1. A system for performing flexible workflow process in a distributed workflow management system that includes multiple computers, comprising: a workflow process management system operating on at least one of the computers to control execution of the workflow process which includes process instances; a plurality of resources coupled to respective ones of the computers to carry out the process instances; a plurality of state machines that comprise a process instance state machine that includes a plurality of states including (1) a compensation state that allows a failed process instance at a work node to be compensated such that resumption of execution of the failed process instance can be from a specified end compensation point, and (2) a suspended compensation state that allows the process instance in the compensation state to move to the suspended compensation state when the process instance becomes suspended; a work node instance state machine for a work node instance manager that manages work nodes of the workflow process, wherein the work node instance state machine includes a plurality of states including the compensation state and the suspended compensation state; and a rule node instance state machine for a rule node instance manager that manages rule nodes of the workflow process.