Design of an XML-Based Document Flow Management System for Construction Projects Using Web Services

This paper presents the design of an XML-based document flow management system, called XDFM (XML-based Document Flow Management), for increasing efficiency in processing documents in construction projects. X-DFM provides four services via Web Services: the document flow services, content management services, authorization services, and message services. The document flow services are designed based on the wfXML standard and with the consideration of flow processing security. The content management services support not only management of an XML document as a whole but also the contents in the document. The authorization services provide authorization controls of user accounts and system functions. The message services support message passing among users and between X-DFM components.