RE: Business process definition : questions

[Bob Haugen <linkage@interaccess.com>]

Jukka Rannila asks:
>Main question: what the difference between these process definitions?
[WfMC and ebXML-BP]

An unfortunate consequence of the many many overloaded usages
of the word "process", which can mean anything.  I wish the BP
group would switch to something like "collaboration", and have
proposed such a change.

>And then some more questions:
>- are these process definitions for different usage?

Yes, the WfMC workflow model derives from applications
that route documents among document-processing steps.
The ebXML-BP model derives from the kinds of conversations
required to conduct commercial transactions between
companies. 
There is a conversation-oriented workflow model that might
map better to ebXML usage; the WfMC model is not it.

>- is ebXML more to external usage between organisations?

Yes.

>- is wfXML more to internal usage in a single organisation?

Yes, although workflow modelers are trying to figure out how
to do workflow across many organizations.

If I have missed any of the finer points of workflow models,
I am sure someone will correct me (I am not an expert
in that domain).

Regards,
Bob Haugen