Abstract: GPAE is a dynamic and generic object-oriented process automation engine that provides workflow management (WFM) services in a heterogeneous distributed computing environment. This invention decouples process definitions, run-time process management, and process execution agents. The system consists of three major parts: (a) a build time part used to capture and store process definitions, and to request the enactment of a process; (b) a run time part used to schedule, execute, and monitor the requested process; (c) a CORBA bus to plug-in software applications needed to execute processes, and to allow interactions among the system components. This GPAE invention, based on CORBA, and event-driven and constraint propagation models, provides near optimal scheduling and resource allocation schemes. This invention is generic, scalable, flexible, and enables the process automation in a distributed heterogeneous platform environment, while sharing global resources and services efficiently.