OSWorkflow was originally conceptualized while the author, Patrick Lightbody, was working on an internal workflow project at Cisco Systems, Inc. While the original project is very different from OSWorkflow today, the base concept remains the same. Unlike other workflow solutions available, OSWorkflow provides a unique queuing concept that enables developers to write workflow-based applications that allow for users to "pick up" work as their workload allows for.
While assignment is very much possible in OSWorkflow, and sometimes required due to business goals, it is often desired to enable a group of users with similar skillsets to pick up work from a common bucket. Who and what has the permissions to these buckets is totally configurable via the XML workflow descriptors that developers are required to write.
Besides a queering system, OSWorkflow is unique in it's ability to fill any workflow requirement, regardless of the dataset or business group that will be involved in the project. This is because OSWorkflow is not an out-of-the-box solution, instead it follows in the OpenSymphony goal of providing a pliable component that when properly utilized, allows for developers to engineer any kind of workflow-based project. OSWorkflow is not like the workflow vendors from Oracle, Interwoven, Documentum, etc. It is not very useful by itself and requires a minimal effort to tie in to existing systems. We consider this to be an advantage over commercial and noncommercial vendors alike, as OSWorkflow can molded to fit almost any requirement, whether you need a document workflow system, project management application, or online order processing.