Oracle Application Server 10g: Oracle ® Workflow

Oracle Application Server 10g: Oracle ® Workflow

Oracle ® Workflow delivers a complete business process management system that supports business process definition, business process automation, and business process integration. The technology enables modeling, automation, and continuous improvement of business processes, routing information of any type according to user-defined business rules.

Oracle Workflow is the Business Process Management Tool for E-Business

Oracle Workflow is key in enabling e-business manage business flows that span across applications, systems, and people. Oracle Workflow automates and streamlines business processes both within and beyond any enterprise, supporting traditional applications-based workflow as well as e-business integration workflow. Oracle Workflow is unique in providing a workflow solution for both internal processes and business process coordination between applications.

Model Business Processes

Oracle Workflow lets enterprises model and maintain business processes using a graphical business process modeling tool: Workflow Builder. Workflow Builder can be used to define sophisticated processes that loop, branch into parallel flows and rendezvous, decompose into sub-flows, branch on task results, time out, and more. 

Adapt to Change and Reduce Time to Market

The quick changes required of an e-business place special demands on enterprise systems to manage business process that span trading partners, respond quickly to market innovations, support personalized business rules, streamline and automate transaction flows, and manage exceptions instead of transactions.  Oracle Workflow provides the capabilities to support these demands through an extensible process-driven architecture.  Oracle Workflow automatically processes and routes information of any type, according to business rules which can be changed easily, to any person or system inside or outside an enterprise.

Bring Together People, Applications, and Systems

Oracle Workflow provides all parties in a business process with all the information they need to make the right decision in an efficient manner, whether that process is a self-service transaction, a standard business document approval, or an XML document. Oracle Workflow allows people to receive, analyze, and respond to notifications through any standard e-mail system, wireless devices, or any standard Web browser. Oracle Workflow provides the capability to bring together customers, suppliers, and prospects using the power and convenience of the Internet.

Continuously Improve Business Processes

Oracle Workflow provides the capability for enterprises to analyze time and costs of entire processes with multi-dimensional analysis of the data gathered. This business intelligence can be used as a continuous feedback loop used to identify bottlenecks and improve the business process.

Proven Performance, Reliability, and Scalability

Oracle Workflow is a scalable, production workflow system tuned for the high volumes associated with any e-business. The Workflow Engine and the Business Event System reside in the Oracle Database.  Oracle Database transactional integrity guarantees consistency between any application and workflow, and Oracle Java Message Service (OJMS) guarantees delivery of messages between systems, while Oracle Real Application Clusters provide transparent application scalability. Oracle Workflow provides the same industry-leading performance and scalability that has made Oracle Database 10g the database for e-business.

KEY FEATURES

Workflow Builder

  • Graphical drag and drop business process modeling tool

Workflow Engine 

  • Manages business process execution
  • Immediate and deferred execution
  • Generates complete process audit trail
  • Supports sophisticated business rules
  • Incorporates human decision points into process execution
  • Automatically manages process exceptions
  • Maintains multiple active versions of a process
  • Implements new process versions without interrupting active work items
  • Supports executing Java code on the middle tier
  • Programmatic extensibility using PL/SQL and OJMS
  • Receives inbound business event Java Message Service (JMS) messages to initiate or continue processes
  • Initiates outbound business event JMS messages from a process

Business Event System 

  • Java APIs
  • Communicates business events among systems within and beyond the enterprise
  • Supports message-based system integration
  • Enables noninvasive customization of applications
  • Maintains a catalogue of events, systems, communication agents, and subscriptions
  • Executes subscriptions synchronously or asynchronously when events occur (immediate or deferred execution of subscriptions)
  • Propagates events via Oracle Net, HTTP, or HTTPS using Oracle Advanced Queuing
  • Runs custom code triggered by events
  • Sends events to workflow processes for advanced routing and processing
  • Supports both centralized and distributed maintenance of Event Manager data
  • Replicates Event Manager data to all participating systems

Process Monitor

  • Graphically review and administer workflow events
  • Single site for end users and administrators 
  • View and analyze transaction history
  • Retry or skip any activity
  • Rewind and re-execute any process
  • Review summary of decision makers
  • View current decision maker

Notification System

  • Sends notification messages to individuals and roles
  • Processes responses from recipients to Workflow Engine
  • Automatic notification forwarding and response
  • Supports changing participants in a group role without changing the business process
  • Internet-enabled
    • Standard Web browser to review and respond
    • Supports drill-down to any URL or Oracle E-Business Suite screen
    • Available from the Oracle E-Business Suite
  • E-mail
    • Standard mail protocols: inbound IMAP, outbound SMTP
    • Supports any IMAP-enabled e-mail client
    • Detail and summary message formats
    • Plain text or HTML message body

System Management

  • Complete system management using Oracle Workflow Manager
  • Monitor and view overall system status
  • View system metrics and throughput information
  • Configure notification mailers using a configuration wizard and monitor notification mailer status and throughput
  • Monitor status of Oracle Workflow system processes, including background engines, agent listeners, queue propagation, and purging

Directory Service

  • Supports synchronization with Oracle Internet Directory (OID) for Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) integration
  • Participates in single sign-on with Oracle Application Server Single Sign-On
  • Synchronizes with other external user directories through OID

Transaction Processing Foundation for the Oracle E-Business Suite

  • Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
  • Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
  • Human Resources Management Systems (HRMS)