FWIW I got it: Instead of hardcoding the assignment like in the base websale example i changed the process Defintion to be: <swimlane name="salesman"> | <assignment actor-id="#{taskInstance.variables['salesman']}" /> | </swimlane> | | <swimlane name="accountant"> | <assignment actor-id="#{taskInstance.variables['accountant']}" /> | </swimlane> | | <swimlane name="shipper"> | <assignment actor-id="#{taskInstance.variables['shipper']}" /> | </swimlane> and after i create my processInstance i set the taskInstance variables in java code: // create a new taskinstance for the start task | TaskInstance taskInstance = processInstance.getTaskMgmtInstance().createStartTaskInstance(); | | taskInstance.setVariable("buyer", "cookiemonster"); | taskInstance.setVariable("salesman", "ernie"); | taskInstance.setVariable("accountant", "bert"); | taskInstance.setVariable("shipper", "grover"); this allows me to assign the swimlane actors via business logic instead of hardcoding them. -jm View the original post : http://www.jboss.com/index.html?module=bb&op=viewtopic&p=3968807#... Reply to the post : http://www.jboss.com/index.html?module=bb&op=posting&mode=reply&a...