Description

Workflow and Process Automation: Concepts and Technology provides an overview of the problems and issues related to process and workflow technology, and in particular to definition and analysis of processes and workflows, and execution of their instances. The need for a transactional workflow model is discussed and a spectrum of related transaction models is covered in detail. A plethora of influential projects in workflow and process automation is summarized. The projects are drawn from both academia and industry. The monograph also provides a short overview of the most popular workflow management products, and the state of the workflow industry in general

From the Preface

The importance of workflow and process technologies is increasing today as we see a convergence of communications connectivity and software tools for collaboration among remote people and computer systems. While this convergence provides a partial framework for large scale collaboration, solutions for the coordination of the process of collaboration are missing. Advances in workflow and process technology will be needed in order to provide truly robust, scalable and dynamic collaboration environments.

Table of Contents

PREFACE

1. Introduction
   
2. Process Technolog
   2.1.Process Modeling
   2.2.Process Descriptive Views
   2.3.Process Meta-Models
   2.4.Process Model Analysis
   
   
3. Workflow Technology
   3.1.Workflow Enactment Paradigms
   3.2.Workflow Execution System Guarantees
   3.3.Description Languages
   3.4.Software Architecture of the Workflow Enactment Service
   3.5.Security Considerations
   3.6.Implementation Issues
   
   
4. Transactional Aspects of Workflows
   4.1.The need for a workflow transaction model
   4.2.Traditional Transactions
   4.3.Correct Execution of Traditional Transactions
   4.4.Extended Transaction Models
   4.5.Meta-models for Extended Transactions
   4.6.Towards Transactional Workflows
   
   
5. Ongoing Research in Workflow and Process Automation
   5.1.Overview
   5.2.Process Handbook Project
   5.3.Process Interchange Format
   5.4.METEOR Multiparadigm Transactional Workflow
   5.5.APRICOTS
   5.6.Exotica Project
   5.7.MENTOR
   5.8.MOBILE
   5.9.Panta Rhei Project
   5.10.Interaction Coordination Nets
   5.11.VORTEL - Teleservice for Workflow Management
   5.12.WIDE Consortium
   5.13.The TriGSflow Model
   5.14.CoAct Model
   5.15.Microsoft MAPI-WF
   5.16.Database representation of workflows
   5.17.OPERA
   5.18.Migrating Workflows
   
   
6. STATE OF THE INDUSTRY
   6.1.Overview of Current Products
   6.2.Workflow Management Coalition
   6.3.Shortcomings and Limitations of Current Products
   6.4.Shortcomings in technology support for processes
   

REFERENCES

INDEX