Interorganizational Workflow Management

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• Workflow Management
  • Requirements on WfMSs
  • Workflow Modeling
    • The Functional Aspect: Workflows and Activities
    • The Operational Aspect: Applications
    • The Behavioral Aspect: Control Flow
    • The Informational Aspect: Data Structures and Data Flow
    • The Organizational Aspect: Structure and Population
    • The Causal Aspect: Regulations and Dependencies
    • The Historical Aspect: Logging
    • The Transactional Aspect: Workflow Consistency
  • Workflow Analysis
  • Workflow Enactment
  • Architecture of WfMSs
    • Generic Workflow Product Structure of the WfMC
  • Limitations
• Introduction to Interorganizational Workflows
  • Concepts for Interorganizational Workflows derived from Conventional Workflow Management
    • Task Assignment
    • Interorganizational Control Flow
    • Interorganizational Data Flow
  • Business Scenario
  • Partitioning of Workflows
  • Models of Workflow Interoperability
    • Centralized Process Management or Capacity Sharing
    • Chained Subprocesses or Chained Execution
    • Nested Subprocesses, Subcontracting or Service Outsourcing
    • Transaction Group

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This diploma thesis aims to provide an introduction to interorganizational workflow management, its aspects, and concepts. It analyzes the requirements of interorganizational workflow systems and explores various approaches, projects, and initiatives in the field, including XML-based approaches, WfMC standards, electronic marketplaces, and electronic contracting. The thesis focuses on how interorganizational workflows can extend beyond traditional workflow management, enabling electronic support for processes that cross organizational boundaries, ultimately improving business efficiency.

• Interorganizational workflow management
• Requirements for interorganizational workflow systems
• Different approaches and initiatives in interorganizational workflow management
• Evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches
• Exploring how interorganizational workflows can enhance business efficiency

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The first chapter introduces the concept of workflow management, exploring its requirements, various aspects of modeling, analysis, enactment, and architecture. It also delves into limitations of conventional workflow management. Chapter 2 delves into the world of interorganizational workflows, analyzing how they extend beyond traditional workflow management by addressing processes that cross organizational boundaries. It explores the various concepts of task assignment, control flow, and data flow specific to interorganizational scenarios. This chapter also presents a business scenario demonstrating the complexities of interorganizational workflows and discusses the partitioning of workflows to manage these complexities. It concludes by examining models of workflow interoperability, such as centralized process management, chained subprocesses, nested subprocesses, and transaction groups. The different models are evaluated based on their strengths and weaknesses, providing valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities of interorganizational workflow management.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The main keywords and focus topics of the text revolve around interorganizational workflow management, interoperability, heterogeneity, security, privacy, XML-based approaches, WfMC standards, electronic marketplaces, electronic contracting, and business efficiency.