Mobile workflow management system based on the Internet of Things

Abstract

The Internet of Things (IoT) is an emerging computing concept, which fuses the digital world and the physical world by bringing together different concepts and technical components. In this paper, we present a new mobile workflow management system (MWfMS) that handles the service of computer and peripherals repair and maintenance. It allows for (i) submission of service requests, (ii) provision of real-time notifications on work progress, (iii) automatic assignment and distribution of workload among the technical-support staff, and (iv) provision of quick solutions to known problems taken from database, without having to register for a new service request. The proposed MWfMS comprises a physical layer linked by the Internet to a remote workflow management hub (WfMH). The real objects (i.e. system stakeholders and their mobile devices represent the physical layer. The WfMH that hosts the main business logic and data storage is responsible for virtualization of physical objects, and creation and delivery of various management services to the end users. A fully functional prototype of the proposed system is designed and developed and its end-to-end functionality is tested successfully.