I recently used the definition and explanation below from Guru.net. You might also examine the Application Server with Process Extensions product at www.iplanet.com, which is the Sun/Netscape repackaging of the Netscape Application Server and Process Manager. Roy Definition: work�flow (w�rk'flo') n. The flow or progress of work done by a company, an industry, a department, or a person. The rate at which such flow or progress takes place. Source: The American Heritage� Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition Copyright � 1992, 1996 by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Explanation: workflow Workflow is the tasks, procedural steps, organizations or people involved, required input and output information, and tools needed for each step in a business process. A workflow approach to analyzing and managing a business process can be combined with an object-oriented approach, which tends to focus on documents, data, and databases. In general, however, workflow management focuses on processes rather than documents. A number of companies make workflow automation products that allow a company to create a workflow model and components such as online forms and then to use this product as a way to manage and enforce the consistent handling of work. For example, an insurance company could use a workflow automation application to ensure that a claim was handled consistently from initial call to final settlement. The workflow application would ensure that each person handling the claim used the correct online form and successfully completed their step before allowing the process to proceed to the next person and procedural step. A workflow engine is the component in a workflow automation program that knows all the procedures, steps in a procedure, and rules for each step. The workflow engine determines whether the process is ready to move to the next step. Some vendors sell workflow automation products for particular industries such as insurance and banking or for commonly-used processes such as handling computer service calls. Proponents of the workflow approach believe that task analysis and workflow modeling in themselves are likely to improve business operations. Selected Links The Workflow Management Coalition (WfMC) is an industry group that promotes workflow standards so that different workflow software products can interoperate. The WfMC has an illustration of its reference model for five standard workflow interfaces. Staffware, advertised as "the world's leading independent workflow product," provides a page that includes a glossary of workflow terms. Workflow International sells Deskflow, a workflow management program aimed at the banking and job recruiting industries. In Chile, Xnear offers a family of workflow software products. (The site is in Spanish.) Source: Copyright � 1996-99 by whatis.com Inc. All rights reserved. -----Original Message----- From: Pervinder Johar [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Tuesday, January 11, 2000 12:57 AM To: Dick Brooks (E); David RR Webber; Roy Roebuck Cc: XML EDI Listserver (E-mail) Subject: RE: XML as Programming Language??? Surely Not! Do you have any examples of workflow definition that you can share. We are also working on defining workflows for financial industry business processes, and I am intrigued by your email. Thanks -Pervinder
a glossary of workflow terms.url
an illustration of its reference model for five standard workflow interfaces.url
