By creating a workflow definition, you can define the activities and resources that are required to accomplish a business process. A workflow definition consists of a series of process steps that are connected together by a series of routes, which define the sequence in which the steps are executed.
The workflow definition acts as a processing template that is used each time that the workflow runs, routing the work to the specified participants or processes, along with the data, attachments (documents, folders, and custom objects), and other information that is needed to complete the activities.