Workflow

Workflow is the operational aspect of a work procedure : how tasks are structured, who performs them, what their relative order is, how they are synchronized, how information flows to support the tasks and how tasks are being tracked. As the dimension of time is considered in Workflow, Workflow considers "throughput" as a distinct measure. Workflow problems can be modeled and analyzed using Petri nets.

While the concept of workflow is not specific to information technology, support for workflow is an integral part of groupware software.

External links

• Tools
  • FlowRunner Offers BPM, workflow server and embeddable engine. Multiple form technologies are supported. Source code is available. Commercial.
  • W4 sells one of the main workflow core
  • OpenFlow - Zope based opensource Workflow
  • OpenSymphony - an Open Source workflow core
  • Workflow Management Coalition sets standards in areas of terminology, interoperability and connectivity between workflow products
  • VivTek proposes a free tool-kit for workflow named wftk (under license GNU General Public License)
  • OpenWFE is an Open source WorkFlow Engine. It's written in Java, but it can also be accessed by Python and/or .NET applications
  • Enhydra Shark
  • MyControl Workflow Server
  • CoMo-Kit
  • PL/FLOW
  • jBpm
  • IntellaDOC PDF component for workflow systems
  • Skelta Workflow.NET -A BPM Workflow Software
  • EventStudio - Workflows as Sequence Diagrams
  • Agentflow - A commercial Java-based workflow engine and design tool
  • @enterprise - workflow engine is a webbased workflow engine (100% Java, integrated process monitoring).
  • ils/process provides a solution for running a business process project
  • YAWL is an open source workflow engine written in Java, and based on the Workflow Patterns research.
  • iKE Personal Assistant Service for Workflow Collaboration & Document Management
  • WebSphere MQ Workflow from IBM supports long-running business process workflows as they interact with systems and people.

• Articles
  • Workflow patterns
  • "Knowledge Based Techniques to Increase the Flexibility of Workflow Management" by Barbara Dellen , Frank Maurer , Gerhard Pews