An instant or deferred email message that is sent to one or more pre-defined recipients to alert them when a workflow work item is ready to be processed or notify them that a specified event/exception condition has occurred.
For example in iAlerts or Progression, you may choose to set up an alert for a Project Status, and an Invoice Amount, to an Employee who works remotely. An Alert can be anything you want to be notified or that can be classified related to a business document and described in an email message.