Managing work with the IBM Workflow Runtime MCP Server

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The IBM Workflow Runtime MCP Server is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides secure access to IBM® Business Automation Workflow runtime capabilities.

Introduction

The IBM Workflow Runtime MCP Server is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides secure access to Business Automation Workflow runtime capabilities. It enables AI agents, assistants, and automation tools to interact with workflow and case environments through natural language prompts, allowing you to query, monitor, and manage running process and case instances.

Through this integration, the server supports end-to-end process and case management, including starting workflows, querying process instances, searching tasks, accessing case data, managing activities, and working with case documents. It also can ensure enterprise-grade security through OAuth authorization code flow and enables seamless connectivity between remote MCP clients and workflow and case capabilities, enhancing operational visibility and enabling intelligent automation.

Process-specific prompts

You can leverage AI agents to interact with process instances by using natural language queries such as:
  • "Show all of the active process instances for the Claims Processing application."
  • "What tasks are currently assigned to user John Smith?"
  • "Find process instances that started in the last 24 hours."
  • "Display the business data for process instance 2345."
The AI agents support advanced search capabilities such as filtering by process status, assignee, date ranges, and business data values. Also, you can initiate new process instances, retrieve detailed process information that includes system and business data, and access exposed process models—all through conversational interactions that eliminate the need for complex API calls or direct system navigation.

Case-specific prompts

For Case management, AI agents support prompts like:
  • "Retrieve details for case number CASE-12345."
  • "List all documents that are attached to the Insurance Claim case."
  • "What is the current stage of case CASE-67890?"
  • "Add a comment to case CASE-11111 stating the review is complete."
You can perform comprehensive case searches by using criteria such as case type, status, or custom properties, making it easy to locate specific cases across large repositories. The AI agents also enable you to view complete case summaries such as properties, activities, and history, manage case documents by listing attachments with metadata, track case progression through workflow stages, and collaborate by adding timestamped comments—all through intuitive natural language commands that streamline case operations and improve productivity.