Modelling business processes with workflow systems: an evaluation of alternative approaches

Effective business process management necessitates a consistent information flow between the participants in the process, the smooth integration of th e flow of work, the timely sharing of data and information during the plann ing and implementation phases and harmonious support for the collaborative aspects of work. The recent trends in the development of advanced workflow management sq stems and technologies seem to be of crucial importance for f acilitating these tasks within the process management context. However, wor kflowmanagement systems (WfMS) follow various approaces in modelling the fl ow of work and hence present varying functionalities when supporting enterp rise processes, The present paper examines the ways in which workflow techn ology may facilitate the implementation of process management, reviews the pros and cons of adopting alternative workflow representation techniques in modelling business processes and provides guidance to managers as to the c haracteristics, the similarities and differences of the various workflow mo delling schemes. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.