A workflow engine automates work processes by following the steps in a process chart. It assigns tasks to employees and speeds up processes, with a focus on the next step and what happens as a result. The process designer is typically someone in the business, while a computer programmer creates the workflow engine.
A workflow engine is a computer version of a process chart. As one might draw a graph to illustrate the steps that must be taken to complete a task or work activity, a workflow engine is a computer’s way of following the steps in a work process. Companies tend to use workflow mechanisms to automate work processes.
For example, if a company sells a certain product, an individual at the company will map out the steps in the sales process, and the process can begin when the customer receives a direct mail from the company. The next process would be for the recipient to call for more information. Then a sales representative would call the customer or speak with him at the time of the call. The next step is for the customer to place an order or go to the company’s website to place an order, and the final part of the process can be when the company sends the customer a coupon to get a discount on their next purchase. This information would be fed into the workflow engine to automate the assignment of tasks to different employees in the company or to alert an employee of the next steps to take.
These employees do not use the workflow engine, but use software that supports the workflow engine. A computer programmer and process designer would be involved in creating the workflow engine. As a computer programmer works to develop a workflow engine, the focus is on how the process steps occur. The process designer involved in creating the workflow engine is concerned with the next step or what happens as a result of the previous step.
Typically, the process designer is someone who works in the business, such as the head of development or a business analyst. The main purpose of a workflow engine is to automate processes and speed up the process. For example, in a situation where it is a sales process, the end goal of using a workflow engine is to speed up the process from the moment a prospect learns about a product or service to the moment the purchase is made.
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