Workflow analysis for web publishing using a stage-activity process model

Web publishing has been the core business of ICP (Internet Content Provider) companies. It is also a major functional component in other Internet industry sectors. However, although there have been on-going developments in this area, up to our knowledge, very little work has been done on web publishing process models and methodologies. In this paper we describe a general process model for web publishing based on workflow analysis. Using a case study approach, the existing web publishing methods used by major Hong Kong ICP companies have been evaluated. Based on the evaluation results and our observations, the issues and problems of the existing methods are identified. A general process model, called the stage-activity model, is proposed which facilitates the development of a framework for automating the web publishing process with the incorporation of workflow management. The results of this research contribute to a clear understanding of what challenges ICPs are currently facing and a solution for building an automating web publishing system. The framework can also be used to evaluate and select the web publishing tools in the market.