The WfMC Workflow Reference Model provides a common reference model for workflow management systems, identifying their characteristics, terminology and components, and enabling workflow APIs and specifications to be developed within the context of an overall model. The WfMC Audit Data Specification defines what data should be captured and recorded from the various events occurring in a workflow system for the purposes of auditing what changes have been requested and made. WfMC specifications are being widely adopted by the developers of workflow management systems. While not strictly a workflow management protocol, this proposal has some interesting features that could be useful in certain situations. Its users define exercises involving multiple participants working in workspaces provided by agencies for performing a defined set of tasks .
Tasks have states such as requested , proposed or offered .
If tasks are accepted the task is said to be successfully completed. Alternatively failure of the task is noted if the task is abandoned , rejected or reaches a timeout limit. Multiple participants can vote on motions that have been seconded to determine if a task should be accepted or rejected. An IDL specification has been defined for the facility. However, collaborative authoring is normally seen to include more than simply the application of workflow.