Workflow is sometimes described as a series of tasks that produce an outcome. In the context of Microsoft SharePoint Products and Technologies, workflow is defined more narrowly as the automated movement of documents or items through a sequence of actions or tasks that are related to a business process. Workflows can be used to consistently manage common business processes within an organization by enabling the organization to attach business logic to documents or items in a SharePoint list or library. Business logic is basically a set of instructions that specifies and controls the actions that happen to a document or item.
Workflows in Office SharePoint Server 2007
Workflows help people to collaborate on documents and to manage project tasks by implementing business processes on documents and items in a Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 site. Workflows help organizations to adhere to consistent business processes, and they also improve organizational efficiency and productivity by managing the tasks and steps involved in business processes. This enables the people who perform these tasks to concentrate on performing the work rather than managing the workflow.
Workflows that are included in Office SharePoint Server 2007
Approval This workflow routes a document or item to a group of people for approval. By default, the Approval workflow is associated with the Document content type, and thus it is automatically available in document libraries. A version of the Approval workflow is also associated by default with the Pages library in a publishing site, and it can be used to manage the approval process for the publication of Web pages.
Collect Feedback This workflow routes a document or item to a group of people for feedback. Reviewers can provide feedback, which is then compiled and sent to the person who initiated the workflow. By default, the Collect Feedback workflow is associated with the Document content type, and thus it is automatically available in document libraries.
Collect Signatures This workflow routes a Microsoft Office document to a group of people to collect their digital signatures. This workflow must be started in a client program that is part of the 2007 Office release. Participants must complete their signature tasks by adding their digital signature to the document in the relevant Microsoft Office program. By default, the Collect Signatures workflow is associated with the Document content type, and thus it is automatically available in document libraries. However, the Collect Signatures workflow appears for a document in the document library only if that document contains one or more Microsoft Office Signature Lines.
Disposition Approval This workflow, which supports records management processes, manages document expiration and retention by allowing participants to decide whether to retain or delete expired documents. The Disposition Approval workflow is intended for use primarily within a Records Center site.
Three-state This workflow can be used to manage business processes that require organizations to track a high volume of issues or items, such as customer support issues, sales leads, or project tasks.
Group Approval This workflow is similar to the Approval workflow, but it uses a designated document library and offers a personalized view of the approval processes in which a user is participating. This workflow provides a hierarchical organization chart from which to select the approvers and allows the approvers to use a stamp control instead of a signature. This solution is available only for East Asian versions of Office SharePoint Server 2007.
Translation Management This workflow manages the manual document translation process by creating copies of the document to be translated and assigning translation tasks to translators. This workflow is available only for Translation Management libraries.
There are two ways in which custom workflows can be created for Office SharePoint Server 2007:
Professional software developers can create workflows by using the Visual Studio 2005 Extensions for Windows Workflow Foundation These workflows contain custom code and workflow activities. After a professional developer creates custom workflows, a server administrator can deploy them across multiple sites.
Web designers can design no-code workflows for use in a specific list or library by using a Web design program, such as Microsoft Office SharePoint Designer 2007 These workflows are created from a list of available workflow activities, and the Web designer who creates the workflow can deploy the workflows directly to the list or library where they will be used.
Ref: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepointserver/CH101782961033.aspx
Design custom workflows by using SharePoint Designer
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepointserver/HA102422951033.aspx
The status of a workflow appears as "Failed to Start" when you try to start a workflow from a survey response in Windows SharePoint Services 3.0
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/926370
A declarative workflow does not start automatically after you install Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Service Pack 1
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/947284
Creating SharePoint Sequential Workflows with Visual Studio 2008
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc936628.aspx
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