[egov] 2/26/2004: OASIS e-GOV TC : WORKFLOW STANDARD Comments

["Monica J. Martin" <Monica.Martin@Sun.COM>]

Everyone,
First we need to differentiate business process automation/mangement 
from workflow in our scope and the basis for our evaluation. Workflow 
typically involves a human-in-the-loop. As of late, we seem to infer 
with the increase in interest and technology development in this area 
that the lines between workflow and business process are graying. 
However, the question still stands here and therefore I'll call this 
area of interest 'thingy' until we come to consensus. The definitions on 
pg 5 are good but we mix these concepts in how we describe them and we 
should bound our area of interest.

Next here are some core questions related to our boundaries and scope of 
an proposed recommendations for 'thingy' standards:

    * Important 'thingy' capabilities include:

       1. Business process management related
              * Choreography
              * Control flow
              * State alignment
              * Business semantics
       2. Workflow related:
              * Work list maintenance
              * Delegation
              * User interface
       3. General:
              * Governance and approval process

    * Important 'thingy' criteria include:
         1. Portability
         2. Interoperability
         3. Core functional capabilities such as error or exception
            handling (given where you fall in talking about the
            'thingy'), activity composition, correlation and
            conversation, etc.
    * General comments:
          o Historically workflow has been an enterprise exercise. But
            today, the lines and definition of enterprise 'depends.'
            Saying internal and external doesn't help much either
            because we have become widely distributed and extended
            enterprises by design. Suggest you consider 'within or
            across domains of control.'
          o No longer is workflow or business process limited to an 'IT
            system.'
          o The diagram from WfMC you provided still needs further
            review. It was provided and feedback sought when I attended
            another TC meeting in December 2003. There were several
            changes/corrections suggested. We can decide if we review
            and comment back to WfMC or make changes for our own goals.
            Either way, this diagram requires re-evaluation. There is a
            difference here between process and business process, subtle
            but immensely important.
          o We can more effectively evaluate the recommendation after we
            clearly understand what 'thingy' of which we speak. The
            diagram mixes these concepts which are interrelated, which
            could lead to confusion.