Implementation Of Flexible Structure Office Automation Workflow

In the last decade, Office Automation (OA as the shortened form) has growdramatically into process-flow-focused system since the inception of officeautomation in china in the middle of 1980s' when office automation was widelyaccepted as MIS focus on data process.But there are few successful completion of Office Automation in practicalscene. Current effort in Office Automation development is struggling with"Information Chaos".We all frequently heard of customers complaining abouttechnicians who cannot have the system done in a matter of months or even yearswhile engineers object that customers cannot address an definition of requirement inthe first stage of "requirements analysis", even cannot address it during "systemimplementation"-the second stage of building an office automation solution. Soprogrammers have to frequently add new technologies to meet customers' evolvingneeds and execution of office automation application is confronted with problemsof"ever changing implementation due to rapidly changing needs of customers, extension of timeline, and unpredictable performance of application system".Baotou's Finance Information Center which I work for set up an officeautomation system (NOTES Edition) based on C/S for Finance Bureau. This system can't meet the complicated transfer of document. There is no well effect throughouttwo year's use. So we decide to develop a new office automation system which candeal with the complex and heavy document operation and establish project at 2005.This project is led and corresponded by Information Center, designed anddeveloped with Tsinghua TONGFANG Company. I take charge the design andimplement of the transfer of document's Workflow definition.Through the sufficient research of the Bureau's daily document operation, weconclude all needs and then put forward the main problem which needs this systemto solve. It is achieving user's applicability need, having well currency, andimplement all operation via friendly Web interface.Configuring agility to office system come true by operating the relationaldatabase. This paper organized as follows: fist part gives the background of flexiblestructure office system's development. Then analyses and explains the architecture, work flow, work pattern, discusses the design and implement of Workflowdefinition and document transmittal. Last part we conclude the experience andshortage of software developing, and propose some imagination for improving thesystem.