Why workflows?

We have worked on workflow management software for several years. Before that, we were subject matter experts responsible for the development and implementation of business processes within companies where we worked. We took an active interest in how work was done, what progress was being made and how to keep customers happy.
We know that successful projects are characterized by:

Open Communications: The biggest problem in large projects is synchronizing the work of many people. When the work status is tailored to staff, they understand work priorities and work scheduling requirements. (Great Project Managers understand this and ensure that each worker gets the information that they need when they need it.)
Tooled Processes: Paper Processes are an improvement from no process, BUT they lack in achieving a consistent and timely result. When processes are tooled (made available on-line) and are accessible to people, they create an environment where the project status is available at anytime.

Software Tools are making software easier to build, with more features and user simplicity. Today, small companies can get cost-effective, feature-rich workflow-based solutions that allow them to track costs and improve overall financial performance.

What is a workflow?

A workflow:

Describes how work is done. This is referred to as a workflow class, template or pattern. The class defines how work should be done. ‘Workflow Class’ is used to describe this meaning throughout Jetfire.
Describes the work being done. This may be referred to as the work or a job or a calendar item or the workflow. ‘Workflow’ is used to describe this meaning throughout Jetfire.

Work is a generic term used throughout Jetfire to describe an activity performed in a workflow. Some common activities include:

Appointments, e.g. I have a doctor’s appointment
Meetings, e.g. Fred and Ginger have a meeting to discuss dance steps
Tasks, e.g. I have to write a progress report for my boss by Friday noon.
To Do items, e.g. buy milk
Document Management, e.g. store the document in your shared folder
Holiday, e.g. Canada Day (these are typically identified as statutory holidays
Vacation (No example required)
Time-slips, e.g. some companies track time spent on projects
Events, e.g. Fax sent to Head Office

A workflow addresses the following questions:

Who does the work?
Who manages the work?
When is the work done? (Started? Due? Finished?)
Where is the work done?
How long does it take to do the work?
How much time does the worker spend doing the work?
What type of work is it?
and more

As data is gathered, people start thinking in terms of reports and that tends to cause more data to be gathered. By making it easy to enter data, reports allow people to understand how the work is done and see better ways of doing the work.