Requirements for Context-Aware, Mobile Workflow Systems

This paper describes novel work on context-aware workflow systems envisaged to integrate and utilise context information from pervasive environments to improve the enactment of mobile work processes. Work in dynamic, mobile environments requires workflow systems to be capable of utilising contextual events to be used in process enactment and coordination. The existing standards in workflow systems are investigated and extended with new requirements to cope with context-awareness. The concept of a smart work process is used to capture adaptive and context-aware process support. The requirements and design considerations for developing context-aware workflow systems are elaborated and then used to propose a new interface for handling context-awareness in workflow enactment services. This interface will serve as a link between the work environment and the workflow system.