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Workflow Management
Workflow:
A Series of steps to accomplish an objectiveSteps (alias: tasks or activities) performed by people/programs
Workflow management systems:
Software to drive and monitor the workflowReporting to the responsible personProviding relevant work at right time
Roots:
Assembly line engineeringTaylor's scientific management principles
Workflow Management Capabilities
Who is doing whatProcess cycle timesProcess costsForms and reportsInput data and relevant algorithms
Example - check processing workflow in EC
Check request by the originatorFlow of the request to an approverApproval form is routed to the purchasingdepartmentOriginator is notifiedLots of "if-then-else" on the way!
Workflow Management Capabilities of Interest for EBI
Supporting the partner or customer satisfactionProviding timely information to partner or customerDoing requirements/inquiries for partners or customersMaintaining knowledge about contracts and products
Old-fashion managers - "traditionalists":Business functions treated as independent activities
Extended-enterprise managers - "paradigm shift":Cutting across traditional departmental boundaries
Organizational Integration - Three Steps by Whinston
(a) Improving existing processes,by utilizing technology,where appropriate
(b) Integrating across the business functionsafter identifying the information needs,for each process
(c) Integrating business functions,application program interfaces, and databases,across groups and departments
Major Issues of Interest
Workflow coordination of tasks and resources (e.g., electronic forms routing packages, such as Lotus Notes)
Real-time decision support (e.g., packages for organizational-memory/DSS, such as MiddleWare)
Interfaces to other relevant systems (e.g., collaboration packages, like those from University of Arizona)
Workgroup goals definition (e.g., packages for efficient determination of goals, typical AI-based)
A modern solution for workflow management: SMP
PrintServices
DatabaseRequest
DiskI/O
FileSystem
NetworkServices
CommServices
The SMP Solution
Scheduler
Processor4Processor3Processor2Processor1
PrintServices
DatabaseRequest
DiskI/O
FileSystem
NetworkServices
CommServices
The SMP Solution
Scheduler
Processor4Processor3Processor2Processor1
PrintServices
DatabaseRequest
DiskI/O
FileSystem
NetworkServices
CommServices
The SMP Solution
Scheduler
Processor4Processor3Processor2Processor1
PrintServices
DatabaseRequest
DiskI/O
FileSystem
NetworkServices
CommServices
The SMP Solution
Scheduler
Processor4Processor3Processor2Processor1
Early WFMSs Pursue the Activity-Oriented Aspect of WM
FlowMark by IBMCSE/WorkFlow by CSEWorkParty by SNI
Two alternative views:
Document-oriented WFMSDM/Workflow by IntergraphOPEN/workflow by Wang LaboratoriesService-oriented WFMSCoordinator by Action TechnologiesFOQUS project in Germany
Case Studies: From the HICSS Conferences
Workflow Support for Failure Managementin Federated Organizations
R.Klamma + P.Peters + M.JarkeRWTH, Aachen, Germany
Essential Issue - Failure Management for Improved Service
(a) Encapsulation of the problem context(b) Folder management based on semantic mechanisms(c) Usage of process-integrated workspaces(d) Metamodeling techniques to support environment changes
Inter and Intra Organizational Barriers - Checkpoints at Barriers
(a) Informational barriers(b) Conceptual barriers
Technological barriers
(a)
Capture
Sphere ofcompetence
Analyze
Correct
Capture
Sphere ofcompetence
Analyze
Correct
Capture
Sphere ofcompetence
Analyze
CorrectEscalatefailure
Escalatefailure
Failuredetection
The Escalation Principle
Workflow Analysis Techniques
A.Basu + R.BlanningVanderbilt University
Available systems largely limited to graphical visualization of wfMore sophisticated analysis uses graph theory
Workflow can be described in terms of common set of components:(a) An information element(b) A report (or more generally, a document)(c) An activity(d) A resource(e) A process (a set of activities)(f) A system (a combination of the above)
A graph can be constructed andoptimized, with a goal in mind!
Optimization criteria:1. ____________________2. ____________________3. ____________________
Adding the Workflow Analysis Techniquesto IS Development Tools
M.M.Kwan + P.R.BalasubramanianBoston University
The workflow technology market generates over $1.1 billion (top60 products)All these products treat wf management as an add-on to IS
Information systems have to be workflow-aware!The Workflow Management Coalition (WfMC):The Wf reference model (WfRM)!
The new paradigm - The workflow-enabled environment:(a) Inner layers: Workflow logic managed by workflow systems(b) Outer layers: Task logic supported by application systems
Workflow API and Interchange Formats
Workflow Enactment Service
WorkflowEngine(s)
Other Workflow EnactmentService(s)
WorkflowEngine(s)
Administration &Monitoring Tools
Process Definition Tools
WorkflowClientApplications
InvokedApplications
Interface 5
Interface 2 Interface 3
Interface 4
Interface 1
The WfMC workflow reference model
The WISDM - A new WfRM methodologyto guide developers of workflow-aware IS
Highlight:
Formal methods for Wf analysis,design, and implementation
Also:Tasks selected as Wf or Ap
Evaluation of IS from the WF Point of View
R.Orwig + D.Dean + L.MikulichWashington State University
An efficient WF model used by DoD
to determine the optimal IS from the WF point of view;total of 65 different elementary workflow activities
Models needed to help corporate dynamics:
mergers, acquisitions, downsizing, and growth;performance and complexity evaluationscrucial for decision-making
Case Study
Management of hazardous materialsand waste at a military installation!Based on the Model, a questionair of 165 q's was developed,to select among over 300 SW packages
Approved Budget
Audit Findings
Personnel Qualifications/TrainingEconomics & Trade-offs
Regulations/Policies/DirectivesTechnical Documentation
A0
Life Cycle Managementof Hazardous Substances
ContractorsFacilities/Equipment
FundsInformation Systems
Personnel
HM Rqmnts for ProcessesInstallation Master PlanMaterial/MSDSMobilization RqmntsP2 Impl DirectivesWaste
HW Disposal ShipmentsRedistributed MaterialReports to...Purchase RequestsStrategy/Planning
Topmost Activity Definition
Lowest-Level Hazardous Substance Management ActivitiesManage Hazardous Material: Prevent Pollution:Validate HM request Develop P2 PlanIdentify Process/HM Waste Stream Identify HM ProcessesReview Process for Environmental Compliance Prioritize HM ProcessesReview Process for Bio/ Environmental Concerns Identify HW Generating ProcessesCommunicate HM Approval Prioritize Hazardous Waste ProcessesDetermine Source for Procurement Identify and Rank AlternativesRelease Material/Issue MRO Test Alternative Materials and ProcessesRequisition Material From Off-Activity Source Select ChangeReceive Material (New and Used) Make P2 Business DecisionStore Materials Implement Local ChangeIssue MaterialsRequest HM Manage Hazardous WasteReceive Material/Substance at Work site Sample Waste StreamsMonitor HM Use Analyze Waste StreamsDuring Work Order Accomplishment Characterize WasteDetermine Disposition Issue Containers for AccumulationTransfer to Hazardous Waste Monitor Waste StorageTransfer Unused Material Determine Waste Disposition
Prepare Waste for Off-Site ShipmentKeep Records
Type: Question: Evaluation Score:Global Does the system provide pick
lists,drop-down data, etc. tosupport validation of datainput/editing?
1 2 3 4 5
Hazardous Material Does the system provide foridentification of approval toorder a specific substance(Authorized User or Use List)
1 2 3 4 5
Pollution Prevention Does the system identify theengineering department (orcode name) and individual incharge of the pollutionprevention process?
1 2 3 4 5
Hazardous Waste Does the system provide theability to create and maintain achain of custody for eachwaste sample?
1 2 3 4 5
Sample Evaluation Questions
SYSTEM TOTAL SCOREMcClelland 360Portsmouth 338Kelly 295Tinker 240New River 160TobyHanna 143JLSC 130Aberdeen 121Hill 120Pt. Mugu 99Alameda 80AMC 79Ft.Lewis 76AEC/Waste 67AEC/Materials 18
System Voting Outcome
WWWorkflow: World Wide Web Based Workflow
C.K.Ames + S.C.Burleigh + S.J.MitchellJet Propulsion Laboratories, California, USA
Major highlight:
Separation of process mediation from product data managementSupporting various types if information structures
Major ComponentsA relational databaseControl softwareWWW
Bottomline:Easier to create a proactive system(not allowing users to make mistakes) in a global environment(on lower scales, possible even w/o flexeparation)
System Architecture at Johnson Space Center,Change Request (CR) System
Servicer browser
wfdb
Engine CGI
rdbms
CRDB
httpd
www_cr
dbms
shell
taskdescriptions
httpd
http
I/O
I/O
TCPsocket
TCPsocket
Issues of Importance
Workflow management on active OO databasesUniversity of Linz, Austria{gerti,stefan,sre,werner}@ifs.uni-linz.ac.at
Newspaper production WFMSRoyal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, [email protected]
WFMS for office automationNew York University, NYC, [email protected]
WF reengineeringNaval Surface Warfare Center, Virginia Beach, Virginia, [email protected]
Merging workflow and collaboration technologies:The Chautauqua WF systemUniversity of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA
Issues in ImplementationFlexible execution of workflow activitiesUniversity of Muenster, [email protected]
Distributed execution of business process modelsUniversity of Wien, [email protected]
A language for workflow programmingINRIA, Cedex, [email protected]
Implementation of learning and memory in WFMSUniversity of Wien, Austria{mib,ee}@ifs.univie.ac.at
Incorporating the common domain knowledge and intentionalityUniversity of Texas at San Antonio, Taxas, [email protected]
Security in WFMUniversity of Essen, Germany{herrmann,pernul}@wi-inf.uni-essen.de
Hot Research Issues in Workflow Technology
Concurrency control Parallelism,, when possible
Example: Offline automation
Antiparallelism, when necessaryExample: Medical treatment (one patient / two problems)
Correctness criteria: Syntactic Semantic
References: Jajodia, S.,”Interview”, IEEE Concurrency, April-June 1998, pp. 21-33 (http://lsdis.cs.uga.edu/activities/NSF-workflow).