• document workflow
• workflow description language
• workflow design

In the last years workflow management systems have known a big expansion all over the world. With the advent of Internet and the subsequent development of web technologies, a different management of the contents and generally a different approach to the problem are needed: nowadays a large number of documents is being exchanged between people around of the world. Often, information is redundant and not well organized :a document workflow serves the purpose of organizing the circulation of information. Moreover, needs for collaboration and cooperation between users induce the utilization of new strategies to optimize workflow processes involving documents.
A tool for the design of document workflows has been designed and implemented to help the user in the workflow modeling process. In order to address Non-IT users the main project objective has been usability.
Within this thesis a new syntax language has been devised allowing the user to describe the most common document workflow patterns. This language (called Structured Document Workflow Description Language) is part of an entire suite including the forementioned design tool, the language and the engine. The three components are integrated in a working prototype.