US Patent 7581011 Template based workflow definition

Technology is disclosed for defining workflows based on a template. The template defines a set of parameters for actions available to various workflow types. In one embodiment, the template is an XML document that is used to determine a set of options to provide a user via a graphical user interface. The user selects the options desired and the resulting workflow definition is stored for later use. Any entity with sufficient access privileges can start and/or participate in a workflow that operates according to the stored workflow definition.