Provide an introduction to process design/specification and the potential benefits of using a visual process design approach such as BPMN to enable business and IT users understand how process should operate

1. Business Process Analysis
and Design – Importance of
Having a Common Language
Between Business and IT
Alan McSweeney

2. March 25, 2011 2
Objectives
• Provide an introduction to process design/specification
and the potential benefits of using a visual process design
approach such as BPMN to enable business and IT users
understand how process should operate

3. March 25, 2011 3
Business Process Analysis/Design
• There is a continuum from business process analysis and design to
business process development and implementation to business
process operation and management
• Processes exist to implement requirements
• Processes define the functionality to be provided by systems
• Processes also link the functionality of the systems to external
manual operational components
• Processes govern the development and implementation work
Business
Requirements
Processes Define
How Systems
Should Operate
Processes
Govern Solution
Design,
Development.
Implementation
Processes
Deliver on
Business
Requirements

4. March 25, 2011 4
Process
• A process describes a sequence or flow of activities within
an organisation with the objective of performing work
• Process best depicted graphically containing flow elements
- set of activities, events, gateways and sequence flows -
that define the execution of the process

5. March 25, 2011 5
Complete View of Systems and Processes
External
Manual
Interaction
External
Manual
Interaction
External
Manual
Interaction
External
Manual
Interaction
Extended Application
System
Component
System
Component
System
Component
External
Component
External
Component
External
Component
Core
Application

6. March 25, 2011 6
Complete View of Systems and Processes
System
Component
System
Component
System
Component
External
Component
External
Component
External
Component
Automated
Process
Automated
Process
Automated
Process
External
Manual
Interaction
External
Manual
Interaction
Manual
Process
Manual
Process
External
Manual
Interaction
External
Manual
Interaction
Manual
Process
Manual
Process

7. March 25, 2011 7
Combination of Automated and Manual Processes
Automated
Process
Automated
Process
Automated
Process
Manual
Process
Manual
Process
Manual
Process
Manual
Process
Extended Application
Core
Application

8. March 25, 2011 8
Complete View of Systems and Processes
• Overall solution operates with a mix of automated and
manual processes in a structured or ad-hoc manner o
deliver the required results
• Understanding the overall set of processes and their
operation is crucial to successful results
• Need to see the entire picture to understand how a
solution should operate
− Systems/applications are just one part of this universe
• Unambiguous definition of processes is required
• Processes that are to be automated define the scope of
the development and implementation work

9. March 25, 2011 9
Solution Design and Implementation Sequence
Business Plan
Business Need
Business Benefits
Requirements
Definition
Process Design
Solution Architecture
and Design
Technical and Detailed
Design
Implementation
Defines where the business
wants to go
Business need identifies
solutions that will allow
delivery of plan
Defines the benefits to be
achieved by the solution
Defines the detailed requirements
of the solution
Defines the processes that will be
implemented by the solution
Defines the solution design to
implement the processes
Creates a detailed technical design
for implementation
Implements the detailed design

10. March 25, 2011 10
Solution Design and Implementation Sequence
Business Plan
Business Need
Business Benefits
Requirements
Definition
Process Design
Solution Architecture
and Design
Technical and
Detailed Design
Implementation
You Can Iterate
Through These Steps
Multiple Times, Refining
Detail Each Stage

11. March 25, 2011 11
Need a Single Language – Avoid the Tower of Babel
and Project Failure
Business
User
Business/
Process
Analyst
Solution
Architect
Technical
Architect/
Designer
?
Developer
Team
?
?
?
?
?
!?

12. March 25, 2011 12
Weaknesses in Business Analysis Capabilities and
Competencies at the Root of Many Project Failures
Business Needs
Not Met
Opportunities
Lost
Investment
Wasted
Inadequate Business
Case, Undefined
Problem/Need
Business Benefits
Not Measured
Poor Analysis
Practices
Business Requirements
Not Captured
Poor
Requirements
Poor Strategic
Alignment
Poor Focus on
Business Needs
Inadequate Resource
Allocation and
Prioritisation
Inadequate Business
Involvement
Poor Solution
Design
Inadequately Explored
Solution Options
Solution Design Not
Aligned to Business Needs
Large Project,
Complex, Difficult
Changes and Processes
Large Project Team and
Multiple Stakeholders
Size/Capacity/
Complexity
Uncertainly/
Ambiguity
Unproven Technology
Dynamic, Changing
Environment

13. March 25, 2011 13
Analysis-Related Causes of Failures
Business Needs
Not Met
Opportunities
Lost
Investment
Wasted
Inadequate Business
Case, Undefined
Problem/Need
Business Benefits
Not Measured
Poor Analysis
Practices
Business Requirements
Not Captured
Poor
Requirements
Poor Strategic
Alignment
Poor Focus on
Business Needs
Inadequate Resource
Allocation and
Prioritisation
Inadequate Business
Involvement
Poor Solution
Design
Inadequately Explored
Solution Options
Solution Design Not
Aligned to Business Needs
Large Project,
Complex, Difficult
Changes and Processes
Large Project Team and
Multiple Stakeholders
Size/Capacity/
Complexity
Uncertainly/
Ambiguity
Unproven Technology
Dynamic, Changing
Environment

14. March 25, 2011 14
Smooth Flow From Requirements to Processes to
Design and Implementation
Business
User
Business/
Process
Analyst
Solution
Architect
Technical
Architect/
Designer
This is What I
Want The
System to Do
I Understand. These
Are The Processes
Needed to Meet the
Requirements
Developer
Team
This is The
Design of The
Overall
System
I Understand
The Processes
You Have
Described
This is The
Detail of The
Implementation
of The Solution
This is The
Solution Being
Developed
The Solution Being
Developed Delivers
the Required
Processes
The
Solution is
What I
Want

15. March 25, 2011 15
Who Designs Processes?
• There can be multiple inconsistent approaches to
designing processes, done by
− End users
− Business unit managers
− Business analysts
− Process analysts
− System analysts
− Technical team leads
− Developers

16. March 25, 2011 16
What Can Go Wrong With Process Design?
• Inconsistent or ambiguous process design notation/
language
• Uncertainty/lack of specificity
• Branching/decision points not identified
• Complexity missing/not captured
• Too much inappropriate detail
• Using tool or approach that does not work
• Lack of understanding by business users

17. March 25, 2011 17
Ensuring Process Design/Specification Works
• Convince skeptical business and IT users that it can deliver
real benefits
• Adopt an integrated approach to using process
design/specification including a set of internal organisation
standards
• Training and mentoring
• Active involvement, monitoring, management

18. March 25, 2011 18
Need to Balance Process Design/Specification
Complexity
Simplicity – Easy for
Business Users to
Understand
• Consider maintaining two levels of process design/ specification
− High-level for business users
− Detailed low-level for development/implementation
• Graphics are better than pure text
Complexity –
Unambiguous Detail for
Implementation and
Operation

19. March 25, 2011 19
Problems with Process Design/Specification
• Absence of recognition of the importance of process
design/specification within solution design lifecycle
• Focus on just information technology aspects of process
design and operation rather than the entire process
landscape
• Focus on just IT doing the process design
• Absence of structured consistent approach to process
design
• Absence of process representation graphical approach
• Absence of skills, experience or training
• Absence of partnership between business and IT function

20. March 25, 2011 20
Business Process Analysis/Design
Business needs to
understand what
processes it is
agreeing to, how
these processes will
deliver requirements,
how the processes
will operate, who will
be responsible and
what resources will be
required
IT needs to
understand what is to
be developed,
delivered and
implemented
unambiguously
Need to have a
process definition
and representation
approach and
language that fulfils
both requirements
at the same time

21. March 25, 2011 21
Business Processes
• Business process design defines what is to be done and
who is to do it
− IT can translate this into system details, the “how”
• Delivery of an overall process can be a mix of automated,
system lead and manual activities and tasks
• Process design is a key element of overall solution design
and implementation
• Processes turn the requirements into operational facts

22. March 25, 2011 22
Process Design
• Need to have a process design language and approach that fulfils the
requirements of both IT and the business at the same time
• Need a process design language and approach that can be
understood by the business and provides the rigour required of the
IT
• Process design can be as simple as a narrative, flowchart or some
other graphical representation
• Need to balance the requirements of the business and IT
− Simplicity and ease of use promotes ease of understanding
− Ambiguity/lack of detail leads to misunderstanding
• Too much complexity - takes time, alienates the business, loses
momentum, costs a lot, delays decisions, induces analysis paralysis
• To little complexity - causes doubt, can lead to a disconnect between
what the business thinks it is getting and what IT delivers

23. March 25, 2011 23
Business Process Landscape
• Business process design is one element of the business process
landscape
− Design
− Implementation and operation
− Management
• Continuum from business process analysis and design to business
process development and implementation to business process
operation and management
− Can look for a solution that crosses entire continuum
− However, it is very, very difficult to go to fully automated BPM in one step
− Substantial investment with diminishing returns
• Need to select an approach that delivers most benefits and need to
approach delivery incrementally

24. March 25, 2011 24
Spectrum of Process Design, Implementation and
Operation Options
Consistent
Approach to
Business Process
Analysis and
Description
Complete
Automated
Business Process
Management
Consistent Use of a
Standardised Approach
and Language to
Unambiguously Describe
and Define Business
Processes
Execution, Measurement,
Monitoring and Control of Both
Automated and Non-automated
Business Processes to Achieve
Consistent, Targeted Results
Aligned With The Organisation’s
Strategic Goals
Incremental Set of Steps To Achieve:
•Maintenance of Reusable Process Library
•Linkage from Process design to Publication and Implementation
•Process Management
•Operational Process Measurement
•Process Reporting and Optimisation

25. March 25, 2011 25
Process Design/Specification Options
• Spectrum of options from simple to complex
− Paper/whiteboards/flip-charts/Post-It notes
− PowerPoint/Word/Excel/other tool
− Visio (flow charting)
− Visio Using BPMN Add-on
− BPA tool
− BPMS tool

26. March 25, 2011 26
Process Design, Implementation and Operation
Journey
Consistent
Approach to
Business Process
Analysis and
Description
Complete
Automated
Business Process
Management
Implementation Time, Cost, Resource Requirements, Complexity, Difficulty, Risks
Low High
You Have to
Start Here
Before You Can
End Here

27. March 25, 2011 27
Process Design, Implementation and Operation
Journey
• Moving to a state of Complete Automated Business
Process Management is very, very hard
• You need to start with a structured approach to describing
processes that works and that is accepted and used by all
participants and stakeholders
− Essential building block and foundation for success
− Start small to deliver benefits in a short period of time and build
on success
− Focus on creating understanding and approach

28. March 25, 2011 28
Elements of a Process Design/Documentation
• Process Triggers – what initiates the
process
• Process Outcomes – what are the
expected outcomes of the process
• Pre-Conditions – what must have
happened before the process can
start
• Pre-Requisites – what must be in
place before the process can start
• Inputs – what the process needs to
operate
• Processing – what the process does
• Dependencies – what the process is
dependent on
• Outputs – what the process generates
• Timelines – what are the expected
process times
• Reporting
Requirements/Performance
Measures – how the process should
be measured and what measures
should be generated
• Roles and Responsibilities – who is
involved in the process
• Skills and Capabilities – what skills are
required of the process participants
• Requirements Being Delivered
(Traceability) – what business
requirements are being fulfilled by the
process
• Issues Identified/Outstanding – any
issues not clarified
• Assumptions – any assumptions made
in the process design

29. March 25, 2011 29
Business Process Management, Governance,
Implementation and Operational Framework – Landscape
Process Library
Operational
Process Usage
Data
Business
Process 1
Business
Process 2
Business
Process 3
Process Strategy
Design and
Development
Business Process
Design and
Development
Process
Usage
Analysis
Business Process
Modification
Process KPI
Definition
Process
Templates Process
Publication

30. March 25, 2011 30
Business Process Management, Governance,
Implementation and Operational Framework – Landscape
Process Library
Operational
Process Usage
Data
Business
Process 1
Business
Process 2
Business
Process 3
Process Strategy
Design and
Development
Business Process
Design and
Development
Process
Usage
Analysis
Business Process
Modification
Process KPI
Definition
Process
Templates Process
Publication

31. March 25, 2011 31
Business Process Management, Governance,
Implementation and Operational Framework – Logical
Components
Strategy,
Management
and
Governance
Design and
Implementation
Optimisation
Operation and
Measurement
Technology
Infrastructure

32. March 25, 2011 32
Business Process Management, Governance,
Implementation and Operational Framework
Strategy,
Management
and
Governance
Design and
Implementation
Optimisation
Operation and
Measurement
Technology
Infrastructure
Consistent
Approach to
Business Process
Analysis and
Description
Complete
Automated
Business Process
Management
Implementation Time, Cost, Resource Requirements, Complexity, Risks
Low High
Start With
Realistically
Achievable
Objectives …
… Before Trying to
Move to an All-
encompassing
Solution

33. March 25, 2011 33
Focus on the Objective …
• … Which is to develop an approach to process design and
specification that meets both business and technology
stakeholder requirements

34. March 25, 2011 34
Process Representation Diagrams, Maps and Models
• Diagrams
− Process diagram often depicts simple notation of the basic workflow of a
process
− Depicts the major elements of a process flow, but omits the minor details
which are not necessary for understanding the overall flow of work
• Maps
− More precision than a diagram
− More detail about process and important relationships to other elements such
as performers (actors), events, results
− Provide a comprehensive view of all of the major components of the process
• Models
− Represents the performance of what is being modelled
− Needs greater precision, data about the process and about the factors that
affect its performance
− Often done using tools that provide simulation and reporting capability to
analyse and understand the process

35. March 25, 2011 35
Process Attributes and Characteristics
• Inputs/Outputs
• Events/Results)
• Value Add
• Roles/Organisations
• Data/Information
• Probabilities
• Queuing
• Transmission Time
• Wait Time
• Arrival Patterns/Distributions
• Costs (indirect and direct
• Entry Rules
• Exit Rules
• Branching Rules
• Join Rules
• Work/Handling Time
• Batching
• Servers (number of people available
to perform tasks)
• Attributes and characteristics that describe the properties, behaviour, purpose
and other elements of the process
• Process attributes are captured in a tool in order to organise, analyse and manage
an organisation’s portfolio of processes

36. March 25, 2011 36
Purpose of Process Modelling
• A model is rarely a complete and full representation of the actual
process
− Focus on representing those attributes of the process that support continued
analysis from one or more perspectives
• Objective is to create a representation of the process that describes
it accurately and sufficiently for the task at hand
− Understanding the business process through the creation of the model
− Creating a visible representation and establishing a commonly shared
perspective
− Analysing process performance and defining and validating changes
• “To Be” model is an expression of the target process state and
specifies the requirements for the supporting resources that enable
effective business operations

37. March 25, 2011 37
Purpose of Process Representation Models
• Models are simplified representations that facilitate
understanding of that which is being studied and making
decisions about it
• Mechanism for understanding, documenting, analysing,
designing, automating and measuring business activity as
well as measuring the resources that support the activity
and the interactions between the business activity and its
environment
• For process managed business, process models are the
primary means for
− Measuring performance against standards
− Determining opportunities for change
− Expressing the desired end state preceding a change effort

38. March 25, 2011 38
Reasons for Process Design and Modelling
• To document an existing process clearly
• To use as a training aide
• To use as an assessment against standards and compliance
requirements
• To understand how a process will perform under varying loads or in
response to some anticipated change
• As the basis for analysis in identifying opportunities for improvement
• To design a new process or new approach for an existing process
• To provide a basis for communication and discussion
• To describe requirements for a new business operation

39. March 25, 2011 39
Benefits of Process Design and Modelling
• Models are relatively fast, easy and inexpensive to
complete
• Models are easy to understand (when compared to other
forms of documentation)
• Models provide a baseline for measurement
• Models facilitate process simulation and impact analysis
• Models leverage various standards and a common set of
techniques

40. March 25, 2011 40
Process Design and Modelling Standards and
Notations
• Range of number of process design, modelling and
notational standards and techniques
• Models provide a language for describing and
communicating as-is and to-be process information
− Like all new languages must be learned
• Benefits of using a standards based approach
− A common symbology, language and technique which facilitate
communication and understanding
− Standards-based models provide common and consistently
defined processes definitions which eases the process of design,
analysis and measurement and facilitates model reuse
− An ability to leverage modelling tools based on common
standards and notations
− An ability to import and export models created in various tools for

41. March 25, 2011 41
Process Representation Standards and Notations
• Some commonly or less commonly used approaches
− Business Process Modelling Notation (BPMN)
− Flow Charting
− Swim Lanes
− Event Process Chain (EPC)
− Value Chain
− Unified Modelling Language (UML)
− IDEF-0
− LOVEM-E
− SIPOC
− Systems Dynamics
− Value Stream Mapping

42. March 25, 2011 42
Business Process Modelling Notation (BPMN)
• Widely used and supported standard for business process
modelling
• Provides a graphical notation for specifying business
processes in a Business Process Diagram (BPD)
• Uses a flowcharting technique similar to activity diagrams
from Unified Modelling Language (UML)
• Can output BPMN to Business Process Execution Language
(BPEL - BPEL4WS)
− Standard executable language for specifying interactions with
Web Services
• Emerging standard

43. March 25, 2011 43
Flow Charting
• Simple type of diagram that represents a process, showing
the steps as boxes of various kinds and their order by
connecting these with arrows
• Widely used

44. March 25, 2011 44
Swim Lanes
• Swim lanes are an addition to the boxes and arrows
process flow view of flow-charting that show how the
work flows across organisational units or is handed-off
from one role to another
• Overall process is divided into lanes, with one lane for
each person, group or subprocess
• Processes and decisions are grouped by placing them in
lanes
• Arranged horizontally or vertically and are used for
grouping the sub-processes according to the
responsibilities of those swim lanes

45. March 25, 2011 45
Event Process Chain (EPC)
• An EPC is an ordered graph of events and functions
• Provides various connectors that allow alternative and parallel execution of processes
• Tasks (activities) are followed by outcomes (events) of the task, developing a process model
• EPC method was developed within the framework of ARIS (BPM toolset)
• EPC elements
− Event - describe under what circumstances a function or a process works or which state a function
or a process results in
− Function - model the tasks or activities
− Organisation Unit - determine which person or organisation within the structure of an enterprise is
responsible for a specific function
− Information, Material or Resource Object - portray objects in the real world
− Logical Connector - logical relationships between elements in the control flow
− Logical Relationships - Branch/Merge, Fork/Join and OR
− Control Flow - connects events with functions, process paths or logical connectors creating
chronological sequence and logical interdependencies between them
− Information Flow - show the connection between functions and input or output data
− Organisation Unit Assignment - show the connection between an organisation unit and the
function it is responsible for
− Process Path - show the connection from or to other processes

46. March 25, 2011 46
Value Chain
• Value chain notation is used to demonstrate a single
continuous flow from left to right of the sub-processes
that directly contribute to producing value for the
organisation’s customers (clients/constituents)
• Value chain is a chain of activities for a firm operating in a
specific industry
• Chain of activities gives the products more added value
than the sum of added values of all activities

47. March 25, 2011 47
Unified Modelling Language (UML)
• UML provides a standard set of diagramming techniques
and notations primarily for describing information systems
requirements
• Primarily used for systems analysis and design
• Can use UML activity diagrams for business process
modelling
• UML can be very verbose
• Very development and system oriented and not aimed at
business users or overall set of processes needed to
operate a system

48. March 25, 2011 48
IDEF-0 (Integration Definition for Function
Modelling)
• Function modelling methodology for describing
manufacturing functions
• Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) that was
developed by the US Air Force for documenting
manufacturing processes
• Part of the IDEF family of modelling languages in software
engineering
− IDEF0 produces a function model that is structured
representation of the functions, activities or processes
− IDEF1 produces an information model that represents structure
and semantics of information
− IDEF2 produces a dynamics model that represents time-varying
behavioural characteristics

49. March 25, 2011 49
LOVEM-E (Line of Visibility Engineering Method -
Enhanced)
• Notation set and a modelling technique that was
developed as part of IBM’s Business Process Reengineering
Methodology
• Based on the process path management concept
• Introduces concepts of the customer encounter and the
collaborative nature of work between external and
internal parties and the supporting information systems
• Not widely used

50. March 25, 2011 50
SIPOC (Supplier, Input, Process, Output and
Customer)
• Style of process documentation used in Six Sigma

51. March 25, 2011 51
Systems Dynamics
• Approach to understanding the behaviour of complex
systems over time
• Deals with internal feedback loops and time delays that
affect the behaviour of the entire system
• Systems Dynamics models are “activity on arrow”
diagrams rather than “activity on node” diagrams
• Useful in developing dynamic lifecycle type models that
focus on the overall business system’s performance and
the impact of changing the key variables that affect overall
performance

52. March 25, 2011 52
Value Stream Mapping
• Technique used in Lean Manufacturing
• Expresses the physical environment and flow of materials
and products in a manufacturing environment
• Used to analyse the flow of materials and information
currently required to bring a product or service

53. March 25, 2011 53
Process Modelling Quality
• Most process analysis and design efforts require the use of models
to describe what is happening during the process
• Useful to have some standards and measures of quality as it relates
to process modelling
• Quality of model defined by its accuracy, amount of detail and
completeness
• Can have multiple versions or iterations of models are created over
time to capture more detail and improve the quality of the model
• During the modelling of a process, several disconnections,
restrictions and/or barriers may become apparent
• Items should also be noted on the model as well as any other
information discovered that will help create a common
understanding of the current state

54. March 25, 2011 54
Requirements of a Process Design Model
• The business environment including the customers, suppliers,
external events or market pressures that effect or interact with the
process
• The organisational structure which includes the hierarchical or
functional view of the organisation and how the people work
together (this information helps understand who the key decision
makers are within the process)
• The functional or departmental structure of the organisation which
explains how the functions or departments work together in the
process
• The business rules which control the decisions that are made during
the process and workflow
• The activities or actions that take place within the process and who
does those actions

55. March 25, 2011 55
Process Design and Definition Language
• BPMN offers the most effective approach to process
analysis, design and definition

56. March 25, 2011 56
BPMN as a Common Process Language
• Two layers of complexity for business process design
− Core set of BPMN process representation diagram elements
− Extended set of BPMN process representation diagram elements
• What BPMN is not:
− Organisation structure design language
− Data model and data flow design language – does contain some data modelling
elements
− System functional flow design language
• BPMN diagrams can be complex
− BPMN V2.0 (latest version) has a lot of elements
− Keep it simple and easy to understand
− Add appropriate complexity through refinement and drill-down
− Focus on getting the process description right
− Complexity and rigour of BPMN is related to the ability to create Business
Process Execution Language (BPEL - BPEL4WS) – you probably do not intend to
use this feature

57. March 25, 2011 57
Types of Process
• Standard Process (Orchestration Process) defines the flow
of activities between participants
• Choreography - exchange of information (Messages)
between participants

58. March 25, 2011 58
BPMN Language Structure
BPMN
Flow Objects Connectors Artifacts Swimlanes
Activities
Events
Gateways
Sequence Flows
Message Flows
Associations
Text Annotation
Group
Pool
Lane
Data
Data Objects
Data Inputs
Data Outputs
Data Stores
Data
Associations

59. March 25, 2011 59
Swimlanes and Pools
• Swim lanes are a visual means for organising and
categorising process activities
• Used to demonstrate hand-offs between
functions/roles/business units
• Show process sequence
• Show cross-functional process flow
− Pool – represents major participants in a process with separate
pools for different organisations or major business units
− Lane – contained within pools
• Organise and categorise process activities within a pool according to
function or role
− All other BPMN diagram elements are placed within swimlanes
and pools

60. March 25, 2011 60
Swimlanes and Pools
• Good at showing who does what, when and in response to what
• Adds a dimension not available in standard flow-charting
• Shows responsibilities
• Allows identification and elimination of duplicate tasks

61. March 25, 2011 61
Flow Objects
Flow Objects
Activities Events Gateways
Task
Sub-Process
Transaction
Start
End
Intermediate
Exclusive
Inclusive
Parallel
Complex

62. March 25, 2011 62
Flow Objects
• Define the flow of the process
− Activities - work performed within a business process
• Task – unit of work
• Sub-Process – a set of self-contained activities collapsed within process
representation for ease of understanding
• Transaction – a sub-process that must be completed or undone if not completed
− Events - something that happens
• Start – acts as a trigger for a process/sub-process and takes an input only
• End – represents the result of a process/sub-process and generates an output only
• Intermediate - represents something that happens between the start and end
events
− Gateways - determine splitting and merging of paths within process depending
on the conditions
• Exclusive – where the sequence slow can take only one of two or more alternative
paths
• Inclusive – where the sequence slow can take one, more than one or all of two or
more alternative paths and results from paths must be subsequently merged
• Parallel – multiple parallel paths are defined
• Complex – complex behaviours can be defined

63. March 25, 2011 63
Flow Objects - Graphics
Task
Sub-Process
Transaction
Start
End
Intermediate
Exclusive
Inclusive
Parallel
Complex

64. March 25, 2011 64
Activities – Detailed Specification
• Classified by
− Task Type
• Service – automated application
• Send – send a message to an external participant
• Receive – wait for a Message to arrive from an external Participant
• User – human performs the task with the assistance of an application and scheduled through a
task manager
• Script – executed by a business process engine
• Manual – not managed by any business process engine.
• Business Rule – provide input to a Business Rules Engine and get the output of calculations
− Process or Sub-Process
• Embedded – sub-process embedded within a process
• Event – triggered by an event
• Called – pre-defined process that can be called
− Looping
• Simple
• Multiple in Parallel
• Multiple in Sequence
− Calling – External Sub-Process
− Transaction Backout (“Compensation”)

65. March 25, 2011 65
Activities
Looping Symbol
Task Border
Shows if
Called/Sub-
Process
Top Left Symbol
Identifies Task
Type
Rewind Symbol Used
to Indicate
Transaction Backout
(“Compensation”)

66. March 25, 2011 66
Activities – Graphics for Combinations of Task Type
and Loop Type
No Loop Simple Loop Multiple in
Parallel
Multiple in
Sequence
Simple/Not Specified
Service
Send
Receive
User
Script
Manual
Business Rule

67. March 25, 2011 67
Activities – Graphics for Sub-Processes
Embedded Sub-
Process
Embedded
Transaction Sub-
Process
Embedded Sub-
Process Triggered
by Event
Embedded Called
Sub-Process
No Event Specified
Message
Error
Escalation
Compensation
(Backout of
Transaction)
Conditional
Signal
Multiple

68. March 25, 2011 68
Events
• Simple
− Start
− Intermediate
− End
• Triggered
− Start
− Intermediate
• Inward Direction “Catching”
• Outward Direction “Throwing”
− End
• Triggers (Not All Apply to All
Events)
− Message
− Timer
− Conditional
− Signal
− Multiple
− Multiple in Parallel
− Error
− Escalation
− Compensation (Backout of
Transaction)
− Link
− Cancel
− Terminate

69. March 25, 2011 69
Events
Single Light
Border Indicates
Start Event
Double Light Border and
Hollow Symbol Indicates
Intermediate Inwardly
Directed Event
Single Dark
Border Indicates
End Event
Symbol Indicates
Trigger Type
Double Light Border and
Filled Symbol Indicates
Intermediate Outwardly
Directed Event

70. March 25, 2011 70
Events - Graphics for Combinations of Type,
Direction and Trigger
Start Intermediate
(Inward Direction
“Catching”)
Intermediate
(Outward
Direction
“Throwing”)
End
No Trigger
Message
Timer
Conditional
Signal
Multiple
Multiple in Parallel
Error
Escalation
Compensation
(Backout of
Transaction)
Link
Cancel
Terminate

71. March 25, 2011 71
Gateways
• Control the execution of the process
• Do not represent work being done
• Gateways represent decisions/branching (exclusive,
inclusive, and complex), merging, forking and joining
• Parallel gateways synchronise/combine and create parallel
flows
• Event-based gateways represents a branching point in the
process where the alternative paths that follow the
gateway are based on events that occur

72. March 25, 2011 72
Gateways - Graphics for Types
Inclusive (AND)
Exclusive (OR)
or
Complex
Parallel
Exclusive Event
Start Exclusive Event
Start Parallel Event

73. March 25, 2011 73
Sample Parallel Gateway

74. March 25, 2011 74
Artifacts
• Used to add information into the process model/diagram
• Make the process model/diagram more readable
− Data Object – shows which data is required by or produced in an
activity
− Group – used to group different activities to highlight sections
− Annotation – adds text to a diagram

75. March 25, 2011 75
Artifacts
Grouping of
Process Elements
Annotation
Comment

76. March 25, 2011 76
Data
• One requirement of process design/modelling is to be able
to model the items (physical or information items) that are
created, manipulated, and used during the execution of a
process
− Data inputs
− Data outputs
− Data stores – persistent
− Collections – set of data, input or outputs

77. March 25, 2011 77
Data
Data
Data Collection
Data Input
Data Collection Input
Data Output
Data Collection Output
Data Store

78. March 25, 2011 78
Extended BPMN Attributes
• BPMN diagram elements have many extended attributes that are
not part of the core process definition
• These are used when creating a process repository
• Used when exporting BPMN process to XML
• Activity attributes
− isForCompensation
− loopCharacteristics
− Resources
− SequenceFlow
− InputOutputSpecification
− Properties
− BoundaryEventRefs
− DataInputAssociations
− DataOutputAssociations
− StartQuantity
− CompletionQuantity
− …

79. March 25, 2011 79
BPMN Usage Options
Consistent
Approach to
Business Process
Analysis and
Description
Complete
Automated
Business Process
Management
Implementation Time, Cost, Resource Requirements, Complexity, Difficulty, Risks
Low High
Basic BPMN
Processing
Diagramming
Allows You to
Start Here
BPMN Can
Grow to Enable
This

80. March 25, 2011 80
Sample Order Processing and Payment
Authorisation Process Definition

81. March 25, 2011 81
Sample Mortgage Approval Process Definition

82. March 25, 2011 82
Sample Incident Management Process Definition

83. March 25, 2011 83
Sample Credit Review and Approval Process
Definition

84. March 25, 2011 84
Sample Customer Quotation Request Process
Definition

85. March 25, 2011 85
Sample Order Fulfilment Process Definition

86. March 25, 2011 86
Sample Bank Account Opening Process Definition

87. March 25, 2011 87
Summary
• Process design/specification is a key element of solution design
• Processes consist of both automated and manual components
working together
• A graphical process design/specification language is useful to
represent processes and to assist in a common understanding by
both business and IT
• BPMN is the emerging process design/specification language
• BPMN offers the rigour to create detailed process
designs/specifications
• BPMN can be just a process design/specification language or a can
be part of a complete automated Business Process Management
initiative

88. March 25, 2011 88
More Information
Alan McSweeney
alan@alanmcsweeney.com