Collaborative workflow solution for distributed product development

Abstract

To maintain competitive edge, most new product development activities currently are so complicate that join efforts from varied functional group are required. Information from marketing, sales, engineering, sourcing, or even consumer should be cross-referenced. To manage distributed information efficiently, related workflows are predefined in general. Traditional workflow solutions provide a simple e-form for a workflow execution. Such workflow solutions are good enough for modeling approval-based workflow (AWF), like drawing reviews or absence applications. However, unlike traditional workflow, a collaborative-based workflow (CWF) in product development process requires complicate e-forms with manifold views for a workflow execution. This paper states the framework of collaborative workflow solution, which can be applied to model workflow utilized in distributed product development. In this paper, how to construct complicate e-forms dynamically and efficiently in collaborative workflow solution is explained. Other mechanisms such as routing definition and authority setup are also explained. Finally, an example of new product development execution is introduced to explain the real practice of collaborative workflow concept. The concept in this paper can direct a global enterprise to construct workflow management system for global collaboration.