Before we go deep into the concepts of Workflows and Windows Workflow Foundation, let us understand what a Business Process is and why Workflows and Workflow Management Systems are required in an enterprise.

A Business Process is a collection of a sequence of related business activities that produce a desired outcome targeted towards a specific business goal.  Note that each business process has inputs, method and outputs.  The Workflow Management Coalition (WFMC) defines a business process as, "A set of one or more linked procedures or activities which collectively realize a business objective or policy goal, normally within the context of an organizational structure defining functional roles and relationships."