This section provides definitions of words, terms, phases and acronyms, frequently used or referenced in the business process change community. As the business process change market evolves, these terms evolve and change, as well. Formal business process languages like BPML have semantic definitions that are enforced by the language standard. Other groups, such as the Workflow Management Coalition (WfMC), publish formal glossaries. Still other groups define terms in ways specific to their particular community. Most of these communities use or define these terms in slightly different ways. Old terms take on new and varied meanings, new terms emerge, and it is often confusing to business managers trying to communicate across the various business process change communities. This glossary recognizes these differences, seeks to provide generic definitions and suggests a common language. In cases where we know that communities use these terms in ways significantly different from those we provide, we note the fact. We hope our members and visitors find this glossary helpful and we pledge to work hard to keep it current.

Filter: All|A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M|N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

Display Mode: Show Words Only | Show Words and Definitions

P

Parallel Process

A process in which two or more sequences of activities are going on simultaneously. If a physical document is being passed from one person to another, the process is necessarily a single sequence. An electronic document in a workflow system, on the other hand, can be sent to several people, simultaneously.