Abstract: A system and method for creating and using custom activities in a process flow is disclosed. A process flow may include a plurality of default activities that are internal to a process manager. Methods and systems consistent with features of the present invention enable custom activities to be created and used by the process manager to allow data or programming logic located outside of the process manager to be used. A custom activity may be created by: writing and compiling a Java™ class that implements a particular interface; defining an XML description file; (3) packaging the Java class and XML description file into an archive file; and (4) associating the archive file with a custom activity that may be brought into the process flow managed by the process manager.