Adaptive Workflows based on Flexible Assignment of Workflow Schemes and Workflow Instances

Traditionally, workflow management deals with controlling the execution of application processes according to pre-defined specifications, known as workflow schemas [3, 8, 13]. This approach is well suited to support application processes with fairly static control structures. Real-world application processes, however, are not static in general. In contrast, they may require dynamic modifications to react quickly to new challenges imposed by the environment of the application process. While the exact definition of flexibility in workflow management systems is still under discussion [12, 7], it is widely accepted that dynamic modifications – or adaptations – of running workflows is an important feature of a flexible workflow management system [10, 2, 11]. This extended abstract sketches the conceptual design and implementation of dynamic modifications in the context of the WASA project at the University of Muenster.