The "process" of studying the way work is done is called business process analysis or process modeling. The study of business processes, or workflow, is a very important part of understanding how organizations do their work. (See Making Smart IT Choices, Process Analysis for more details.)

One of the best ways to document and analyze a business process is by talking to the people who actually carry out the work. How does the content get from the author to the Web site? Who is involved and what are the decision points within the process? What are the business rules governing the process?

Through facilitated discussions, a work process can be documented using graphical representations or models to formulate a collaborative view. These graphical representations (or models) of business processes allow organizations to learn more about the specific steps within a process: what tools are used, what information is created, and what information is changed along the way. This baseline knowledge allows organizations to understand and potentially measure existing processes and to consider alternative ways of improving or changing them. If the business process analysis reveals underlying problems, implementing XML should not be expected to solve all those problems on its own.