Easing into the paperless era with Workflow Managers Christopher Zorn, Brian Dadin, Frank Starmer IT Lab Medical University of South Carolina Copyright Brian Dadin, Christopher Zorn, Frank Starmer 2002 This work is the intellectual property of the author. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non- commercial, education purposes, provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the author. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the author.

Overview Paper documents flow everywhere within the university No generic solutions for paper document management Common process paradigm: submit, process, store/forward Can we develop a generic solution, web based and zero training

Solving problems with workflow Until recently, business processes were realized through paper documents flowing from point to point for processing. The workflow manager is used when a solution to a problem requires automation of a business process. Documents, information or tasks are passed from one participant to another for action, according to a set of rules. Participants can be a human, an application, or another workflow manager. When automating a current solution or implementing a new business process solution then workflow can be used.

Workflow Open-Source Software Tools Created a set of workflow management tools Phased Implementation Open for anyone to use and modify Use this software framework to implement workflow solutions

Workflow Manager Consists of tools that can be scripted to carry out a described workflow. Common Denominators Frontend Middle Backend

Client or Frontend It can be any software application A web client with human input A computer application with automatic input Another workflow manager or engine

Middle The middleware tools manage the workflow : processing and routing Consists of tools to route workflow objects to other processes and databases Consists of a workflow engine that is a composition of tools that know how to interact with the workflow object

Backend A process that accepts workflow objects and deposits them in a database Its one and only purpose is storage

Workflow Monitoring Internet based workflow management opens the door for work-at-home and centralized allocation of workflow resources Because workflow management is standardized we can monitor input and output queue lengths in order to figure out if someone is slacking off A manager can make decisions based on what is monitored

Applause demo

Reducing user trauma with an easy to use interface Goals Common look and feel Readily adapted to different workflow requirements Wide range of clients : browser, SMS mobile phone, PDA, Instant Messenger client, client Keep it simple!

A common, easy to use interface

Easing users in with an easy to use interface

Examples of the interface Demos Broadcast Messages Firewall Rules Agenda Booklet

Phased Implementation Common Problems when implementing workflow managers One-Dimensional workflow managers Scalability Simplitcity Next Version (Sluice)

Sluice What is sluice? "Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)" Sluice, n An artifical passage for water, fitted with a valve or gate, as in a mill stream, for stopping or regulating the flow; also, a water gate or flood gate. Sluice controls the flow of workflow documents and processes Sluice is a jabber component that is the middleware of the workflow manager

What is Jabber? Jabber is an open XML routing framework It is mainly used for Instant Messaging Jabber is simple, extensible, modular and cross platform. What does Jabber provide? Presence XML package routing Uniform way to bridge applications "JabberPowered is a trademark of Jabber, Inc. and its use is licensed through the Jabber Software Foundation."

Sluice Tools of sluice Client Middle (Sluice) Backend

Sluice

Problems solved with Sluice Scalability Presence and Routablility Interoptability Multi-Dimensional Simplicity

Summary A standards-based workflow manager opens the door to move toward a paperless university in a more-or-less homogeneous manner. We can acquire data from many different sources, package it as an XML object, pass it to jabber and sluice for routing and processing and distribute it to multiple sources

Summary Furthermore, a coordinated approach to document acquisition and processing opens the door for work-at-home with central coordination and management of a distributed workforce Jabber is a fun technology! Resources