Authors:
            
                    André Kolell
                    
                        
                    
                     and
                
                    Jeewani Anupama Ginige
                    
                        
                    
                    
                
        
        
            Affiliation:
            
                    
                        
                    
                    School of Computing & Mathematics, University of Western Sydney, Australia
                
        
        
        
        
        
             Keyword(s):
            Business Processes, Business Process Management, Virtual Organizations, Virtual Enterprise Networks, Workflow Management Systems.
        
        
            
                Related
                    Ontology
                    Subjects/Areas/Topics:
                
                        Databases and Information Systems Integration
                    ; 
                        Enterprise Information Systems
                    ; 
                        Internet and Collaborative Computing
                    ; 
                        Organisational Issues on Systems Integration
                    ; 
                        Software Agents and Internet Computing
                    
            
        
        
            
                Abstract: 
                Increasing competitive pressure and availability of Internet and related technologies have stimulated the collaboration of independent businesses. Such collaborations, aimed at achieving common business goals, are referred to as virtual enterprise networks (VENs). Though web is an excellent platform to collaborate, the requirements of VENs regarding workflow management systems are in excess those of autonomous organizations. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of numerous issues related to workflow managements in VENs. These issues are discussed in the three phases of virtual enterprise lifecycle: configuration, operation and dissolution; and corroborated by two real case studies of VENs in Australia.