Abstract: A computer implemented tool for automating a process having a workflow program document having rows and columns, where each row represents one of a plurality of paths through a portion of the process to an outcome of the portion of the process, and where each column represents a human readable label used to describe a component of the process; software programming code, developed in a linear programming language, programmed to filter the rows and columns of the workflow program document so as to direct a portion of the process along one of the plurality of paths to an outcome, depending on the content of the human readable labels in the columns; and an existing visual programming framework for displaying on a user interface a visual representation of a flowchart of a process to be automated, using pre-built visual representations of workflow components, and the existing visual programming framework also includes the software programming for carrying out functionality associated with such visual representation