INFS 5108
INFS 5108
Business Process Modelling
BPMN 1
Benefits of BPM
1. Align Operations with Business Strategy
Implementing a business strategy or a new business model
requires changes in the operations and in how people
perform their work. This can be affected only by
operationalizing the business changes to the actual business
processes, business rules and decisions that are made on a
day to day basis by all the people in the organization.
Singh D (UD) 5 Key Benefits of Business Process Modeling
www.modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/1728/5-Key-Benefits-of-Business-Process-Modeling.aspx
Accessed 7/5/16
Link Align Implement Enable
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Benefits of BPM
2. Improve Process Communication
One area that distinguishes successful businesses and
teams is that they have a very clear idea of what they are
supposed to do, how they are supposed to do it and what is
the exact role of every team member. Clear communication
of the operational processes is critical to facilitate a smooth
functioning of a team.
Singh D (UD) 5 Key Benefits of Business Process Modeling
www.modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/1728/5-Key-Benefits-of-Business-Process-Modeling.aspx
Accessed 7/5/16
Language Training Communicate Turnover
Documentation
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Benefits of BPM
3. Increase Control and Consistency
Organizations and companies that succeed are ones that
ensure their business processes and rules are well designed
and that they are consistently applied the same way every
single time. This process control and consistency is key for
success in organizations ranging from fast-food chains to
hospitals to NASA Space Shuttle operations
Singh D (UD) 5 Key Benefits of Business Process Modeling
www.modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/1728/5-Key-Benefits-of-Business-Process-Modeling.aspx
Accessed 7/5/16
Formalise Execute Exceptions No guesswork
Compliance
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Benefits of BPM
4. Improve Operational Efficiencies
In today's business environment, every business and every
manager wants to ensure that they are achieving the best
possible results with the resources available to them. There is
no room for inefficiencies and wastage.
Singh D (UD) 5 Key Benefits of Business Process Modeling
www.modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/1728/5-Key-Benefits-of-Business-Process-Modeling.aspx
Accessed 7/5/16
Optimise Productive Prototype Reduced risks
Better utilisation
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Benefits of BPM
5. Gain Competitive Advantage
All the benefits mentioned above lead to a significant competitive
advantage for an organization that has invested the time and effort
to document, simulate and improve its business processes.
Studies of many wildly successful companies has often shown that
their success was not due to better ideas or better business
models but because they invested significantly in business process
modeling to constantly refine and improve their processes. A slight
improvement in one activity here and another one there leads to an
overall better process and as that process is executed repeatedly
in the day-to-day running of the business it makes an organization
much more efficient and better than its competitors
Singh D (UD) 5 Key Benefits of Business Process Modeling
www.modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/1728/5-Key-Benefits-of-Business-Process-Modeling.aspx
Accessed 7/5/16
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• A process model can be assessed in terms of its:
– Syntactic quality
• All components in the model are built by following the syntax and
vocabulary of the modelling language
• Syntactic quality is the basis for the other categories of model qualities
– Semantic quality
• The model makes true statements on the real world they aim to capture,
either for existing processes (as is) or future processes (to be).
• In other words, the model is:
– valid: all statements in the model are correct and relevant to the problem;
– Complete: the model contains all relevant statements that would be correct
– Pragmatic quality
• The model can be understood by people
What is a Good Model ?
• Syntactic qualities can be checked without knowing the
real-word processes, as we check the model to see:
– If the correct types of modelling elements are used and if they
are correctly connected
– If the model can terminate properly
• Use verification techniques/tools in the design of
process models to ensure Syntactic quality
Check and Ensure Syntactic Quality
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• Checking a model’s semantic quality (i.e. model validation) can only
be done by
– knowing the meaning of the modelling constructs
– understanding the domain in question
– knowing the exact purpose of the process model
• Simulation:
– presents the formal behaviour of a model to users in an intuitive way,
which can help assessing the semantic quality of a model
– provides insights into the performance of the process being modelled
• Paraphrasation:
– Translates the model back to natural language
– To make a process model understandable to somebody who is not
familiar with modelling (but familiar with the domain and purpose of the
modelling)
• Approaches such as process mining and natural language processing
can help with creating models that accurately capture reality
Check and Ensure Semantic Quality
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• The 7PMG is aimed at directing process modellers to create
understandable models that are less prone to errors.
– G1: Use as few elements in the model as possible
– G2: Minimize the routing paths per element
– G3: Use one start and one end event
– G4: Model as structured as possible
– G5: Avoid OR routing elements
– G6: Use verb-object activity labels
– G7: Decompose a model with more than 50 elements
The Seven Modelling Guidelines for
Ensuring Pragmatic Quality
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What is BPMN ?
• Business Process Modeling Notation or
Business Process Model and Notation ?
• The goals of BPMN (from BPMN 2.0 Spec):
“The primary goal of BPMN is to provide a notation that is readily
understandable by all business users, from the business analysts that create
the initial drafts of the processes, to the technical developers responsible for
implementing the technology that will perform those processes, and finally,
to the business people who will manage and monitor those processes. Thus,
BPMN creates a standardized bridge for the gap between the business
process design and process implementation.”
“Another goal, but no less important, is to ensure that XML languages
designed for the execution of business processes, such as WSBPEL (Web
Services Business Process Execution Language), can be visualized with a
business-oriented notation.”
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OMG
History
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• Started by BPMI, Business Process Modeling Initiative, a consortium
with mainly software companies
− Initially a graphical notation for process descriptions expressed in
Business Process Modeling Language (BPML).
− BPML is comparable to BPEL, i.e. process definitions expressed using
BPML can be executed by a BPMS.
• First version (1.0) produced in 2004 by BPMI
• BPMI merged into OMG in 2005
• OMG adopted BPMN 1.0 in 2006
• Version 1.1. in 2008, minor updates to graphical representation
• Version 1.2 in 2009, a bug fix, not much changed from version 1.1
• Version 2.0 in Jan. 2011
BPMN 1.0
(BPMI) BPMN 1.0 BPMN 1.1 BPMN 1.2 BPMN 2.0
History
• BPMN2.0
− Extends the graphic notation of version 1.2 by various model
constructs and a few new model types
− More importantly, a metamodel has been created to
1. formally define the semantics of the graphical notation
2. become the basis for developing BPMN’s own standardised XML
exchange format for transferring a BPMN model from one tool to another
3. Include extra language constructs that cannot be represented in graphic
models such that execution related information can be specified.
– Rules for transforming BPMN models into an executable BPEL
format
– Enhanced definition of executable processes in principle it is now
possible to directly executed detailed BPMN models, but still many
problems in practice
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Business vs. Executable Models
• Business models:
– Focus on the comprehension of the basic process flow, so the usage
of too many details are avoided.
– For example, conditions of a decision are rather expressed in plain
text than in logic terms; exceptions and rare cases are quite often
not modelled in detail, but explained by notes and description.
• Executable models: – Contain sufficient details such that the models can be directly processed by
a BPMS engine, instead of converting to a computer program for execution
by a human being.
– The details in an executable model include:
• Process variables
• Task input and output data, and their mappings to variables
• Task performer assignment logic
• Conditional expressions
• Event definitions
• Messages
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Business vs. Executable Models
• Apart from providing an official XML interchange format
for process models, another key goal of BPMN 2.0 to
make BPMN models executable in process engine
• Done by standardizing the representation of execution
related details in XML
• In terms of implementation of BPMN executable models,
two possible options for BPMS vendors:
– Implement their BPMS engine so that it can directly execute
BPMN models
– Use BPMN 2.0 model as an interchange format, i.e. each BPMS
has its own proprietary execution model, but the tool can
export/import execution-related details using BMPN 2.0 XML
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Focus/Scope of BPMN
• As a multi-vendor standard, BPMN is a negotiated
agreement among many competing interests must
narrow its scope to do a smaller number of things well
instead of trying to cover everything
• The focus of BPMN is process logic, including the
order of activities, when they happen, and under what
conditions.
• A BPMN model does not describe how an activity is
performed or why
• A BPMN model:
– state what happens inside an activity (what the activity is may be
indicated by activity labels)
– really specify who performs an activity (maybe indicated by
activity labels and/or swimlanes)
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BPMN Conformance
• Four types of conformance specified in BPMN2.0 – Process Modeling Conformance
– Process Execution Conformance
– BPEL Process Execution Conformance
– Choreography Modeling Conformance
• Software (BPMN tools) can claim compliance or
conformance with BPMN 2.0 if and only if the software
fully matches the applicable compliance points as stated
in the specification.
• A tool is said to have Complete Conformance if it
satisfies the requirements of all four types of
conformance
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BPMN Conformance (cont’d)
• Three subclasses within Process Modelling Conformance – Descriptive (Level 1): visible elements for high-level modelling.
Essentially the shapes and symbols carried over from traditional
flowcharts
– Analytic (Level 2): Descriptive plus complex patterns, e.g. exceptions,
looping, complex gateways, signals, …
– Executable (Level 3): Analytic + information for execution specified using
the XML elements of BPMN.
• This course mainly concerns about process modelling using the
constructs within subclasses/levels 1 & 2, i.e. we focus on non-
executable processes modelling and rely on information visible in the
diagram only.
• For each of the two subclasses/levels, will look at: – the modelling constructs, called Palettes in the course
– the method & style to follow in order to create good BPMN models
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Some important definitions
• Process: a sequence of tasks, decisions and events using
inputs with an aim an input and output. A complex process
can be broken down into groups of tasks and decision called
a Sub-process.
• Sub-process: a sequence of tasks, decisions and events
using inputs with an aim an input and output with a parent
process
• Task: the definitive part of a process that describes an
activity
• Decision: a change in the process sequence flow
• Procedure: a sequence of actions or instructions to be
followed in order to accomplish a task. • Source: Sherry, K (2012) Business Process Modelling with BPMN, Admaks.
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Process Model Perspectives
• Process model, also known as process definition, or
case type, which may consist of: – a network of activities and their relationships,
– criteria to indicate the start and termination of the process
– information about the individual activities, such as performers,
associated IT applications and data, etc.
– references to sub-processes, separately defined
• There are 3 perspectives of a process definition: – Control-flow (or process) perspective: activities and the
ordering of their execution – Data perspective: how data is utilised during the process – Resource perspective: which work is offered to, allocated to and
managed by process participants
BPMN basic types of sub-models
• Processes (Orchestration), including:
– Private non-executable (internal) Business Processes
– Private executable (internal) Business Processes
– Public Processes
• Choreographies
• Collaborations, which can include Processes and/or
Choreographies
Source: OMG (2011) Business Process Model and Notation v2.0, Document Number: 2011-01-03 N
Before you start
Document process in narrative form capturing the details that
are required to produce a business process model.
Key headings are:
• Description
• Tasks
• Trigger(s)
• Inputs
• Outputs
• Business Rules
• Interfaces
Example
Assemble Components and Test
Description
This process accepts the order requirements, checks the parts
availability, produces a work order and proceeds to assemble
the product. After the product is tested it is moved to packaging
and shipping.
N.B: If parts are not available, then the required parts are
ordered. Testing could reveal bad components and therefore
new components must be ordered.
Example (continued)
Tasks
Check requirements and create a work order
Check order against inventory
Create delivery schedule
Assemble products
Create a new parts list order
Receive new parts
Test product
Deliver products to packaging
Example Continued
Trigger
Customer order requirements
Inputs
Order requirements document
Outputs
Computer products
Work order (completed)
Customer delivery schedule
Example (concluded)
Business rules
The computer products will be assembled and tested within 10
working days.
Customer is sent a product delivery schedule within two working
days of receiving the order requirements.
Customer is informed of any delays to the delivery schedule
within one (1) working day.
Interfaces
Customer
Parts supplier
Task
Task Sequence Flow
Process Flow
Activity
Start
Event
End
Event Sequence
Flow
Event (Trigger) Activity (Task) Sequence Flow
Process with Task Types
Source: OMG (2011) Business Process Model and Notation v2.0, Document Number: 2011-01-03
Example – Order Process with Exception Paths
XOR Gateway
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• Two end events: Order failed and Order complete
• Three distinct paths from beginning to the end
Exclusive Gateway
• A diverging exclusive gateway (XOR-split) is used to create alternative
paths, i.e. only one of its outgoing sequence flows is enabled in a given
instance
• A converging exclusive gateway (XOR-join) is used to merge alternative
paths. For a given instance, each enabled incoming sequence flow is
routed through the gateway without synchronisation.
• In a BPMN diagram, the XOR-join diamond may be omitted.
Example:
Notes: With the above diagram, the XOR-split is not redundant because we need to model that only one option is taken after “Review claim”
Active if any
incoming
flow is
enabled
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Exclusive Gateway
• An exclusive gateway does not “make” a decision
• Making a decision is an action, which needs to be
modelled using a task.
• An exclusive gateway just tests a data condition, which
should be the outcome of the “decision” task
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XOR Gateway
Source: Sherry, K (2012) Business Process Modelling with BPMN, Admaks.
Parallel Gateway
Source: OMG (2011) Business Process Model and Notation v2.0, Document Number: 2011-01-03
Fork (Split) Join
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Parallel Gateway
• A diverging parallel gateway (AND-split) creates parallel paths
without checking any conditions, and each outgoing sequence flow
is enabled upon execution of the gateway.
• A converging parallel gateway (AND-join) will wait for all incoming
flows before triggering the flow through its outgoing sequence flows.
• In a BPMN diagram, the AND-split diamond may be omitted.
Example:
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Example – Parallel Split and Join
AND-split
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• No need to label AND-splits or joins (nor the sequence flows
connecting them) as the labels do not add new information
• BPMN does not require all the paths out of an AND-split to be merged
in a downstream AND-join. These parallel paths may lead to separate
end events, in this case, each parallel must reach an end event before
the process level is completed.
AND-join
Parallel Gateway
• A diverging parallel gateway (AND-split) creates parallel paths
without checking any conditions, and each outgoing sequence flow
is enabled upon execution of the gateway.
• A converging parallel gateway (AND-join) will wait for all incoming
flows before triggering the flow through its outgoing sequence flows.
• In a BPMN diagram, the AND-split diamond may be omitted.
Example:
NOT
redundant
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Parallel Gateway Summary
Fork or Split Join
Inclusive Gateways
Merging Gateway
Decision Gateway No decision
First input that
arrives allows
the process flow
to continue.
Outcome of
Task
determines
the path for
flow to
continue.
Inclusive Gateway Example
Event Gateway
Source: OMG (2011) Business Process Model and Notation v2.0, Document Number: 2011-01-03 N
• Is always followed by catching events or receive tasks.
• Sequence flow is routed to the subsequent event/task
which happens first.
Swimlanes
Swimlanes (continued)
Swimlanes (Continued)
Swimlanes and Black Boxes