Other meanings of Workflow management
Standards Organization
The Workflow Management Coalition (WfMC) is a non-profit, international organization founded in 1993 to establish standards for workflow management systems and business process management. It is best known for developing the Workflow Reference Model, a foundational architecture that defines the interfaces between workflow components, and for creating the XML Process Definition Language (XPDL), a format for exchanging process definitions. The coalition brings together vendors, users, and academics to promote interoperability and the adoption of workflow technology.
The WfMC was established in 1993 by a group of workflow vendors and users who recognized the need for common standards in a rapidly growing market. Its primary mission is to promote the use of workflow technology by defining interoperability standards, educating the market, and fostering research. The coalition has produced a series of influential documents, including the Workflow Reference Model (1995) and the Workflow Management Facility specification (in collaboration with the Object Management Group). Over time, its focus has expanded from classical workflow to broader business process management, yet its core standards remain widely referenced in academic literature and industry practice.
The Workflow Reference Model, published in 1995, is the WfMC's most significant contribution. It defines a generic architecture for workflow management systems, identifying five functional interfaces: process definition interchange (Interface 1), client application interface (Interface 2), invoked application interface (Interface 3), interoperability interface (Interface 4), and administration and monitoring interface (Interface 5). These interfaces enable different workflow products to communicate and share process definitions. The model has been used as a basis for many subsequent standards, including XPDL and BPMN, and remains a key educational tool for understanding workflow system design.1
Beyond the reference model, the WfMC developed the XML Process Definition Language (XPDL), a format for serializing process definitions that is now in version 2.2. XPDL is designed to be human-readable and to support the graphical representation of processes, making it a practical choice for exchanging BPMN diagrams. The coalition also contributed to the Workflow Management Facility specification with the OMG, which standardizes the interface between workflow engines and external applications. These standards have been implemented in numerous commercial and open-source systems, including jBPM and Intalio.2
One lesser-known aspect is the WfMC's role in developing the Workflow Audit Data specification, which defines a standard format for logging workflow events, aiding in compliance and analysis. Another is its collaboration with the Object Management Group on the Workflow Management Facility, which was adopted as a CORBA standard in 1998. The coalition also maintains a certification program for XPDL conformance, ensuring that products meet its specifications. Additionally, the WfMC has published a glossary of workflow terms that has become a de facto reference for the industry. Despite the rise of BPMN, XPDL remains in active use, particularly in legacy systems and for process interchange.3
The WfMC continues to be a reference point for workflow standards, though its influence has waned with the rise of BPMN and other notations.
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