Project management tool implementing authority for a people oriented work environment tool

摘要

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for efficiently representing, maintaining and managing a project and enclosed lifecycles in a data processing system used to support a people-oriented work environment. An object-oriented language environment is utilized to represent projects, processes, states, transitions, users, authority and activities as objects. Process objects inherit from project objects. State objects inherit from process objects. Authority objects inherit from project objects. Transition objects inherit from state objects. This system allows for the insertion of an ad hoc process.