page_title: IDEF3
section_title: Process Schematics
hierarchical_section_title: IDEF3 / IDEF3 process description language / Process Schematics
caption_attribution_description: English: Figure 3-01a Symbols Used for IDEF3 Process Description Schematics
context_page_description: IDEF3 or Integrated DEFinition for Process Description Capture Method is a business process modelling method complementary to IDEF0. The IDEF3 method is a scenario-driven process flow description capture method intended to capture the knowledge about how a particular system works.
  The IDEF3 method provides modes to represent both
  Process Flow Descriptions to capture the relationships between actions within the context of a specific scenario, and
  Object State Transition to capture the description of the allowable states and conditions.
  This method is part of the IDEF family of modeling languages in the field of systems and software engineering.
context_section_description: Process schematics tend to be the most familiar and broadly used component of the IDEF3 method. These schematics provide a visualization mechanism for process-centered descriptions of a scenario. The graphical elements that comprise process schematics include Unit of Behavior (UOB) boxes, precedence links, junctions, referents, and notes. The building blocks here are:
  Unit of Behavior (UOB) boxes
  Links : Links are the glue that connect UOB boxes to form representations of dynamic processes.
  Simple Precedence Links : Precedence links express temporal precedence relations between instances of one UOB and those of another.
  Activation Plots : Activation plots are used to represent activations.
  Dashed Links : Dashed links carry no predefined semantics.
  Link Numbers : All links have an elaboration and unique link numbers.
  Activation Semantics for Nonbranching Process Schematics.
  Junctions : Junctions in IDEF3 provide a mechanism to specify the logic of process branching.
  UOB Decompositions : Elaborations capture and structure detailed knowledge about processes.
  UOB Reference Numbering Scheme : A UOB box number is assigned to each UOB box in an IDEF3 Process Description.
  Partial Descriptions : UOB boxes are joined together by links. Since the description capture is the focus of IDEF3, it is possible to conceive of UOBs without links to other parts of an IDEF3 schematic.
  Referents : Referents enhance understanding, provide additional meaning, and simplify the construction (i.e., minimize clutter) of both process schematics and object schematics.
caption: Symbols Used for IDEF3 Process Description Schematics.
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