Studying The History Of Workflow Management Systems Information Technology Essay

poring over The History Of fix flow Management administrations Information Technology Es prescribe1. IntroductionIn this seminar, I would desire to introduce the history and definition of workflow completement arrangement. In that, we preempt classified the workflow into several. Then, step and types of workflows. Beside that, I too introduce the advantages of utilize workflow perplexity organization.Other than that, I also introduced 1 of the collaborative constitution which to assist in workflow oversight system, that is enumeration wariness system. I get out briefly discuss the history, definition and advantages of systems and usage of the system to table service in workflows systems and cogitate to archive service solicitude.In stemw atomic number 18. I pull up stakes introduced the history and definition of it. Further more(prenominal)(prenominal), I pull up stakes discuss about the ara and levels of sortwargon with its advantages. I give linked and identified how do they work together to deliver a well manage workflow from different level of proofreader and staff in developed the new course and its details.2. work flow vigilance system2.1 IntroductionIn 1980 ago, most of the companies and customers were seen an crisis and obstacle. It was because of the structure of memorial tablet were very inflexible and unwind to response the new extremity from the markets and customers. As the market get going international, the competition amongst organizational increase rapidly. To overpower and increased the power of competition, organization need to changes their organization structure to faced the new dominatement from market. Because of these challenges, computer sciences industry have to created and develop a new knowledge communication engineering science to meet the new requirement of markets. So the workflow technologies was developed in early 1990 was an leading to the new manner of computer industry.Workflow manage ment systems is comes from the word workflow, which means that is sequence of jobs/ operation to distribute to a soul or a groups of make out on a simple or interwoven works. It may also delegate a small portion of big job to distribute , work split to others mass for reignling purposes. The most common described the flow refer to the text file that is being transferred from one to another. For more expound, workflow is an activity that endure described the info flow, edge of work and organizational structure such(prenominal) as functions and hierarchies into a work passage.(Wikipedia, 2010)2.2 HistoryIn 1990s, workflow management system was created based on workflow process and moving in rules. The main purpose of the creation is to resolved the report card-based working class with electronic process. At the end of 1990s, the workflow management system was created with additional function like modelling tools, line of products rules process and others. But in year 2005, Microsoft was created windows workflow foundation to replaced the original workflow with others functionality like BPM (Business butt against Management).(Wikipedia,2010)2.3 DefinitionIn workflow management system, they argon different module to run the business process. For archetype, inventory images processing, office system and transaction processing was build during these trend. From the beginning, the system is more concerned about storing, retrieving and tracking the data and information. Later, the system will more emphasized on office system which e-mails will become the core module to communicated for workflow system to exchange files and documents among them.In workflow management, there can divide into four generation (see figure 1). In first generation of workflow management system, the system is more focusing on e-mails exchange and document management. Then in next generation, the workflow process are tailorable through coding. triplet generation, the sy stems have the standard architecture then can fully supported with ordinal party tools. In fourth generation, the systems can fully supported with e-mail exchange, workflow process management etc.WORKFLOW1.JPG (61753 Byte)Workflow management systems is a computer system that manage multiple tasks in an face to produce output to others. It allow us to coiffure workflows for work of processes or types of jobs. Example, in a manufacturing comp either, the crossing of design document may from designer then pass to technical state to production engineer. In all stage of workflow, every individual is responsible for their specific task and jobs. When the task is completed, the workflow management system will make sure that people that in charge of the task are notified and the information they need to process in their own stages. Its also facilitate to eliminate redundant jobs and others uncompleted task are followed up. This called dependencies, means the system required the depen dencies of every completion tasks. Others function of workflow management systems is using to replacing paper document transfer (paperless).(Kmpf and Gromann. 2006).2.3.1 Classification of workflow management systemThere are 3 classification types of workflow management system, that is production workflow, ad hoc workflow and administrative systems.Production workflowProduction workflow are the predefined job, tasks to be process or need additional steps. For as example, in the claims of car accidents, they will involve several basic steps (identifying the parties twisty, log the police report and substantiate with the agent of policy coverage) and additional steps (handling bodily injury, compensate of property, repairing of the car). Production workflow dedicate the process and maintain the productivity.Ad workflowsAd hoc workflows are through tidingss and created new thing for each workflow. Ad workflows incessantly use e-mail to carry out the work. In example of groupware, e veryone need to collaborate to create or work on new design on a new product.administrative workflowAdministrative workflow are combination of ad hoc and production workflows. Means that the flow is pre-defined (e.g. approval of expense report) and they will use e-mail to communicate with others. This work is normally used by administration for example of locomote claims.(Kmpf and Gromann. 2006).2.3.2 StandardizationThe following diagram will specified the standard for Workflow Management Coalition(WIMC) which included characteristics, functions and interfaces.WORKFLOW2.JPG (48021 Byte)by Shegalov, Gillmann, and Weikum (2001)Refer to figure 2, the standardization of workflow are lives in three level. The first levels is how the workflow retard all the process together. Second level is abstract specification means that what the data of function needed. Third level is the details of how the function implemented using the tools.Refer to figure 2, there are quintette Application pr ogramming interface (API) surround with workflow engine. The API is functional as interact and communicate between clients and workflow engine.Process definition This is the process which will involved the workflow and allocated the resources example system and people to execute the jobs.Client interface This interface which the workflows will involved by software.Involved applications This interface involved the workflow software like example document management system, email system and document imagination system.External workflow services This interface is deal with external workflow of the company or others companies. system and monitoring This interface is functional as admin and monitor of all the workflow being executed.These five interface become the minimum standards for workflow system. It is very important to having system architecture to cope with existing environs and implemented it with others business related companies.(Kmpf and Gromann. 2006).2.3.3 Types of workfl owsThere are two types of workflows.Sequential workflowSequential workflow style is execute set of process and activities sequentially or one followed by another. There are no drive off to previous flow if required. For example figure 3.http//i.msdn.microsoft.com/Ee231606.SP_Sequential(en-us,VS.100).pngFigure 3State simple machine workflowState machine workflow is combine of state, actions and others. These workflow usually complex and may return to previous flow if required. For example figure 4.State Machine WorkflowFigure 4(Msdn, 2010).2.4 Advantages of Workflow Management System2.4.1 Improve productivityThere are many advantages of using the workflow management system. One of the advantages is it can jockstrap the organization to improve their productivity. Before it, the workers will spend a lap of eons on doing the manual tasks for example to approve the clients changes on their details on paper works. This will waste solidification of man power, times, resources and mon ey on this dummy works. Furthermore, it will slow down the organization performance and risk the growing of it. With the system, every things can doing on split of eyes. When there are changes of the details, staffs can send e-mails to their supervisor to approve the changes rather than paper work.2.4.2 VisibilityIt also important to let motorbus having visibility on the business workflow. For manager, it is responsible for them to understand the whole workflow of department. If there are any happen with business critical processes, he will identified it and take appropriate steps to overcome it. For example, in the shipment department, there are lot of wrong shipment to destination. Manager may well identified which flow are causes the mistakes.2.4.3 Faster change to business reactionBesides that, it allows the organization to having smart business reaction to change. In the organization, top management may change organization business flows or business process reengineering to react to market changes. For manager, they may quickly change it through process accommodation on workflow system. Example, if customers pay the bills for abnormal transaction by using credence card, operator of credit card company may call the card owner to verified the transaction to avoid fraud.2.4.4 businessFor manger, it can improve accountability skills. Manager have over invite and understanding of process, it can help him to allocate resources and man power to which processes are more necessary. This may reduce wasteful of resources on focus to other major(ip) process. Example, manager may identify administration department need lesser staffs compare to accounting department. So, he can switch some staffs to accounting department to improved productivity rather waste resources or terminate the staffs.3. Electronic document management system3.1 HistoryFrom year 1980s, there are lot of IT people began to develop a system to manage the paper-based document and images of a c ompany to reduce the periodical huge expenses on paper. Later, they created the first system called electronic document management (EDM) system to managed those document that created by computers. It also known as document imaging systems, because the main function were capture, storehouse, and retrieve the file. It also help the organization to capture faxes and still document as images.(Wikipedia. 2010).3.2 DefinitionElectronic document management system is a kind of computer software to make and manage electronic document. For example, word processing documents, image, spreadsheets and others. The document which users can change and store the document in electronic form or images for the purpose of retrieving, sharing, distributing, recital control, workflow management. account management system will require scanner to convert the document to digital form for storing.(Wikipedia. 2010).3.3 Function of electronic document management systemIn electronic document management sys tem, there are few major function to manage the documentData recording and storage both in document and out document are required to tagged with date and time of last entryed.Capturing documents when scanner scan the images of hard copy document into electronic formats, it will stored it in database for uncomplicated storage and flexible retrieving the document.Document retrieval the system make the document retrieve more soft by clicking some button rather than hunting it in cabinet.Create indexes system can help to organize document by create indexes to uniquely identified each group of document and save time for searching.Version control system able to hold back track multiple version of comparable document to manage and store multiple version of data to system.(Marc, B. 2010).(Bestpricecomputers. 2010).3.3 Advantages of Electronic Document Management System3.3.1 Reduced storage spacesThe storage document in an organization always is an big issues for them. If the organ ization which exist more than 10 years, it will be a huge amount of documentary in organization. By scanning those documents and store in DMS system can reduce a large amount of paper storage. Beside of that, it also help the organization to reduce cost of storage to store documents.3.3.2 Prevent lost filesIn an organization, it is very common that a document can lost it well without having a well organized storage. Lost of documents is an loss for an organization and need time to replace it. Furthermore, hardcopy of records which retrieved from storage, may lead to loss because others may getting the same file. With DMS, the image of the document will store in the server and can aspect by others without losing and damaged.3.3.3 Improved securityDMS can provide a better security, flexible to vex on document level based on the level of groups and people. Documents that store in DMS are required corroboration and access code to view and modify the documents, it also eliminate the unauthorized people to access hugger-mugger documents. Example, in an organization, staffs are need password and username to access groups of document instead of easily get the document stores in cabinet without any authorization checking. Furthermore, DMS can provide audit function of who, when and which documents being access by staffs.3.3.4 Controlled and improved distributionDocuments imaging are easily distribute to colleagues and staffs by e-mail and weave instead of photocopy to share. This provide cost saving by reducing organizations paper document for example printing and postage which with hard copy documents.3.3.5 Flexible retrievalKeeping the softcopy version of documents in DMS system is better against hardcopy document. It is because that, it more fast to retrieve the records compare to searching in cabinet to get the records. Staffs can spend lesser time to get the records in their own table without leaving.3.3.6 Version controlDocuments are stored in network can b e changed by users without changing history. Document management system require documents to be checked out first for change and check in to save changes into database. It can view the entire history of documents of who and when to modified the documents.3.3.7 Reduced costsWhen implemented the system, we can reduced a lot of unnecessary paper works cost on it especially for TAR college with huge amount of students phthisis and lot of lecturers.(Content Manager. 2008).3.3 Critical evaluationIn TAR college, it is emergent need for the document management system (DMS). The reason is to reduced the documents spaces. For TAR college which are big education institute with approximated 6000 people intake every year, there moldiness be a huge amount of studentss details and documents of it. The space need to stored, managed and categories these students will be a headache problems for staffs. Beside that, lecturer may have document sharing as raillery on new course development.Loss of docu ments will be an norms for bad practices on document management. In TAR college, with large amount of document and lecturer works. It will easily loss their document if impropriate managed and storing ascribable to . Those information are valuable to them and time consuming to replace it. Example, record of students or evaluation on course developed.Beside that, with DMS, the documents and information are securely been stored in it. Someone is needed password to access reliable documents. This to prevent unauthorized staff and lecturer to access some highly confidential and students details or financial documents to protect privacy and prevent disclosure those information to third party. Example, normal staffs may not easily get the financial report from finance department.The results from discussion of course developed is essential to keep its version control. This is to make sure the workflow of it is well managed under DMS. Without it, it is easily mess up with former(a) versi on results and produced inaccurate discussion and results based on old version discussion.Other than that, with DMS, staff and lecturer may easily to retrieve the information by clicking some button rather than physically go to other department to retrieve it from cabinet. Example, lecturer reference some course details from course development department.In Extending Document Management Systems with User-Specific ActiveProperties journal. The author stated out 4 problems of traditional document management system. That is file documents, manage document, locate documents and share documents.-For file documents it reflects that particular documents are relevant to multiple activities and department. Example, affect plans are relate to budget decision and programming with the department of accounting and HR.-For manage file the administrative function of documents according to demands of user needs.-For locate documents documents may filed to one criterion but retrieved according to another, because cannot define the cross-cutting set of categorization to group of documents.-For share documents organization may not know that particular document is relevant to people or need of their groups of people.GroupwareHistoryGroupware was introduced by a people Richman and Slovak in 1980. They say that Like an electronic sinew that binds teams together, the newgroupwareaims to place the computer squarely in the middle of communication theory among managers, technicians, and anyone else who interacts in groups, revolutionizing the way they work.(8)In 1990s, the company who used the groupware are Boeing and IBM. They use it as meeting tools to control the bulges. Then lotus notes act as major software of groupware. It allow group of people to work together in internet in early stage.Slowly, groupware was fully integrate in web land site and come out Web 2.0 for the purpose of host a corporate network. The functionalities include document sharing, newsflash messaging, w eb conferencing with others.(Wikipedia. 2009)DefinitionGroupware also called as collaborative software. The purpose of groupware is to change the documents and other materials to be divided effectively in team quislingism. Before that, we have to understand the human interaction is a must to create software to meet their needs.There are three ways of human interact conversations, legal proceeding and collaborations.Conversational interactions It is the information sharing between two or more people, the purpose is to build the birth among them. Communication technology are instant messaging, E-mail and others.Transactional interaction It is to exchange transaction entities, means to qualify relationship between participants. One participant exchange money for services and products to become a customer. It effectively in transaction systems for manage records for persistent change.Collaborative interaction participants relationship is to alter a collaborative entity. Example, t o reach a common goal. So, true collaboration technology is to bring many people to achieve a common output. To get the many effort into a managed surround is collaboration technology.We can divided groupware into 4 areaKnowledge management toolsKnowledge creation toolsInformation sharing toolsCollaborative project management tools(Wikipedia. 2009)Collaborative project managementCollaborative project management tools (CPMT) is described all detailed of collaboration and management of project and its related knowledge areas. Beside that, it also known as business related goals which used for project management.Example of collaborative project management toolsCollaborative project management tools flashgun messagingTelephonyVideoconferencingWeb conferencingE-mailWeb produceRevision controlDocument versioningDocument sharingLevels of groupwareGroupware can be divided in 3 categories based on level of collaboration communication tools, conferencing tools and collaborative tools.Commun ication It is unstructured way to exchange information. For example, instant message discussion and audio chatting.Conferencing Interactive work toward a goal. For example brainstorming from group of people and also voting.Collaborative complex interdependent work toward a goal. Everyone was go their effort and work differently on achieving a goal. Example, everyone in an organization from different department are work hard in their own position to contribute their effort in organization to generate more profits.(Wikipedia. 2009)Communication toolsCommunication tools is use to communicate with people and sharing information by messages or documents. ExampleE-mailRevision controlWeb publishing(Wikipedia. 2009)Conferencing toolsConferencing tools is use to sharing information in more interesting and responsive way. ExampleForums an internet discussion spaces to manage messages from other people.Online chat a real-time message convertion and discussion. Example MSN.Videoconferencin g networked PCs conference with video and audio. second base messaging.(Wikipedia. 2009)Collaborative toolsCollaborative tools is use to manage group activities. ExampleWorkflow systems management of tasks and documents in business process.Project management system it is a system to schedule and tasks allocated to people the steps in projects to be completed.Knowledge management system it is a system for an organization to create, store and distribute good practices and experience.(Wikipedia. 2009)Advantages of groupware increment efficiencyGroupware is to provide a centralized access point to access information. Group members have to access their related information for their tasks in their group. It can remove redundant work, required less time to search data, and spend more time in tasks.(Web conferencing zone. 2005).Define and enforce processWith groupware, we can know how the information is flows. All the documentation are kept on the person who make changes. This will help group members to ensure them to perform their jobs and satisfied with their contribution to the projects.(Web conferencing zone. 2005).Provide structureThought groupware, it can show the group members of how the tasks been allocated, what the goals of projects, expectation from them. Group members are know that their task and roles of projects. Other than that is to provide project management with scheduling and tracking facilities.(Web conferencing zone. 2005).Critical evaluationConclusionIn conclusion, workflow management system can help us to manage the task flow to be more easily and transparent. It can identified the business process, the task allocated to particular members and goal of the projects.Beside of that, it need electronic document management system to control the task and documentation of members to work more effectively and efficiency.Lastly, groupware will help group members to communicate more easily and effectively on discussion and reporting the methods to car ry their tasks.In conclusion, I will combined these technology to create a system to let lecturer can have a better environment on discuss and developed a new course structure.