WWWorkflow: World Wide Web based workflow

The paper describes WWWorkflow, a system developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for the computer mediation of work through an organization. WWWorkflow exploits an opportunity created by organizational intranets to provide a common user interface across heterogeneous platforms. A distinctive feature of WWWorkflow is the careful separation of process mediation from product data management. WWWorkflow supports many types of workflow and is not focused on any single information structure. Three major components of the system are presented: a relational database approach to process definition and management, process initiation and event response software used to drive the flow of work through the organization, and a World Wide Web (WWW) based user interface and mechanism for integrating workflow with existing data management services. Lessons learned from its deployment at the Johnson Space Center, Houston are discussed.