If you are in the process of evaluating a more advanced workflow tool then I bet you have stumbled on Nintex and K2. I did an evaluation couple of days ago and here are some of my thoughts/views on these two tools.

K2 runs outside of SharePoint as a separate engine, stores metadata pertaining to workflows in its own database v/s Nintex is engraved inside SharePoint and it stores its metadata inside SharePoint content database.

USing K2 tools, a workflow can be designed using variety of tools including K2 designer, Visio pluggin and a really cool SilverLight based browser workflow tool. In Nintext, the only way to design workflows is by going inside List/Document library and adding workflows in a brower based interface.

K2 has 2 separate product for designing workflows. First one is BlackPearl which is a robust, enterprise level workflow tool with complex capabilites to invoke workflows from external applications. This feature is extremely useful for designing high end integration points within workflow itself. This product is little expensive. The second one is BlackPoint. In order to meet the needs of workflows within SharePoint, K2 is running a beta on their latest offering called BlackPoint, the pricing of which is extremely attractive (as of writing this blog entry it was quoted as 5000 USD for 200 seat license). BlackPoint is a tool geared towards creating workflows specifically for SharePoint. But the gotchas is workflow designed using BlackPoint can only be triggerd within SharePoint. Also, if you have any integration needs the only way in BlackPoint is to create assembly reference within the workflow designer (SilverLight Designer) itself.

Nintex on the other hand is geared towards SharePoint and if compared with K2's BlackPoint, pricing wise - is a little bit on the higher side (7000 USD). But is also extremely easy to use and works well in terms of intiating and managing workflows.

Personally, I have appreciation for K2's BlackPoint simply because it is built on SilverLight platform. Both the tools are extremely easy to use. If you think your needs are stricly managing workflows only then either Nintex or BlackPoint will do. But for highly scalable solution and creating reports off meta data etc, I would strongly suggest looking at K2's BlackPearl.

(NOTE): I don't have any affiliation with either of the vendors. This blog is purely meant to share my understanding of these two tools.

I am hung up on the definition of legacy system and how IT folks have started using them in general. Now a days, every Tom, Dick & Harry have started using this term and in some really vague and wierd sense. So, what really comprises of legacy system? I have seen people started using this term so loosely that even the current system sometimes gets refererd as 'legacy'. And IT is really quick to act on it. Add more resource and start writing code in a better technology (so they think). I guess, referring system as legacy is one way of telling that a system is old. But old is not bad is it? As long as it meets the business requirements and has the right architecture old is really not bad. But as  computer world that we are all in, the latest architecture defined today is going to be obsolete tomorrow which will make applications built on MVC, SOA, SilverLight, ADO.net data services obsolete. Imagine that...

Even wikipedia defined legacy system as "System those are potentially problematic". Is that really true? An introspection is needed. I think!

First and foremost, I am not trying to undermine the importance of SharePoint Designer when it comes to authoring workflows. It certainly is a handy tool at times specially when it comes to quickly authoring and deploying workflows. It provides several advantages including ability to quickly author and test workflows, simplifying deployment process to name a few. But here are few reasons NOT to use SharePoint Designer for authoring workflows.

1) Workflows are only bound to 1 specific document library/list. You cannot re-use the same workflow for multiple lists or span across sites.

2) Circumvents the security administrative policy which prohibits custom code assemblies eventhough behind the scenes, it first creates a source file which then gets compiled at run time when the workflow gets instantiated the first time. (Some people could argue that this actually is an advantage of using SharePoint Designer).

3) You cannot modify/change/edit or even review the existing workflow tied to a list which makes it impossible to duplicate workflows. For e.g. if your need grows and out-of-box workflow is simply not enough, and you went ahead and bought K2 blackpoint or Nintex workflow 2007, you are left with nothing but re-inventing the wheel. Unless there is proper documentation with adequate process flow outlined, you are left with nothing but re-doing all the work. Remember that everytime you change something it requires the same amout of testing and other efforts required. So this is a HUGE DISADVANTAGE in my opinion.

4) The power of SharePoint Designer is also a curse. Now, less tech-savvy users are designing and deploying workflows to meet their department needs, which makes it harder for IT to enforce control, polices and procedure. I bet that none of the business users are interested in creating a process flow before authoring workflow, which goes back to my earlier discussion about what can be done when you have to edit/review a workflow?

5) SharePoint designer does not allow authoring workflows against contentypes which in my opinion is also an important functionality missing. For e.g. a news contentype needs to be approved by legal before it gets out to the intranet/extranet/internet world. The only way to attach a workflow would be to create that using Visual Studio and deploying using features etc.

In short, if you want to achieve any of the above, please consider investing in technology by using your development team. After all, thats the reason they are there for. Right?