BPMN Modelling

Session 15-16

Kedareshwaran S
 Purpose and History of BPMN
• The Business Process Management Initiative (BPMI) has developed the
BPMN standard and managed by the Object Management Group (OMG)
http://www.bpmn.org/

• The BPMN 1.0 specification was released in May 2004. The latest version is
BPMN 2.0 was released in Dec 2011.

• The primary goal of the BPMI Notation Working Group was to provide a set
of notations which are readily understandable by all business users, from the
– Business analysts that create the initial drafts of the processes, to the
– Technical people responsible for implementing the technology that will perform those
processes, and finally, to the
– Business people who will manage and monitor those processes.

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 BPMN Notations
• There are four basic categories of 3. Pool & Swimlanes
elements in a BPD
1. Flow Objects: There are of three 4. Artifacts
types i. Text Annotations
i. Event ii. Group
ii. Activity
iii. Gateway
5. Data
2. Connecting Objects i. Data object
i. Sequence Flow ii. Data store
ii. Message Flow
iii. Association

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 1. Flow Objects – i) Event
• Event : An Event is represented by a circle and is something
that ‘happens’ during the course of a business process.

• These events affect the flow of the process and usually have
a cause (trigger) or an impact (result).

• Three types of events exist depending on when they affect

the flow : Start , Intermediate and End.

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 1) Flow Objects – ii) Activity
• An activity is represented by a rounded-corner rectangle
and is a generic term for work that a business process
performs.

• There are two types of activities :

a) Task
b) Sub-Process

• The Sub-Process is distinguished by a small ‘+’ sign in the

bottom center of the shape.

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 1) Flow Objects – iii) Gateway
• A Gateway is represented by the familiar diamond shape
and is used to control the divergence and convergence of
business process flows.

• This it represents the ‘decision’ box in conventional flow

chart diagram.

• Common types of gateways used – exclusive, inclusive,

parallel

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 1) Flow Objects – iii) Gateway - Exclusive
• An exclusive gateway is used to create alternate
paths within a process flow.

• Hence for one process instance, only ONE gateway

condition is fulfilled.

• It may be denoted with the marker – ‘X’ (optional).

• In case you wish to specify a default condition that

becomes TRUE in case none of the identified
conditions is fulfilled, then you can show it as ->
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 1) Flow Objects – iii) Gateway - Inclusive
• In an inclusive gateway, ALL alternate paths within
a process flow are executed.

• The TRUE evaluation of one condition does not

exclude the evaluation of other conditions

• It must be denoted with the marker – ‘O’.

• A default path can be optionally identified to be

taken if none of the identified conditions is fulfilled.

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 1) Flow Objects – iii) Gateway - Parallel
• An parallel gateway is used to create parallel flows
and combine parallel flows.

• A parallel gateway does NOT check any condition.

• It must be denoted with the marker – ‘+’.

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 2. Connecting Objects
• The Flow Objects are connected together in a diagram to create a basic
skeletal structure of a business process.

• There are three Connecting Objects that provide this function:

i. Sequence Flow

ii. Message Flow

iii. Association

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 2. Connecting Objects
i. A Sequence flow is represented by a solid line with a solid arrowhead and is
used to show the sequence (or order) that activities will be performed in a
Process.

ii. Message Flow : A message flow is represented by a dashed line with an open
arrow head and is used to show that the flow of messages between two
separate process participants that send and receive them.

iii. Association : An association is represented by a dotted line with a line

arrow-head and is used to in associate data, text, or other Artifacts with flow
objects.

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 3. Pool & Swim lanes
• Pool : A pool represents a participant in a process. It typically represents an
organization (such as supplier, customer).
• It acts as a graphical container for partitioning set of activities from other
pools.

• Lane : It typically represents an actor in the process. It typically represents

an organizational unit within the pool (organization)

• A lane is a sub-partition within a Pool and will extend the entire length of the
pool, either vertically or horizontally.

• Lanes are used to organize and categorize activities.

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 4. Artifacts – i) Text Annotations (attached
with an association)
• They are a mechanism for a modeler to provide additional text information
for the reader of a BPMN diagram.

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 4. Artifacts – ii) Group
• This is represented by a rounded
corner rectangle drawn with a
dashed line.

• It is purely for analysis purpose

and does not affect the Sequence
Flow.

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 5. Data
• Data Object : It represents any information required or generated by
business processes.
• This could include a file, report, document, etc. (either physical or
electronic).

• Data Store : This represents a Database Management System (DBMS)

that stores and retrieves data that will persist beyond the scope of the
process.

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 Complete Example 1 :
Shipment process for Hardware Retailer

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 Hardware Fulfillment Diagram Description
• There is only one pool – Hardware Retailer with three swimlanes –
Warehouse Worker, Clerk, Logistics Manager.

• The start and stop event have a status mentioned – ‘Goods to ship’ and
‘Goods available for pickup’.
 
• The first gateway used is parallel indicating that both the activities done by
clerk (Decide if normal post or special shipment) and warehouse worker
(Package goods) can be done in parallel.

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 Hardware Fulfillment Diagram Description..
• The exclusive gateway- mode of delivery has two branches – normal, special
carrier.

• Note that in this diagram, the decision of which mode of delivery to choose is
decided by an activity and the gateway is used to route the sequence flow.

• The inclusive gateway shown here * indicates that

– One of branches – ‘Fill in a post’ (by clerk) is always executed; whereas the

– Second alternative – ‘Take out extra insurance’ (by logistics manager) is only carried out
only if this condition becomes true.

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 Hardware Fulfillment Diagram Description..
• Both these events are done in parallel and hence there is a closing inclusive
gateway to synchronize both these events.

• Another parallel gateway at the end is used to synchronize the activities

carried out after packaging of goods (done by warehouse worker) and earlier
activities carried out by clerk.

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Complete Example 2: Pizza Delivery Process

Intermediate-
Timer

Intermediate- Msg.

Msg. start
trigger

Terminate

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 Pizza Delivery Process
• There are two pools – customer and pizza vendor.

• The pizza vendor pool is further divided into 3 lanes - clerk (customer
service), chef (kitchen) and delivery boy (logistics).

• In this use case, we can assume that this is like a Dominos delivery order with
cash on delivery option.

• The customer places the pizza order (over phone/mobile app) and generates
an order no.
• After that he waits (in this case 60 mins) and either he receives it by then or
he calls up the customer service person and makes a reminder call.

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 Pizza Delivery Process
• Once the customer service person receives the order, it is sent to kitchen for
baking the pizza.

• Irate customers who have not received their order needs to calmed down by
the customer service rep.

• Once the pizza is baked, the delivery boy delivers the pizza to the customer
and customer pays for the pizza and eats it.

• The customer service rep generates a receipt after the money has been
collected from customer and process ends.

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 Event Variations

Event Desc. Start Intermediate End

None

Message

Timer N.A.

Multiple

Terminate

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 BPMN Tool

• Bizagi Modeller - www.bizagi.com

• Bizagi Video Tutorials -

www.bizagi.com/container/video_tutorial_modeler_en.html

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 Process Ex: Customer Service Visit Request
• The Customer calls at the Operating Center and places a ‘Service Request’. The
Administrative representative (at the Operating Center) generates a ‘Service
Request’ and Prints it Out.
• An administrative representative places the ‘Service Request’ in the box based on the
day it is supposed to be performed. The Front Line person (Supervisors) collects the
‘Service Requests’ / ‘Work Orders’ for that day.
• The Front Line person (Line men) attended to the ‘Service Requests’ for that day
(based on the allocation made by the Supervisors). In case they were unable to
complete the ‘Service Requests’ for that day, the unattended ‘Service Requests’ were
given back to the Admin Representatives at the operation center.
• The Admin Representative would reallocate the same ‘Service Request’ on another
day and then repeat same process.

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Process Ex.: Customer Service Visit Request

• Draw an AS-STATE of the process using BPMN Notation.

• Identify the possible pain points in the existing process

and develop the TO-BE STATE of the process.

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 Key Process Questions

• Who are the actors in this process?

• Which actors can be considered as customers in this process?

• What value does the process deliver to its customers?

• What are the possible outcomes of this process?

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 AS-IS State Questions
• Is the current state as good as the process can do?

• Do we have adequate data on this process?

• What are the key metrics for this process?

• Are these metrics valid and reliable?

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