All business process management (BPM) solutions break process information into two (2) main informational flows.   These BPM components are called control flow and data flow, just like any other software application.

Control flow is how the workflow processes the flow of information from one step to another based on the design logic conditions, rules, and expressions.  Data flow is how data flows from one step to another as the business process executes. Each step can change the values of the data. Data in a process is more like memory in a computer, data is stored within the memory but can be changed anytime by the software program.

As a workflow process executes, FlowWright can track and manage the state of each of the process variables (data).  FlowWright takes a memory snapshot of all defined variables and stores these within the runtime information table for operations such as Business Intelligence.  FlowWright has created a function within the business intelligence feature called “Variable States”, this tool can render the value of each variable at each step and iteration within the workflow.

Process Flow and Data Flow Together

As process flows are important for the BPM project to function correctly, data flows are also equally important as they are required to track the information that is being executed within the process.    By utilizing "Symmetrical Processing", FlowWright can process information through the Workflow Instance quickly and efficiently.

FlowWright has established controls to protect or prevent one automated process from changing the variables or data within another process.   Since there are legitimate scenarios where process-to-process communication is required, we can achieve this workflow requirement by implementing Asynchronous processing and the Enterprise service bus.