Workflow from within and without: technology and cooperative work on the print industry shopfloor

  • Authors:

  • John Bowers;Graham Button;Wes Sharrock

  • Affiliations:

  • Department of Psychology, University of Manchester, UK and Computing Department, Lancaster University, UK;Rank Xerox Research Centre Cambridge Laboratory, UK;Department of Sociology, University of Manchester, UK

  • Venue:
  • ECSCW'95 Proceedings of the fourth conference on European Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work
  • Year:
  • 1995

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Abstract

This paper reports fieldwork from an organization in the print industry, examining a workflow system introduced to the shopfloor. We detail the indigenous methods by which members order their work, contrast this with the order provided by the system, and describe how members have attempted to accommodate the two. Although it disrupted shopfloor work, the system's use was a contractural requirement on the organization to make its services accountable. This suggests workflow systems can often be seen as technologies for organizational ordering and accountability. We conclude that CSCW requirements should acknowledge such exigencies and the organizational status of workflow technologies.