Kevin Hudson

Oracle Corporation
October 2001
Evolution of Workflow
@ Oracle
from Application to
Infrastructure
Brief History of Workflow @
Oracle
1993 Oracle Applications Release 10
Financials
Manufacturing
Human Resources
Not Workflow as we would know it.
Order Entry Order Cycle and Approvals
Purchasing PO Approval
All Workflow capabilities built directly into the
application

Workflow Emerges
1994 Oracle Workflow
Traditional Applications based Workflow
Complete API access to all services
PL/SQL,
C
Java API
Requirements driven by Oracle Applications
The move to Self Service Applications
Common rules engine for Oracle Applications
Common Worklist for Oracle Applications
Common configuration model for Oracle Applications
1995 Workflow Takes Hold
New Applications see the light
Engineering Approval
Self Service Requisition
Self Service Expense Reports
Self Service Human Resource
Predominately driven by the need for:
Worklist Approvals
Self Service Configuration

Expense Report Processing
Approved
ShortPay
AP Approval
Manager Approval
Server Validation Approve
Reject
Resubmit Report Abort
AP Approval
Process
End (Approve)
End (Reject)
Start Determine
Which Process
To Start From
Manager
(Spending)
Approval
Process
Rejection
Process
Server Side
Validation
Process
Shortpay
Unverified
Receipt Items
AP Standard Expense Report Process
Expense Report Processing
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
AP Adjustment
Made Due To
Spending Policy
NonCompliance
Approved
(Automatic)
Mark Expense
Report As
Approved
(Manual)
End (ShortPay)
Start AP Expense
Report Review
Complete
End (Approved)
Inform Preparer
That Expense
Report Has
Been Adjusted
Get Adjustment
Text
Any Justification
Required for
Expense Report
Any Receipt
Required For
Expense Report
Request AP To
Review For
compliance With
Spending Policy
All Expense
Lines Pass AP
Approval
Workflow Marches On
Established Applications make the move to
Workflow
Order Management
Purchasing
General Ledger
Account Receivable
Workflow becomes a component of the
Applications development platform
Non-
Production
Requests
Procurement
Workflow
Approval
Workflow
Receive
ASN
Pay on Receipt
AP
MRP/DRP
Generated
Requirements
Create
Requisitions
AutoRelease
Approved
Supplier Lists
Standard POs
Supplier Schedules
Payment
Approved
Suppliers
EDI / Fax
Web
Internet Procurement 100%
Lifecycle Automation
Search
Catalog
(Local or
TPN
Register)
Content Loads/Updates
Workflow is much more than approvals
Release 11i Order
Management Workflow
Order Cycles Workflow Processes
Cycle Actions Workflow Functions
Cycle Approvals Workflow Notifications
Workflow enforces business rules
Release 11i Order
Management Workflow
End Header level
Invoice - Order
Book - Order,
Manual
Close - Order Enter
Order Flow - Generic with Header Level Invoicing
Unreserve
Close - Line Create Supply -
Line
Schedule - Line Header Level
Invoice - Line,
Deferred
Enter - Line End Ship - Line,
Manual
Line Flow - Generic with Header Level Invoicing
Workflow Enabled e-Business Suite
ERP
Order Management
Internet Procurement
Self Service Financials
Advanced Planning System
Projects
HRMS
Candidate Offer
Career Management
Reviews
Release 11i highlights
CRM
Call Center
Service
Contacts
Support
Marketing
iStore
And many more...
Roles Users
Directory Services
Notification Services
Send
Respond
Forward
Cancel
Query
Oracle Workflow Enabled Application
Oracle 9i server
Engine
Execution
Definition
Administration
Monitoring
Query
Workflow
Builder
Workflow
Loader
Workflow
Definition
Files
Workflow
Development
Client

Oracle
IAS
Notification
Mailer
Application
Server
Web
Notification
Worklist
Web
Monitor
Web
Analysis
Tools
Browser
Client
Mail
Applications
Workflow Components

Workflow Engine
Heavily based on Oracle database
technology
Database Queues (Used internally
by the Workflow Engine )
100% audit trail in relational tables
Two Phase commit
Transactional Integrity
Scalability, Performance
o7
Oracle
Applications
Oracle
Workflow
Oracle
9i
Server Side Architecture Ensures Optimal Performance
So Whats Wrong with all that?
Nothing!
But Theres a lot more to Workflow
But The Oracle Platform has a lot more to
offer.
Workflow was too tightly bound to the
applications
Great for Control but what about collaboration?
What is at the center Workflow or the
Applications
We needed to move with the technology
We needed Business Events
The Real Break through
Applications Workflow meets Platform
Workflow
OR
Oracle Applications meets Server Technology
OR
Kevin Hudson meets Dieter Gawlick

The Story Continues
1998 Workflow Business Event System
Manage Internal and External business
processes that span information system
Workflow process can be started or progressed
by a business event
Workflow activities can initiate a business event
Workflow loosely bound to the application
Respond to and initiate Business Events

Business Event Driven
Workflow
Business Events System
EVENTs are things which have occurred that might be
significant to other objects in a system, or to external
systems. The set of possible events is pre-determined by
the applications.
Business Event != Message
Producing the event message may be costly and should
be avoided unless an active subscription requires it.
Business Event != IT Event
Event Based Subscriptions is a super set of Publish/
Subscribe
Publish Subscribe is necessary but not complete
Event Based Subscription is an extension over
publish/subscribe

From Control To Collaboration
The evolution from classical API driven
Workflow towards business events driven
Workflow
Applications raise business events
Workflow consumes business events
Workflow raise business events
Workflow that can react and respond to
Business Events that occur outside their
domain
A whole new type of Workflow
Essential for Application Integration (EAI)
Workflow Moving Down the Technology
Stack
Component of Oracle database
technology
Database Queues (Used internally by the
Workflow Engine )
Database Queues ( Used for External
Communication )
Security, Performance, Scalability ( Only
truly achievable as part of the platform )
Database features become more tightly
integrated and consistent with Workflow
e.g LDAP

o7
Oracle
Applications
Oracle
Workflow

Oracle 9i
Server Side Architecture Ensures Optimal Performance
Oracle 9i
With
Workflow
Workflow as a component of
the Infrastructure
Provider and Consumer/driver of platform
technology,
Consumes database platform (performance,
scalability,security )
Consumes messaging, queuing and pushes the
platform
Provides business events ( drives the
requirements into the platform )
Cooperates on Composite Events
Shows the need for LDAP integration
22
Model Driven Integration
Extends message
broker model
Flexible
Provides process
view
Simple
Requires a model of
the business process
ORDER ENTRY
WEB STORE
WAREHOUSE
HUMAN RESOURCES
CREDIT MANAGEMENT
DATA WAREHOUSE
SHIPPING
ACCOUNTING
Workflow
Order Entry
Warehouse
Web Store
Workflow
Credit Management
Accounting
Human
Resources
Shipping
Data
Warehouse
Inter-Enterprise Business Processes
Logistics
Bank
Supplier A
Supplier B
Internet
Integration
Hub
Integration
Hub
Integration
Hub
Integration
Hub
Business
Events
System


Workflow
Engine
Oracle Applications
AQ
AQ
AQ
AQ
AQ
AQ
Business Events
(XML)
Workflow Business Event System
Event driven Workflow processes
Business Events
New Order
Update Order
Cancel Order
Roles Users
Directory Services
Notification
Services
Send
Respond
Forward
Cancel
Query
Oracle Workflow Enabled Application
Oracle server
Workflow
Engine
Execution
Definition
Administration
Monitoring
Query
Workflow
Builder
Workflow
Loader
Workflow
Definition
Files
Workflow
Development
Client
IAS
Notification
Mailer
Application
Server
Web
Notification
Worklist
Web
Monitor
Web
Analysis
Tools
Browser
Client
Mail
Applications
AQ AQ AQ
AQ AQ AQ
Business Event
System
Send
Receive
Raise
Listen
Query
Workflow Components
Business Event Manager
Raise
Local Events
Listen
External Events
Event
Dispatcher
Rule
Function
Workflow
Process
Send
Business Event
Matching Event Subscription
Application
AQ
Event
Manager

Workflow
Engine
AQ
AQ
AQ
AQ
AQ
AQ
AQ
AQ
AQ
AQ
AQ
AQ
AQ
AQ
AQ
AQ
AQ
AQ
AQ
AQ
AQ
AQ
AQ
AQ
WF_OUT
WF_OUT
WF_IN
WF_IN
AQ Propagation
Event
Manager
Workflow Agent Ping/Acknowledge
Business Event System
Listen
AQ Propagation Listen
Key Messages
One Oracle Workflow product
Traditional applications based Workflow
Still needed
e-business integration workflow
Business Events a welcome addition
Leverages the Oracle technology stack
9i
Database Queuing