Workflow Modeling In The E-government Applications

As a branch of the Computer Supported Cooperative Work(CSCW),the workflow technology is a computerized model that reflects business processes,and it is used to express transformation process among activities.In 1993, the Workflow Management Coalition(WfMC) was formed,which indicates the workflow technology begins to enter ripe stage.The Workflow Management System (WfMS) plays an important role to support definition, execution and administration of the workflow though the computer technology, which improves the level of productive organization and efficiency by transmitting documents, information of tasks among the participants according to a series of defined rules. The workflow model is the abstract description of the workflow, and the core of the whole workflow technology, it should not only describe the workflow exactly and distinctly, but also be feasible and easy to understand by the user and designer. The core of workflow model is to define business process, i.e.modeling of workflow process, which includes essential activities that constitute process and ordering relation between activities. The process model is key to workflow model. Currently, there are many modeling methods of workflow process, in which modeling business process by UML activity diagrams is an import one.Workflow Patterns of W.M.P.vanderAalst are usually used to describe the business process,and also are used to evaluate the expressive ability and suitability of a workflow system .The research purpose of the thesis is: to put up a flexible and extensible work-flow model. Therefore, the author puts forward a modeling method of workflow process, which extends UML activity diagram. (1) Element of event is added in UML activity diagram, which can take part in interaction to outside and extend mechanism of event trigger and activity transfer. It can describe activation of activity and condition of transfer , and can increase interactive capability between process model and outside environment. (2)We extend the basic UML activity diagram notations using UML extended mechanism so that the extended activity diagram is more expressive and is more convenient to visualize some workflow patterns.Firstly, the thesis deeply analysizes the work-flow technology ,as well as its infrastructure. Workflow meta-model of WfMC is analyzed. According to real cases, and modifications to the meta-model and workflow definition language are introduced. The thesis generalizes the popular modeling technology and realizing technology of workflow system, put out a modeling method for e-government application software system based on work-flow technology, and which descripts the business process by UML activity diagrams. At last, we analysizes some specific issues on how to carry out the model in realistic system, and finished the application using our work-flow model in e-government system.