A business process represents a specific business need or goal, such as hiring an employee, processing a sales order, or reimbursing a business expense. Business processes are broken down into logical steps called activities, each of which can comprise one or more tasks. Tasks are assigned roles that determine which participants will perform the tasks. The transitions between activities determine the order in which they are performed and the basic workflow for the process.
WorkSpace lets you interact with business processes based on your assigned roles within your company. You can manage work items, get information about business processes, interact with other participants, and perform tasks.
In WorkSpace, a business process involves the following basic workflow:
A user logs in to WorkSpace and runs an application, which are often used to initiate a business process.
A work item is generated and sent to the participant assigned to the item's first task.
The participant logs in to WorkSpace and views the new work item, assessing its required tasks. The participant views any notes and attachments included with the work item. If necessary, the participant can send a consultation to another participant to ask a question about the work item.
The participant performs the first task for the work item. The appropriate application automatically launches, the participant enters the required information, and the task is submitted.
The work item is processed and sent to the participant assigned the next task.
The next participant logs in to WorkSpace, performs the task, and the task is processed and sent to the next task and participant.
After all tasks have been performed, the work item is completed.
Note: If participants have the required privileges, they can assign tasks to other participants, suspend tasks, or even abort them.
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