A Business Workflow is a sequence of connected steps, activities, and decision points that form a complete business process, typically involving multiple participants, systems, and information exchanges. Workflows represent the operational manifestation of business capabilities and define how work progresses through an organization.
In the architectural domain, workflows provide crucial context for system and data requirements. Workflow analysis offers architects insight into actual business operations beyond static capability models. By studying workflows, architects can identify bottlenecks, redundancies, and integration points that might otherwise remain hidden in high-level architectural views.
Modern workflow architectures have evolved significantly from traditional linear process models. Event-driven approaches enable more responsive, adaptive workflows that can react to changing conditions in real-time. Case management frameworks address knowledge-intensive workflows where decision paths cannot be fully predetermined. These advances require architects to design flexible infrastructure that can support various workflow patterns while maintaining governance and visibility.
The increasing automation of workflows through robotic process automation (RPA), AI, and intelligent business process management systems (iBPMS) presents new architectural considerations. These technologies enable straight-through processing for routine activities while allowing human intervention for exceptions and judgment-intensive decisions. Architects must design hybrid human-machine workflow systems that optimize efficiency while maintaining appropriate controls and accountability mechanisms.
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