Workflow product navigation system

Abstract

A workflow or product navigation system includes a single top-level screen which allows access to all aspects of the product information through selection of a single entry. The top-level screen includes a menu bar, a plurality of selectable icon push buttons in an icon area for directing inquiry to all aspects of the product information, and a product listing area. A user may select from several orderings of the icons to most efficiently access the product data. In particular, the icons are arranged in a preselected order as determined according to a business unit default definition. The user may select an alternative user-defined selection and ordering of icons, or a list of all icons in a predefined, fixed order. The icons on the top-level screen convey many details regarding the status of the product information. An icon, on its face, designates the user-access status of the information as read-write or read-only access. If a user has no access to information underlying the icon, no icon is displayed. An icon, on its face, expresses the data-content status of the information as being unfilled, copied from another source, or saved.