I don't know workflow engines in the general sense that well. I once created a full documentation management system where each document couple have a workflow assigned to it. The workflow (predefined, or created on-the-fly) would push the document around from person to person, ensuring that each person completed their step in the time allotted, otherwise an email would get sent to their manager.
Would a workflow engine allow me to do the same thing, or is this a different type of workflow engine?