stepscase

Stepscase is a term used in process design to describe a structured approach that organizes work into a sequence of steps bound to a case context. In a stepscase model, each case represents a concrete instance of work, such as a customer order or a project, and the steps are the tasks or decisions that move the case toward completion. The design emphasizes both stepwise progression and the collection of case-specific data at each stage, enabling traceability and reuse of step templates across similar cases.

Core elements of a stepscase include steps (granular units of work), cases (instances of work), transitions (conditions that move from one step to the next), templates (predefined patterns of steps), data attachments (information collected at each step), and rules or gates that govern validation, branching, and exception handling.

Applications span business process management, where stepscase models are used to model workflows; software orchestration, in which a sequence of service calls is coordinated within a case; education and research, for structuring assessment tasks or experimental protocols; and audit or compliance contexts, where complete case histories are valuable.

Variants may include static steps with a fixed sequence, dynamic steps where the path is determined by case data, and parallel steps that can run concurrently. Some implementations incorporate compensation mechanisms to revert or adjust earlier steps when later steps fail, alongside dashboards for monitoring progress and performance.

Criticism centers on the risk of over-engineering, the need for specialized tooling, and the potential for rigid constraints if not designed flexibly. Proponents emphasize improved traceability, reusability of step patterns, and better alignment between work activities and data collected.