Workflow and Enterprise Content Management
In the context of Enterprise Content Management Systems, workflow involves processing of documents to move content through business processes. The processing can be automated if clear rules and decisions can be applied.
Where ad hoc processing is required, the process would move to a manual level, moving to a person with the requisite decision-making authority. The decision-maker can seek the help of relevant decision-support information, or relevant guidelines, to make appropriate processing decisions.
Approvals are needed for completing many kinds of processes, as when sending communications to external entities. For example, all Web-content typically has to undergo an editorial review before it is published. Placing non-trivial orders for supplies and making payments are other processes that would need approvals before action can be taken.
Supervisors and managers give approvals while systems and people do the routine processing. Even the approval process can be automated where pre-determined rules can be formulated and rule-based decision-making is possible.
In such a case, only exceptions to the rule would need human intervention.
In short, where a process can be clearly specified in detail, rules for decision-making can be defined and rule-based decisions can be programmed, the process is a good candidate for automation.
Such workflows would follow a pre-defined sequence and could take alternative processing paths depending on pre-defined rules. Where no pre-defined rule is applicable at a particular stage, the content is presented to authorized humans. Human intervention would be needed also in cases where the rules themselves require it.
Processes are defined in terms of place, person responsible, role of the person and any sub-processes involved. All processes and sub-processes would have clear objectives, the achievement of which marks their successful completion.
Processes involve procedures, forms and databases, have events to signal their status and are controlled by appropriate processing tools (for example, software) that process them according to pre-determined rules.
Workflows consist of activities, with milestones attached to each. Events such as start and completion of an activity are recorded, and could trigger other activities. Work Flow Management Systems essentially control the workflows through setting milestones and monitoring the events.
An Example of Workflow
On the factory floor, materials and parts move through different processes to be converted into finished products that are then moved to the warehouse and from there to distribution outlets. The entire process would be documented stage by stage, and the documents would be used to control the flow and create reports.
It is the reports and other content that would help supervisors and managers to know what is going on and take any actions to keep things moving in desired ways.
Information Technology has transformed workflows, by making possible such low cost options as just-in-time inventory management and flexible manufacturing systems.
Even now workflow patterns are changing with the widespread use of Internet and the feasibility of working together even while separated by vast distances. Enterprise Content Management is a step towards this new environment of global, distributed workflows.
In the context of Enterprise Content Management Systems, workflows mean the movement of content through business processes. This movement has pre-defined objectives and follows pre-defined rules. Where such rules are not available at any stage, the process moves up for human intervention. People can then seek the help of decision-support information and other guidelines for taking actions that help achieve the objectives. Human intervention might also be needed when the rules themselves require it, as when approvals are required before moving to the next process or sub-process.