Workflows in dynamic development processes

Abstract

Process management systems are used in many domains to monitor and control processes. Development processes require specific support, which is not provided by conventional workflow systems. On the one hand, they comprise highly dynamic process parts, which cannot be defined until project runtime. On the other hand, development processes may contain subprocesses, which can be executed in the form of predefined workflows. In this paper we describe the integration of a specialized system for the management of dynamic development processes with a conventional workflow management system. This integrated solution targets the specific needs for the management of engineering design processes in the plant construction domain. It has been implemented as an extension to a commercial CAE-tool, and it will be evaluated in industrial practice in the near future. © 2009 Springer Berlin Heidelberg.