RESOURCESMANAGEMENTINWORKFLOWMANAGEMENTSYSTEMS.docVIP

RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN WORKFLOW MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS Dragan MISIC, Nikola VITKOVIC, Milos STOJKOVIC, Milan ZDRAVKOVIC, Miroslav TRAJANOVIC Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Nis, Aleksandra Medvedeva 14, Nis, Serbia draganm@masfak.ni.ac.rs, vitko@masfak.ni.ac.rs, milos.stojkovich@, milan.zdravkovic@, traja@masfak.ni.ac.rs Abstract: Workflow management systems manage business processes within an organization. In order to be successful, the systems must have ability for efficient management of resources which are used in processes. One of the shortcomings that have been noticed in the most of the workflow management systems is weak support for resource management. In this paper it is shown how to manage resources in MD system, which is developed on the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Nis. This system tries to exceed shortcomings of the existing systems. Key words: workflow management systems, resource management INTRODUCTION From the aspect of the workflow management system, resource is an entity related to a specific activity and required at the time of execution for the activity to be done. Model of resources should contain definition of human and technical resources that will be used during the execution of the activity. Division into a process model on the one hand and a resource model on the other hand, enables separated evolution for both models. The process life cycle is usually different from the resources life cycle. If those two models are separated, the workflow management system designer can create process models which are independent of changes in the organization structure. Besides, if the resource model is separated, its division is allowed within the company and it simplifies managing of the model and avoids its redundancy. If the model is given by WfMC coalition, managing information about resources is the task of the workflow system. Consequently, some workflow management software vendors add appropriate routines for resource management into th