1. Workflow and the WfMC Standards
David Hollingsworth

2. Agenda Introduction to Workflow
Background on the Workflow Management Coalition
Process Interoperability Models
WfMC Standards Status
Product Conformance & Testing

3. What is Workflow
The automation of a business process, in whole or part, during which documents, information or tasks are passed from one participant* to another for action, according to a set of procedural rules.
*participant = resource (human or machine)

4. Workflow Overview Process Business Process Analysis, Designer
Modelling & Definition Tools
Process Design
& Definition
Process
Definition
Process Execution
Process
changes
Administrator
/ Supervisor
Workflow Management System
Distributed Infrastructure Environment
Work
Presentation
Application
Launch
Users
Applications
& IT Tools

5. The Process Definition
1. Activity Network - Nodes & Transitions A1 A2 A4
A11 A7 A5 A6
A10 A8 A3 A9
Options for Sequential, Parallel & Conditional paths
2. Activity Definitions
Resource Requirement
Work Items
Applications
3. Data Definitions
Workflow Relevant Data
(Application Specific Data)

6. Workflow - Past & Future
First generation - disjoint applications, human interface
Call Centre management
Correspondence handling
Claims authorisation, etc
Second generation - infrastructure, broker / agent interfaces:
E-process support
Enterprise Application Integration

7. Background
Founded in 1993, to develop & promote workflow integration capability
Non profit-making, open to all
Working arrangements with AIIM, OMG and IETF
Current membership is c. 220, made up of:
S. America
User
Japan / Asia
Analyst / Consultant
US / Canada
Academic &
Research
Europe
Vendor
Integrator/VAR

8. The Workflow Reference Model
Process
Definition Tools
Interface 1
Process Definition Import/Export
Interface 5
Other Workflow
Enactment Service(s)
Workflow Enactment Service
Administration
& Monitoring
Tools
Workflow
Engine(s)
Workflow
Engine(s)
Interface 2
Interface 3
Interface 4
- Interoperability
Tool Agent
Client
Apps
Worklist
Handler
Invoked
Applications
Legacy,
Desktop, etc

9. Specifications - Context Diagram
Process Definition
Tool / Task
Resource Model
Interface
Process Definition
Interface
creates /
modifies
may
refer to
Process Definition
Organisational Model
inherits
properties
may
refer to
is instantiated by
Audit Specifications
Workflow
Manager
External
S/W object
create, destroy
modify
create &
destroy
Process Instance
maintain
audit
trail
Process Instance
History
may use
Process & Activity
Control / Interoperability
Interface
may invoke
provides
invocation
context
generates
Workflow
Relevant Data
Work Item
Workflow Enactment
Service
Worklist
Handler I/F
Tool Agent
may
set
processed by
Application
Invocation I/F
Worklist
Handler
Application
may
invoke
presented
for action by
1. Workflow Manager may be distributed, but is
assumed to maintain consistent internal state
Participant
2. Scope of a Process Definition is the enactment service

10. 1. Sub-Process Interoperability Model
WAPI
Initiate
Sub-process
Workflow Enactment Service #1
WAPI
WAPI
Workflow Enactment Service #2
Return
Workflow Enactment Service #3

11. 2. Parallel Synchronised Interoperability Model
Synchpoint across processes A2 A1 A3 A4 B2 B1 B3 B4 C1 C2 C3 C4
To support inter-process dependencies
Uses Synch Event and optional Confirm
WAPI
WAPI
Sync. Event
Workflow Enactment Service #1
Workflow Enactment Service #2
optional
Confirm

12. Process Naming & Context
Activities may be atomic, sub-process call, or in-line block
A sub-process inherits characteristics from its process definition and has its own name space apart from “Root Process Id” (from initiating process)
A sub-process call may be specified as synchronous or asynchronous, binding prefixed or late
An in-line block operates within the name space and characteristics of its local process
Activity and Transition Ids are unique within a process definition
Resource naming may use an Organisational Model - typically unique to a workflow enactment service

13. WfMC - Specifications Reference Model (1994) Glossary (1994, 1996)
Workflow APIs
“C” (1995)
IDL / CORBA (1998)
Interoperability Protocol & Bindings
MIME ( ) (1995)
XML (April 2000)
Audit specification (1996)
Process Definition Import/Export Specification
WPDL (1998)
UML/XML (Q4 2000)
OMG Submission (Object Model & IDL, 1998)

14. Products & Conformance
OMG Submission
21 vendors as co-submitters with implementation commitment
Interoperability Testing
Facility established at University of Muenster
First stage (MIME) - 3 vendors completed
Second stage (MIME) - 8 vendors committed
Wf-XML testing - Q3

15. Contacts & Further Information