Workflow, mine is a mess

Is there anyone out there who has links, or is willing to provide details about their workflow and processes for working with RAW files? My searches turned up information overload and seemed to be mostly centered around using MACs, something that isn't an option for me.

Here is what I have at my limited disposal:
Alienware M17x laptop (Windows 7 64 bit)
Photoshop CS 2.0
Canon DPP

Any recommendations on additional software, that works more seamlessly with Photoshop (and doesn't go off into "not responding" land like DPP is having a tendency to do) would be appreciated.

Right now here is how it looks for me:
1) Copy files local drive
2) Vet images via DPP (when it works)
3) Convert "keepers" to 16 bit TIFF (when it doesn't hang)
4) Save to server location
4) Open in Photoshop for additional work (USM primarily)