The document controlled workflow techniques are provided that can be represented by refinable Petri nets. A document may contain a control code that indicates to the document controlled workflow system to implement specified operations (i.e., functions) at a refinable place. The operations implemented at the refinable place are determined by the control code in the document. An author of the document can customize a document controlled workflow system of the present invention by entering a control code into a document that triggers the implementation of operations customized to that particular document at a refinable place in the document workflow system. The operations specified by a control code in a document can be represented by a refinement network.