This was an excellent workshop session designed to take us on a trip through specifying and implementing a workflow to automate business processes. The presentation was given by Jim Brandt (Synacor, Inc.) who did an excellent job.

Here are some highlights or take aways:

• Workflow systems tie multiple applications together and integrate pieces using a management engine.
• These do not replace human communication, rather enhance the quality of the communication.
• To get your head in the right place, fully document the business process prior to any other action so that the business case is clear entering the development effort.
• Abstracting business process automation to in-house workflow tools removes the marriage to any single vendor system.
  • Business rules remain in force.
  • Once locked in, you’re at vendor’s mercy.
• Stuff that makes workflows succeed:
  • Applications are customized to tie back into the workflow system at task completion.
  • Workflow API should tell application what user is privileged to do.
  • Workflow API should tell application what state the application is in.
  • Applications should share UI appearance as closely as possible to make a seamless user experience.
  • Make your workflow engine report state of processes at all times.

By the way, the technology chosen for the workflow engine was PERL workflow.pm.