Workflow Management

Description

General workflow specifications include the actions to be performed, statements on control and data flow among these actions, agents allowed to execute actions, and policies that describe the organizational enviroment. New formal languages are required to capture all facets of business processes. Graphical user interfaces may alleviate the specification work.

Typical workflows are executed in distributed computing environments like in huge enterprises. Therefore, workflow management systems must be able to deal with distribution and heterogeneity. An implementation on top of advanced system services that support distributed computing like DCE or the CORBA object request broker is on the leading edge of workflow management technology.

Due to modifications in the enterprise, e.g. new business processes, new departments, etc., workflow management systems have to be scalable in order to satisfy the new requirements. Thefore, transparency is of paramount importance for workflow management.

More information

A Client/Server Architecture for Distributed Workflow Management Systems

This paper describes an object-based architecture of the ABS workflow management system.

Workflow-Management in verteilten Systemen

This Ph.D dissertation describes the application of workflow management techniques in an environment based on the division of labour.

Ereignisorientierte Spezifikation und Ausführung von (transaktionalen) Abläufen

This paper describes specification techniques for processes and their execution.

Ablaufsteuerung in CIM-Systemen

This paper is a case study of intertwined business processes in a Swiss enterprise and describes an early architecture of the ActMan workflow management system.

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