1,
The RPA definition information includes a first coordinate on the operation screen of a UI control to be operated by the RPA tool in a process based on the RPA definition information,
the search information includes second coordinates on the operation screen of the UI control to which the identifier is assigned;
When it is determined that the UI control to be operated cannot be detected, the RPA execution control unit adds a difference between the first coordinates and the second coordinates to a movement distance of a pointer pointing to the UI control in a process defined by the RPA definition information. 6. The business management system according to claim 1,
The storage unit further stores a first display setting of the operation screen of the business management program;
The RPA execution control unit, when executing the RPA tool, obtains a second display setting of the operation screen of the business management program, calculates a difference between the first display setting and the second display setting, and converts the RPA definition information based on the calculated difference. The business management system according to claim 6 ,
The RPA execution control unit launches a test program for acquiring the second display settings before launching the business management program, and acquires the display settings of the execution screen of the test program as the second display settings. A method for executing a business management program executed by a business management system having installed therein a business management program for managing a company's business operations and an RPA (Robotic Process Automation) tool for operating the business management program, comprising :
Storing RPA definition information;
Storing search information
Including,
The RPA definition information defines a process using a UI (User Interface) control for the business management program by the RPA tool, and is generated by the RPA tool by recording an operation of the business management program by a user;
The search information includes an identifier of the UI control so that the RPA tool searches for a UI control to be operated when the RPA tool is executed based on the RPA definition information,
moreover,
When it is determined that the UI control to be operated cannot be detected during execution of the process defined by the RPA definition information, an identifier that matches the identifier included in the search information is detected from among identifiers included in or assigned to the UI control on an operation screen of the process;
Executing a process defined by the RPA definition information by using the UI control to which the detected identifier is assigned as an operation target.
Including,
moreover,
A step of generating the search information by allocating the identifier to each UI control on an operation screen every time the user performs a pointing operation on the UI control when generating the RPA definition information.
Includes
How to run a business management program. A business management system in which a business management program for managing a company's business and an RPA (Robotic Process Automation) tool for operating the business management program are installed.
Storing RPA definition information;
Storing search information
Run the command,
The RPA definition information defines a process using a UI (User Interface) control for the business management program by the RPA tool, and is generated by the RPA tool by recording an operation of the business management program by a user;
The search information is configured to include an identifier of the UI control so that the RPA tool searches for a UI control to be operated when the RPA tool is executed based on the RPA definition information;
moreover,
When it is determined that the UI control to be operated cannot be detected during execution of the process defined by the RPA definition information, an identifier that matches the identifier included in the search information is detected from among identifiers included in or assigned to the UI control on an operation screen of the process;
Executing a process defined by the RPA definition information by using the UI control to which the detected identifier is assigned as an operation target.
Run the command,
moreover,
A step of generating the search information by allocating the identifier to each UI control on an operation screen every time the user performs a pointing operation on the UI control when generating the RPA definition information.
A program that executes the following.