From workflow specification to implementation: an industrial use case

Abstract : In the domain of project management, PLM offers functionalities for enabling process definition and execution through the use of Workflow Management Systems (WMS). This paper presents the implementation of workflow module in a PLM application. We highlight the limits of workflow in a context of product development and the necessary difference between the processes identified and the workflow implemented. The research context, the workflow specification and the analysis of the results are presented. The specification is set using interviews and a process reference model is developed to enable the communication between the users and the IT-Support. The analysis describes the benefits of existing WMS in a context of product development.