In a nutshell, workflow is a better way of looking at business software systems. Object oriented languages and designs delivered expressiveness and abstraction, and CORBA/COM eventually delivered binary reusability, but workflow takes software design in a different direction entirely.

Software development is about communication. You cannot develop successful interactive software systems in isolation. I know because I've tried. Every developer knows it's a battle to keep the communications flowing when you're under pressure and buried in detail. A workflow approach is developer friendly because the framework you use to communicate with clients, business managers and other stake-holders is the same framework your software is built on. No translation required. While details can still get lost, your implementation is guaranteed to be a lot closer to your client's expectations.

Early workflow systems had their limitations, but its value as a guiding principle in business software design has been useful to me. Contact me to discuss whether I can help solve your supply chain or other business software problems.

Dave.