"Workflow" is defined by Wikipedia (the term is shunned by most established (read print) dictionaries) as "a sequence of connected steps ... a sequence of operations, declared as work of a person [or] a group of persons."

I have always found the term to be a sadly overused example of marketing doublespeak  -- what's wrong with just saying "the pattern or method of work" in plain English.  However, it does capture one of the few ways in which companies such as Thomson Reuters have been able to make money on and with the internet. 

Substantially all of our products combine information and software to support professionals in doing their jobs.  This is as true of WestlawNext for the practicing attorney as it is for Thomson Reuters Eikon for the swaps trader.  It is this tight integration of content and instructions which we have labelled "intelligent information."

Another company, this time from the consumer world, which is routinely (and legitimately) praised for its tight integration of media and software is Apple.  In Apple's case it goes further to include the tight-coupling of elegant hardware as well, but at base, what they do supremely well is meet the media consumer's needs or "workflow" or perhaps "playflow."  Because Apple makes it so easy for me to synch my iTunes library with my iPad and iPhone (4.0, of course), I don't bother integrating diverse content myself onto a Zune (if you can still find one) or other generic MP3 player.

Similarly, it has always struck me as ironic that the same kid who would not dream of paying for a full 4'33" song through iTunes, will happily pay $1.99 for a 10 second ring tone drawn from the same track.  Is the reason not again "workflow" or convenience?  Unlike me, this user is happy to go to the trouble of downloading "free" music (and likely violating copyright in the process), but when it comes to then editing the track down to the key ringtone-perfect refrain and synching it to his phone, he is happy to pay for the convenience.

So what we are left with in the end is that user convenience drives a significant portion of consumer and professional consumption of content.  And, come to think of it, what's so terrible about making money giving customers what they actually want?