Four dimensions of interorganizational, document-oriented workflow: A case study of the approval of hazardous-waste disposal

The approval of hazardous-waste disposal is a highly regulated, interorganizational business process and was established in order to monitor the whereabouts of hazardous waste in Germany. It is carried out by a waste-producing company, a waste-disposal company, and the approving authority. The result of the process is a disposal record that authorizes the waste producer to dispose of a certain type and quantity of hazardous waste in the approved way. We present a system that supports this process and embed it in a framework for interorganizational, document-oriented workflow. Four dimensions are identified: the organization, document and workflow control data, communication channels, and naming/directory services. The two main system components are the “Work-onnector” and “WAX”. The former follows a “send” model assuming separate workflows in the cooperating organizations, the latter is based on a “share” model meaning that one organization is in charge of the service provision and has therefore complete control over the system