The 1980s:
Collaboration technology
Many systems developed during the
1980s still had the same problem that
led people to reject the technology
in the 1970s. For office procedures
that were executed in different ways
based on circumstance, the technology
had difficulty altering to prescribe
the correct process. Researchers
uncovered the insight that workflow
models cannot be so prescriptive
that they end up hindering the office
worker. Workflow research later in the
decade focused more on unstructured
office tasks—email, videoconferencing
and real-time distributed group
document editors.
The 2000s:
Continuing to improve
and accelerate
Today, workflow systems must have
high interoperability capabilities.
Other key capabilities include:
• Allowing distributed groups to
connect for decision-making and
group problem-solving.
• Maintaining security firewalls while
interacting with outside vendors.
• Moving seamlessly from a single-user
environment to a multi-user workgroup.
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at xerox.com/WAS
The 1990s:
Back to workflow
After a hiatus from process-based
workflow systems, the 1990s saw
a resurgence in interest. A major
difference between the 1960s and
the 1990s was that instead of focusing
solely on office systems, workflow
was also approached from computer
science and social science angles.
It was social science that led to the
insight that people often experience
process paralysis if they do not know
the goals of the task. The solution:
incorporate goals into each task.
“rational organization of work.”
