Business process model and Notation - Wikipedia Business process model and Notation Example of a Business Process Model and Notation for a process with a normal flow. Business Process Model and Notation ( BPMN ) is a graphical representation for specifying business processes in a business process model. Business Process Management Initiative ( BPMI ) developed BPMN, which has been maintained by the Object Management Group since the two organizations merged in 2005. Version 2.0 of BPMN was released in January 2011, at which point the name was adapted to Business Process Model and Notation as execution semantics were also introduced alongside the notational and diagramming elements. Contents 1 Overview 2 Topics 2.1 Scope 2.2 Elements 2.3 Flow objects and connecting objects 2.4 Swim lanes and artifacts 2.5 Examples of business process diagrams 2.6 BPMN 2.0 3 Comparison of BPMN versions 4 Types of BPMN sub-model 5 Weaknesses 5.1 BPEL and BPMN 6 See also 7 References 8 Further reading 9 External links Overview Business Process Model and Notation ( BPMN ) is a standard for business process modeling that provides a graphical notation for specifying business processes in a Business Process Diagram ( BPD ), based on a flowcharting technique very similar to activity diagrams from Unified Modeling Language ( UML ). The objective of BPMN is to support business process management, for both technical users and business users, by providing a notation that is intuitive to business users, yet able to represent complex process semantics. The BPMN specification also provides a mapping between the graphics of the notation and the underlying constructs of execution languages, particularly Business Process Execution Language ( BPEL ). The primary goal of BPMN is to provide a standard notation readily understandable by all business stakeholders. These include the business analysts who create and refine the processes, the technical developers responsible for implementing them, and the business managers who monitor and manage them. Consequently, BPMN serves as a common language, bridging the communication gap that frequently occurs between business process design and implementation. Currently there are several competing standards for business process modeling languages used by modeling tools and processes. Widespread adoption of a single standard would help unify the expression of basic business process concepts ( e.g., public and private processes, choreographies ), as well as advanced process concepts ( e.g., exception handling, transaction compensation ). Since 2014, BPMN has been complemented by a new standard for building decision models, the Decision Model and Notation standard. Topics Scope BPMN is constrained to support only the concepts of modeling applicable to business processes. Other types of modeling done by organizations for non-process purposes are out of scope for BPMN. Examples of modeling excluded from BPMN are : Organizational structures Functional breakdowns Data models In addition, while BPMN shows the flow of data ( messages ), and the association of data artifacts to activities, it is not a data flow diagram. Elements BPMN models consist of simple diagrams constructed from a limited set of graphical elements. For both business users and developers, they simplify understanding business activities ' flow and process. BPMN 's four basic element categories are : Flow objects Events, activities, gateways Connecting objects Sequence flow, message flow, association Swim lanes Pool, lane Artifacts Data object, group, annotation These four categories enable creation of simple business process diagrams ( BPDs ). BPDs also permit making new types of flow object or artifact, to make the diagram more understandable. Flow objects and connecting objects Event Activity Gateway Connections Flow objects are the main describing elements within BPMN, and consist of three core elements : events, activities, and gateways. Event An Event is represented with a circle and denotes something that happens ( compared with an activity, which is something that is done ). Icons within the circle denote the type of event ( e.g., an envelope representing a message, or a clock representing time ). Events are also classified as Catching ( for example, if catching an incoming message starts a process ) or Throwing ( such as throwing a completion message when a process ends ). Start event Acts as a process trigger ; indicated by a single narrow border, and can only be Catch, so is shown with an open ( outline ) icon. Intermediate event Represents something that happens between the start and end events ; is indicated by a double border, and can Throw or Catch ( using solid or open icons as appropriate ). For example, a task could flow to an event that throws a message across to another pool, where a subsequent event waits to catch the response before continuing. End event Represents the result of a process ; indicated by a single thick or bold border, and can only Throw, so is shown with a solid icon. Activity An activity is represented with a rounded - corner rectangle and describes the kind of work which must be done. An activity is a generic term for work that a company performs. It can be atomic or compound. Task A task represents a single unit of work that is not or can not be broken down to a further level of business process detail. It is referred to as an atomic activity. A task is the lowest level activity illustrated on a process diagram. A set of tasks may represent a high - level procedure. Sub-process Used to hide or reveal additional levels of business process detail. When collapsed, a sub-process is indicated by a plus sign against the bottom line of the rectangle ; when expanded, the rounded rectangle expands to show all flow objects, connecting objects, and artifacts. A sub-process is referred to as a compound activity. Has its own self - contained start and end events ; sequence flows from the parent process must not cross the boundary. Transaction A form of sub-process in which all contained activities must be treated as a whole ; i.e., they must all be completed to meet an objective, and if any one of them fails, they must all be compensated ( undone ). Transactions are differentiated from expanded sub-processes by being surrounded by a double border. Call Activity A point in the process where a global process or a global Task is reused. A call activity is differentiated from other activity types by a bolded border around the activity area. Gateway A gateway is represented with a diamond shape and determines forking and merging of paths, depending on the conditions expressed. Exclusive Used to create alternative flows in a process. Because only one of the paths can be taken, it is called exclusive. Event Based The condition determining the path of a process is based on an evaluated event. Parallel Used to create parallel paths without evaluating any conditions. Inclusive Used to create alternative flows where all paths are evaluated. Exclusive Event Based An event is being evaluated to determine which of mutually exclusive paths will be taken. Complex Used to model complex synchronization behavior. Parallel Event Based Two parallel processes are started based on an event, but there is no evaluation of the event. Connections Flow objects are connected to each other using Connecting objects, which are of three types : sequences, messages, and associations. Sequence Flow A Sequence Flow is represented with a solid line and arrowhead, and shows in which order the activities are performed. The sequence flow may also have a symbol at its start, a small diamond indicates one of a number of conditional flows from an activity, while a diagonal slash indicates the default flow from a decision or activity with conditional flows. Message Flow A Message Flow is represented with a dashed line, an open circle at the start, and an open arrowhead at the end. It tells us what messages flow across organizational boundaries ( i.e., between pools ). A message flow can never be used to connect activities or events within the same pool. Association An Association is represented with a dotted line. It is used to associate an Artifact or text to a Flow Object, and can indicate some directionality using an open arrowhead ( toward the artifact to represent a result, from the artifact to represent an input, and both to indicate it is read and updated ). No directionality is used when the Artifact or text is associated with a sequence or message flow ( as that flow already shows the direction ). Swim lanes and artifacts Swimlanes Data objects Groups Annotation Swim lanes are a visual mechanism of organising and categorising activities, based on cross functional flowcharting, and in BPMN consist of two types : Pool Represents major participants in a process, typically separating different organisations. A pool contains one or more lanes ( like a real swimming pool ). A pool can be open ( i.e., showing internal detail ) when it is depicted as a large rectangle showing one or more lanes, or collapsed ( i.e., hiding internal detail ) when it is depicted as an empty rectangle stretching the width or height of the diagram. Lane Used to organise and categorise activities within a pool according to function or role, and depicted as a rectangle stretching the width or height of the pool. A lane contains the flow objects, connecting objects and artifacts. Artifacts allow developers to bring some more information into the model / diagram. In this way the model / diagram becomes more readable. There are three pre-defined Artifacts and they are : Data objects : Data objects show the reader which data is required or produced in an activity. Group : A Group is represented with a rounded - corner rectangle and dashed lines. The group is used to group different activities but does not affect the flow in the diagram. Annotation : An annotation is used to give the reader of the model / diagram an understandable impression. Examples of business process diagrams Click on small images for full - size version Discussion cycle E-mail voting process Collect votes BPMN 2.0 The vision of BPMN 2.0 is to have one single specification for a new Business Process Model and Notation that defines the notation, metamodel and interchange format but with a modified name that still preserves the `` BPMN '' brand. The features include Aligning BPMN with the business process definition meta model BPDM to form a single consistent language. Enabling the exchange of business process models and their diagram layouts among process modeling tools to preserve semantic integrity. Expand BPMN to allow model orchestrations and choreographies as stand - alone or integrated models. Support the display and interchange of different perspectives on a model that allow a user to focus on specific concerns. Serialize BPMN and provide XML schemes for model transformation and to extend BPMN towards business modeling and executive decision support. The final version of the specification was released in January, 2011. Comparison of BPMN versions This section may be too technical for most readers to understand. Please help improve it to make it understandable to non-experts, without removing the technical details. The talk page may contain suggestions. ( December 2012 ) This section needs to be updated. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. ( February 2014 ) Attributes BPMN 1.0 BPMN 1.1 BPMN 1.2 BPMN 2.0 Consortium BPMI OMG OMG OMG Date of release May 2004 January 2008 January 2009 January 2011 Models Collaborative ( public ) B2B processes, internal ( private ) business processes. collaborative ( public ) B2B processes, internal ( private ) business processes, a choreography -- expected behavior between two or more business participants, collaborations, which is a collection of participants and their interaction and a conversation -- the logical relation of message exchanges. event start ( none, message, timer, rule, link, multiple ) intermediate ( none, message, timer, error, cancel, compensation, rule, link, multiple ) end ( none, message, error, cancel, compensation, link, terminate, multiple ) start ( none, message, timer, conditional, signal, multiple ) intermediate ( none, message, timer, error, cancel, compensation, conditional, link, signal, multiple ) end ( none, message, error, cancel, compensation, signal, terminate, multiple ) start top - level ( none, message, timer, conditional, signal, multiple, parallel multiple ) event sub-process interrupting ( message, timer, escalation, conditional, error, compensation, signal, multiple, parallel multiple ) event sub-process non-interrupting ( message, timer, escalation, conditional, signal, multiple, parallel multiple ) intermediate catching ( message, timer, conditional, link, signal, multiple, parallel multiple ) boundary interrupting ( message, timer, escalation, conditional, error, cancel, compensation, signal, multiple, parallel multiple ) boundary non-interrupting ( message, timer, escalation, conditional, signal, multiple, parallel multiple, terminate ) throwing ( none, message, escalation, link, compensation, signal, multiple, parallel multiple ) end ( none, message, escalation, error, cancel, compensation, signal, multiple, terminate ) activity task ( atomic ) process / sub-process ( nonatomic ) collapsed sub-process expanded sub-process task ( atomic ) choreography task collapsed choreography sub-process expanded choreography sub-process process / sub-process ( nonatomic ) collapsed sub-process expanded sub-process gateway XOR -- exclusive decision and merging. both data - based and event - based. data - based can be shown with or without the `` x '' marker. OR -- inclusive decision and merging complex -- complex conditions and situations AND -- forking and joining exclusive decision and merging. both data - based and event - based. data - based can be shown with or without the `` x '' marker. inclusive decision and merging. complex -- complex conditions and situations. parallel forking and joining. exclusive decision and merging. both data - based and event - based. exclusive can be shown with or without the `` x '' marker. inclusive gateway decision and merging complex gateway -- complex conditions and situations parallel gateway -- forking and joining sequence flow normal flow uncontrolled flow conditional flow default flow exception flow message flow message flow association association pool pool lane lane data objects data object data object collection data input data output groups group annotations annotations message / / / message other elements looping activity looping sequence flow looping multiple instances process break transactions nested / embedded sub-process off - page connector compensation association looping activity looping sequence flow looping multiple instances process break transactions nested / embedded sub-process off - page connector compensation association communication ( subcommunication ) communication link Number of all elements 48 55 55 116 Major changes / The new specification introduces a categorization of event triggers into `` catching '' and `` throwing '' events. I.e. there are two kinds of intermediate message events now -- one kind responsible for reception of messages ( `` catching '' ) and one kind responsible for sending messages ( `` throwing '' ). In addition to the old types, it introduces a new type, the signal event. Start and end link events do not exist any longer in BPMN 1.1. The old `` rule events '' where renamed to conditional events. The semantics and appearance have not changed. The event - based gateway in BPMN 1.1 looks slightly different from what it looked like in 1.0. Instead of the hexagonal star it now has a pentagon in its center. The same shape is also used for the multiple events ( start, intermediate, end ). There is an additional line separating your lane 's description from its content. The BPMN 1.2 minor revision changes consist of editorial corrections and implementation bug fixes. Consequently, these minor changes affect modeling tool vendors more than modelers ( users ). Choreographies Choreographies - model Conversation - model Complete Metamodel BPMN Core BPMN Execution Semantics BPMN -- BPEL Mapping XPDL ( BPMN XML Serialization ) Diagram Interchange Elements For Abstraction Callable Element Call Activity Global Task Gateways ( Updated ) Exclusive / Parallel Event - based Gateway ( they stand at the beginning of the process ) Tasks / SubProcesses ( Updated ) Event - Subprocess ( Used to handle events in the bounding subprocess ) BusinessRule task Sequential Multi-Instance Activity Service Task Artifacts ( Updated ) Data Objects ( Collection, Data Input, Data Output ) Types of BPMN sub-model Business process modeling is used to communicate a wide variety of information to a wide variety of audiences. BPMN is designed to cover this wide range of usage and allows modeling of end - to - end business processes to allow the viewer of the Diagram to be able to easily differentiate between sections of a BPMN Diagram. There are three basic types of sub-models within an end - to - end BPMN model : Private ( internal ) business processes, Abstract ( public ) processes, and Collaboration ( global ) processes : Private ( internal ) business processes Private business processes are those internal to a specific organization and are the type of processes that have been generally called workflow or BPM processes. If swim lanes are used then a private business process will be contained within a single Pool. The Sequence Flow of the Process is therefore contained within the Pool and can not cross the boundaries of the Pool. Message Flow can cross the Pool boundary to show the interactions that exist between separate private business processes. Abstract ( public ) processes This represents the interactions between a private business process and another process or participant. Only those activities that communicate outside the private business process are included in the abstract process. All other `` internal '' activities of the private business process are not shown in the abstract process. Thus, the abstract process shows to the outside world the sequence of messages that are required to interact with that business process. Abstract processes are contained within a Pool and can be modeled separately or within a larger BPMN Diagram to show the Message Flow between the abstract process activities and other entities. If the abstract process is in the same Diagram as its corresponding private business process, then the activities that are common to both processes can be associated. Collaboration ( global ) processes A collaboration process depicts the interactions between two or more business entities. These interactions are defined as a sequence of activities that represent the message exchange patterns between the entities involved. Collaboration processes may be contained within a Pool and the different participant business interactions are shown as Lanes within the Pool. In this situation, each Lane would represent two participants and a direction of travel between them. They may also be shown as two or more Abstract Processes interacting through Message Flow ( as described in the previous section ). These processes can be modeled separately or within a larger BPMN Diagram to show the Associations between the collaboration process activities and other entities. If the collaboration process is in the same Diagram as one of its corresponding private business process, then the activities that are common to both processes can be associated. Within and between these three BPMN sub-models, many types of Diagrams can be created. The following are the types of business processes that can be modeled with BPMN ( those with asterisks may not map to an executable language ) : High - level private process activities ( not functional breakdown ) * Detailed private business process As - is or old business process * To - be or new business process Detailed private business process with interactions to one or more external entities ( or `` Black Box '' processes ) Two or more detailed private business processes interacting Detailed private business process relationship to Abstract Process Detailed private business process relationship to Collaboration Process Two or more Abstract Processes * Abstract Process relationship to Collaboration Process * Collaboration Process only ( e.g., ebXML BPSS or RosettaNet ) * Two or more detailed private business processes interacting through their Abstract Processes and / or a Collaboration Process BPMN is designed to allow all the above types of Diagrams. However, it should be cautioned that if too many types of sub-models are combined, such as three or more private processes with message flow between each of them, then the Diagram may become too hard for someone to understand. Thus, we recommend that the modeler pick a focused purpose for the BPD, such as a private process, or a collaboration process. Weaknesses This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( February 2014 ) The weaknesses of BPMN could relate to : ambiguity and confusion in sharing BPMN models support for routine work support for knowledge work, and converting BPMN models to executable environments support for business rules and decision - making BPEL and BPMN The BPMN specification includes an informal and partial mapping from BPMN to BPEL 1.1. A more detailed mapping of BPMN to BPEL has been implemented in a number of tools, including an open - source tool known as BPMN2BPEL. However, the development of these tools has exposed fundamental differences between BPMN and BPEL, which make it very difficult, and in some cases impossible, to generate human - readable BPEL code from BPMN models. Even more difficult is the problem of BPMN - to - BPEL round - trip engineering : generating BPEL code from BPMN diagrams and maintaining the original BPMN model and the generated BPEL code synchronized, in the sense that any modification to one is propagated to the other. See also BPEL Business process management Business process modeling Comparison of Business Process Modeling Notation tools Decision Model and Notation CMMN ( Case Management Model and Notation ) Process Driven Messaging Service Event - driven process chains Function model Functional software architecture Workflow Workflow patterns Service Component Architecture Decision Model and Notation ( DMN ) XPDL YAWL References ^ Jump up to : OMG. `` BPMN 2.0 ''. Retrieved 2011 - 03 - 29. Jump up ^ An XML Representation for Crew Procedures, Richard C. Simpson ( 2004 ), Final Report NASA Faculty Fellowship Program ( Johnson Space Center ) Jump up ^ Process Modeling Notations and Workflow Patterns Archived July 6, 2010, at the Wayback Machine., paper by Stephen A. White of IBM Corporation ( 2006 ) Jump up ^ Stephen A. White ( 3 May 2004 ). `` Business Process Modeling Notation v1. 0 '' ( PDF ). Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 18 August 2013. for the Business Process Management Initiative ( BPMI ) Jump up ^ OMG. `` BPMN Working Draft '' ( PDF ). Retrieved 2012 - 05 - 01. Jump up ^ `` BPMN FAQ ''. Retrieved 2015 - 02 - 05. Further reading Grosskopf, Decker and Weske. ( Feb 28, 2009 ). The Process : Business Process Modeling using BPMN. Meghan Kiffer Press. ISBN 978 - 0 - 929652 - 26 - 9. Ryan K.L. Ko, Stephen S.G. Lee, Eng Wah Lee ( 2009 ) Business Process Management ( BPM ) Standards : A Survey. In : Business Process Management Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Volume 15 Issue 5. ISSN 1463 - 7154. PDF Stephen A. White ; Conrad Bock ( 2011 ). BPMN 2.0 Handbook Second Edition : Methods, Concepts, Case Studies and Standards in Business Process Management Notation. Future Strategies Inc. ISBN 978 - 0 - 9849764 - 0 - 9. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Business Process Modeling Notation. OMG BPMN Specification BPMN Tool Matrix BPMN Information Home Page OMG information page for BPMN. BPMN Quick Reference Guide ISO standards by standard number List of ISO standards / ISO romanizations / IEC standards 1 -- 9999 5 6 7 9 16 31 - 0 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 128 216 217 226 228 233 259 269 302 306 428 518 519 639 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 5 - 6 646 690 732 764 843 898 965 1000 1004 1007 1073 - 1 1413 1538 1745 2014 2015 2022 2047 2108 2145 2146 2240 2281 2709 2711 2788 2848 2852 3029 3103 3166 - 1 - 2 - 3 3297 3307 3602 3864 3901 3977 4031 4157 4217 4909 5218 5428 5775 5776 5800 5964 6166 6344 6346 6385 6425 6429 6438 6523 6709 7001 7002 7098 7185 7200 7498 7736 7810 7811 7812 7813 7816 8000 8178 8217 8571 8583 8601 8632 8652 8691 8807 8820 - 5 8859 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 8 - I - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 8879 9000 / 9001 9075 9126 9293 9241 9362 9407 9506 9529 9564 9594 9660 9897 9899 9945 9984 9985 9995 10000 -- 19999 10005 10006 10007 10116 10118 - 3 10160 10161 10165 10179 10206 10218 10303 - 11 - 21 - 22 - 28 - 238 10383 10487 10585 10589 10646 10664 10746 10861 10957 10962 10967 11073 11170 11179 11404 11544 11783 11784 11785 11801 11898 11940 ( - 2 ) 11941 11941 ( TR ) 11992 12006 12182 12207 12234 - 2 13211 - 1 - 2 13216 13250 13399 13406 - 2 13450 13485 13490 13567 13568 13584 13616 14000 14031 14224 14289 14396 14443 14496 - 2 - 3 - 6 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 14 - 17 - 20 14644 14649 14651 14698 14750 14764 14882 14971 15022 15189 15288 15291 15292 15398 15408 15444 - 3 15445 15438 15504 15511 15686 15693 15706 - 2 15707 15897 15919 15924 15926 15926 WIP 15930 16023 16262 16612 - 2 16750 16949 ( TS ) 17024 17025 17100 17203 17369 17442 17799 18000 18004 18014 18245 18629 18916 19005 19011 19092 ( - 1 - 2 ) 19114 19115 19125 19136 19439 19500 19501 19502 19503 19505 19506 19507 19508 19509 19510 19600 : 2014 19752 19757 19770 19775 - 1 19794 - 5 19831 20000 + 20000 20022 20121 20400 21000 21047 21500 21827 : 2002 22000 23270 23271 23360 24517 24613 24617 24707 25178 25964 26000 26300 26324 27000 series 27000 27001 : 2005 27001 : 2013 27002 27006 27729 28000 29110 29148 29199 - 2 29500 30170 31000 32000 38500 40500 42010 55000 80000 - 1 - 2 - 3 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Business_Process_Model_and_Notation&oldid=804950746 '' Categories : Diagrams Workflow technology Business process modelling ISO standards Specification languages Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from July 2017 Articles with permanently dead external links Wikipedia articles that are too technical from December 2012 All articles that are too technical Articles needing expert attention from December 2012 All articles needing expert attention Wikipedia articles in need of updating from February 2014 All Wikipedia articles in need of updating All articles with specifically marked weasel - worded phrases Articles with specifically marked weasel - worded phrases from October 2015 Articles needing additional references from February 2014 All articles needing additional references All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from July 2013 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Čeština Dansk Deutsch Eesti Español Français Nederlands 日本 語 Polski Português Русский Slovenščina Українська 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 12 October 2017, at 03 : 06. 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Question: what do rectangles with rounded corners in the bpmn model denote
Answer: activity