Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN): A Beginner’s Guide

In this post, we will take a closer look at what BPMN is and how it can be used to improve business processes.

What is Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN)?

Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) is a standard for creating visual models of business processes. 

BPMN is: 

• Graphical representation of business processes that can be used to create process documentation that is easy to understand and follow 
• Used to document and communicate the steps involved in a process, as well as the different roles and responsibilities of those involved
• Powerful tool that can be used to improve process efficiency and effectiveness
• Widely used in many industries, including banking, insurance, healthcare, and manufacturing. 

By creating a BPMN diagram, you can quickly and easily communicate the steps involved in a process, as well as identify potential areas for improvement. In addition, by creating a visual model of a process, it is easier to identify potential bottlenecks and optimize performance

What is BPMN 2.0? 

BPMN 2.0 is the latest version of the Business Process Modeling Notation standard. It was 

In short, 

• It was released in January of 2013 and is the most recent version of the BPMN specification
• Builds on the successes of the earlier versions of the standard and provides significant enhancements and improvements
• Designed to be more readily understandable by both business users and technical developers
• Introduces new concepts and metaphors that are intended to make the notation more intuitive and easier to use

BPMN 2.0 Diagram Elements and Symbols

BPMN consists of a set of graphical elements that can be used to create a visual representation of a business process. 

These elements include: 

• Flow Objects
  1. Events
  2. Activities
  3. Gateways
• Connecting Objects
• Pools and Swimlanes
• Artifacts

Let’s have a closer look at them

Flow Objects

In BPMN, flow objects are the basic building blocks of a process. Flow objects are important because they help to define the order of operations and to identify what needs to happen at each stage of the process

1. Events 

• Start: Used to signal the beginning of a process, this is where the process starts. They can be triggered manually or automatically. 
• Intermediate: Intermediate events are used to indicate that something has happened during the process. It is used to insert a task into a process. 
• Timer: Symbols that mark the start of a timer, for example, to wait some time or for a certain day of the week
• End: Used to end a process and indicating that the process has finished

2. Activities  

• Task:  The most basic type of activity in BPMN and is used to represent work that needs to be done. It can be anything from simple manual tasks to complex automated processes. Tasks are often very specific. 
• Subprocess: A type of task that contains its own internal logic and activity. Sub-processes are often used to model complex workflows and group tasks together. 
• Call Activity: A common process used in other areas of the workflow. It allows you to create a reusable process definition that can be reused in multiple other process definitions

3. Gateways

Gateways within a BPMN diagram are diamond-shaped symbols that map decision points. They determine the direction a process shall take next. 

• Exclusive gateway: Exclusive gateway (or XOR Gateway) is used to model decisions where only one path can be taken. For example, an exclusive gateway could be used to decide if a process should continue if a condition is met.
• Parallel gateway: Is used to drive the process into multiple parallel paths and is used to visualize the concurrent execution of activities
• Inclusive gateway: Used to model decisions where more than one path can be taken. They could all be taken, or only one of them. 
• Event-based gateway: Event-based Gateways are used to control the process based on events
• Exclusive event-based gateway: Alternative paths are determined by events (for example various messages or signals) rather than by conditional flows

Connecting Objects 

Connecting objects is one of the key features of BPMN, as it allows you to model the flow of information and data between different parts of a business process. 

There are three different types of connecting objects 

1. Sequence Flows 

Shows the order of activities to be performed. It is shown as a straight line with an arrow. 

2. Message Flows 

Defines how a message is passed between two or more BPMN objects. The message flow can be used to trigger a process or to send a message between two or more objects. 

The message flow path is a dashed line that connects the message flow objects.. 

3. Associations 

Illustrated with a dotted line and is used to associate an artifact or text to an event, activity or gateway. For example, if we want to write a comment or additional information to an activity, we can connect that textbox with the association line. 

Pools and Swimlanes

Pools and swimlanes are a common layout for process-based diagrams. 

• Pools: In a pool, all the lanes are contained within one big rectangle, and the swimlanes are used to divide up the space inside the pool.
• Swimlanes: Help to identify and track the roles and responsibilities of individuals within a process, as well as how tasks are related to one another. Swimlanes also make it easier to see potential bottlenecks and issues within a process.

When you map out a process using pools and swimlanes, you can identify areas where there is unnecessary waste or duplication of effort.

When using pools and swimlanes, it’s important to keep a few things in mind.

• Make sure that all the lanes are clearly labeled and that it’s easy to see which lane each process belongs in 
• Try to keep the number of lanes to a minimum – too many lanes can make the diagram more confusing than helpful 
• Make sure the swimlanes are wide enough to accommodate all the processes in each lane

Artifacts

Artifacts can be used to include additional information about a process. Artifacts allow you to visually represent objects outside of the actual process. They can be used to manage tasks or processes, or they can be used to represent data or notes that explain the process.

Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) Examples

BPMN diagrams can be used to model a variety of different business processes, such as:

• Order processing
• Human resources
• Sales and marketing
• Customer service
• Manufacturing

These are just a few examples – the possibilities are really limitless. BPMN can be used to model any business process, no matter how simple or complex.

Benefits of using BPMN

There are many benefits to using BPMN, including:

• Improved communication: BPMN can be used to create models that are easy to understand and communicate to others. This can help to improve communication between different parties involved in a business process.
• Standard Notation: BPMN can help to speed up the development of new business processes by providing a standard notation that can be used by developers.
• Easier integration: Valuable for companies that want to integrate their processes with other systems. By using BPMN, you can make the processes more interoperable and easier to integrate.
• Identify Inefficiencies: BPMN is a powerful tool that can be used to improve process efficiency and effectiveness

Source: BPM Glossary

BPMN and Process Mining 

Process mining is a technique that can be used to automatically discover, map, monitor, and improve business processes. It is based on event logs, which are a record of all the activities that have taken place in a system.

BPMN and process mining are two powerful tools that can be used to improve the efficiency of business processes. When used together, they can provide a complete picture of a process and help to identify areas of improvement.

If you are curios to learn more about process mining, we recommend our Introduction to process mining, or check out all of our posts related to process mining

BPM and Business Intelligence 

BPMN is often used in conjunction with Business Intelligence (BI) tools. BI tools are used to collect, analyze, and report on data. BPMN can be used to create process models that can be used to generate reports and dashboards in BI tools. 

The combination of BPMN and BI can be used to create a complete picture of a business’s processes and performance.

If you want to read more about business intelligence (BI), we recommend our post Introduction to business intelligence (BI), or check out all of our posts related to business intelligence

Conclusion: Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN)

Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) is a standard for creating visual models of business processes. It is a graphical representation of business processes that can be used to create process documentation that is easy to understand and follow.

The BPMN diagram elements and symbols include: 

• Flow Objects
  1. Events
  2. Activities
  3. Gateways
• Connecting Objects
• Pools and Swimlanes
• Artifacts

FAQ: BPMN