The general concepts

The Imixs Workflow API focus on human based workflow. This means that a business process is typical controlled by the user (actor). The Imixs Worklfow provide users with all necessary informations during thus a business process like different task lists and process documentation. The Workflow System helps users to start a new process, finding a document and complete running jobs. The following figure shows the typical flow of a document or datasheet from one user to another controlled by a Workflow Management System.

The Worklfow Management System - also called WFMS or Workflow System - controls the flow of a document or datasheet between the different users. The workflow model defines the process flow from one actor to another.

The Actors

A Workflow Management System controls which users can start a new business process or process a running task. Each business process defines different users to be involved during a workflow. These users are called Actors. The Actor interacts with the Workflow Management System during a business process. Actors can either start, update or read a process instance. The Workflow Mangement System grants actors to access a specific process instance. This means that a user which is not in involved during a workflow will not be allowed to access a running process instance. A Workflow Management System provides a security layer to process confidential business data.

The Workitem

In a Workflow Management System the document or data which is edited by different actors is called a Workitem. One workitem can assume different states during a business process. If a workitem is still processed by actors and not yet finished the workitem is called a running process instance. The status of a process instance is defined by the workflow model.

The Workflow Model

The Workflow Model defines which status a process instance can present. If an actor completes a task from his tasklist the process instance is processed by the Workflow Management System and can be assigned to a new status. This change form one status to another is defined by a Workflow Activity.

Tasklist and Statuslist

A Workflow Management System provides actors with different views about running process instances. A tasklist contains all open tasks from the view of a individual actor. The statuslist provides the user with the latest status informations about running process instances. For example a tasklist can contain new customers Orders from an online shop. A statuslist can be used by a customer to see the processing status of his own orders.