Keeping Workflow-Enabled Enterprises Flexible: WfMS Abstraction and Advanced Task Management

Nowadays, businesses need to change their operational processes in a flexible and agile manner to keep thecompetitive edge. As an enabling technology, workflow management systems (WfMS) can be used tomodel and run business processes through therdquoorchestrationldquo of services that are based on buildingblocks with business value. However, they often useproprietary interfaces. This results to a tight coupling between the WfMS and workflow applications. In this article we will present an integration architecture that decouples a workflow client application from the underlying WfMS and provides access to the system´s services. Additionally, a genericldquotask selection strategyrdquo is modeled, designed and integrated into the architecture. The task selection strategy enables workflow clients to flexibly filter the user´s task list according to the application´s needs. The results are reviewed by a prototypic implementation based on a reference process from the insurance business.