Workflow

A workflow is a flow of information within an organization, such as for example the automatic transmission of Document S between people.

One calls “workflow” (translate “flow of work literally”) the modeling and the data-processing management of the whole of the tasks to be achieved and the various actors implied in the realization of a process trade (also called operational process or Procédure of company). The term of “workflow” could thus be translated into French by “electronic management of the processes trade”. In a more practical way, the workflow describes the circuit of validation, the tasks to be achieved between the various actors of a process, the deadlines, the modes of validation, and provides to each actor the necessary informations for the realization of its task. For a process of publication on line for example, it is about the modeling of the tasks of the whole of the leading chain.

It generally allows a follow-up and identifies the actors by specifying their role and the manner of filling it as well as possible.

The driving of workflow is the software device making it possible to carry out one or more definitions of workflow. By abuse language quite simply, one can call this software device " workflow".

Standardization

Associations, or organizations related to the standardization of the workflow:

• the WfMC ( The Workflow management coalition ), an organization of more than 300 members who aims to standardize the workflow.
• WARIA ( Workflow And Reengineering International Association ), an association between OMG (aspect specifications ) and BPMI

History

The industry of the electronic imagery and the production control computer-assisted was the first to claim a technology which allows the automation of the procedures of work, hitherto carried out with the hand.

As from the year 1975 and up to 1985, the new technology known as of WorkFlow made important great strides by setting up a system able to automate flows of work as well as possible. Thus systems of static WorkFlow were born: Officetalk-P, Backtalk, Poise, Xerox InConcert,…

Unfortunately, of many companies having developed similar products could not pass the course of the millenium, because the produced tools had an high price and an important complexity. The failure of static WorkFlow is mainly due to the fact that it was very difficult to integrate and to modify the procedures of work in the WorkFlow systems. The treatments and the data formed integral part of the system and made the task difficult.

However, the renewed interest for the software genius with the beginning of the year 1990 made it possible to start again research concerning the WorkFlow systems in order to set up systems simpler to use. It followed from there a true explosion as for the elaborate systems. One quotes: Oval, Apricot, MelMac, WAMO, FreeFlow,… These systems, known under the name of generic WorkFlow , proposed an new approach of WorkFlow. The idea was to separate the treatment and the data relating to the procedures of work and to offer kind a greater facility as for creation, modification or suppression of the procedures of work. Nowadays, these “new” systems are completely operational and are largely used by the companies. It does not remain about it less than new research is carried out in order to push even more the flexibility and the adaptability of these systems. It is in this quite particular context of flexibility that adaptive WorkFlow was born the .

Works to be consulted

• Setrag Khoshafian and Marek Buckiewicz, Groupware and workflow , 1998

See too

Internal bonds

• List of the engines of workflow

• the '' Workflow management coalition '' (WfMC) aiming at creating a Standard.
• Procedure of company or process trade
• Business process modeling language
• Eprocurement
• Content management

External bonds

La last checking concerning the external bonds was carried out the 5/19/2006.

• Workflow Patterns : The owners of design of the workflow.
• Total Excellence in Workflow Awards: Rewards for work on the workflow sponsored by WfMC and the WARIA.
• (BPMS) Gate of information on the field of the BPM (Management by the processes), comparative of tools and testing ground.
• (Research) Research Overview, “history off workflow research”.

Tools

• Those of the Software category of Workflow of the Open Directory Project.

• Those of the anglophone category Business Process Analysis Software of the Open Directory Project.

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