BPMS: business process management systems

In the last years a lot of research has been done in different domains concerning information system applications. Recent research is characterized by the effort of applying information systems to heterogeneous and distributed environments. Information systems dealing with the definition, administration, customization and evaluation of tasks evolving from business processes as well as from organizational structures are called Business Process Management Systems (BPMS).Recognizing the need of such systems a lot of software companies are entering the markets with first innovative products, based on workflow-based technology, called Workflow Management Systems (WMS). These products have the ability to define and control the workflow in an organization, transfer data, and integrate legacy information systems, existing programs and program modules with the goal of facilitating a vendor's transformation to a "professional services" focus [Sil 95].The main idea of WMS can be described in one simple sentence: Existing Workflow Management Systems are the 1st Generation of BPMS and have the ability to delegate business tasks to the right people at the right time using the right information resources.A BPMS can achieve such a goal only if it offers various task management services. Among these services, the appropriate modeling of the business processes and underlying organizations is the most essential. Support for analysis in order to verify, evaluate and modify processes and organizational structures is also of great importance. Furthermore, a BPMS should support the use of knowledge concerning the awareness/unawareness of integrated software.