WORK FLOW SUPPORT SYSTEM, ITS METHOD, WORK FLOW SUPPORT PROGRAM, AND COMPUTER READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM WITH THE PROGRAM RECORDED THEREON

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the same processing of the same target from being performed in the same period in an overlapped state. SOLUTION: In an enterprise applying many patents in a year, inventions applied several times per year in a certain past period (i.e., patents having the elapse of a fixed period from their application) are generally collectively investigated regarding whether their examination claims are required or not (periodical evaluation). However the requirement of an examination claim is individually determined in any situation (temporary evaluation). But there is a case that a patent of which temporary evaluation is stopped because a conclusion can not be obtained at present is turned to a periodical evaluation target soon after the stop and evaluation of which conclusion is not expected is repeated again. In this invention, the overlap of the same processing in almost the same period is evaded by limiting the stop of temporary evaluation for an application to be a target in succeeding periodical evaluation.