Ariadne: Supporting Coordination Through a Flexible Use of Knowledge Processes

Abstract

Knowledge of the cooperative work processes characterizing an organization is a fundamental patrimony not only for people involved in their automation but also for the whole organization in performing its everyday activities. This chapter focuses on workflow technology as a set of tools both supporting coordination and enhancing management of the knowledge of work and learning processes within a group of people coordinating their own activities. We present a framework for the construction of coordination mechanisms whose design principles and tools make them a technology enabling the sharing of knowledge about processes and the incremental learning of people within the organization. These claims are illustrated through a working example.