Understanding BPMN Symbols and Their Meanings

Hello BPMN enthusiasts! Today, we are going to dive deep into the world of BPMN symbols and their meanings. For those who are new to the BPMN world, BPMN stands for Business Process Model and Notation. BPMN is a graphical representation of business processes and activities and helps businesses to visualize, analyze and optimize their processes. BPMN symbols represent different aspects of the business process, such as events, activities, gateways, and flows.

In this article, we are going to cover the different BPMN symbols and their meanings to help you better understand the language of BPMN.

BPMN Activities

Activities in BPMN represent the tasks or work that needs to be done in a business process. There are two types of activities in BPMN:

1. Task: Tasks in BPMN represent the work that needs to be done. A task is a single unit of work that can be performed by a human or a system. Tasks are represented by a rectangle shape with rounded corners.
2. Sub-process: Sub-processes represent a series of tasks that need to be performed as part of a larger process. Sub-processes are represented by a rectangle with a plus sign inside.

BPMN Events

Events in BPMN represent something that happens within a business process. There are three types of events in BPMN:

1. Start Event: Start events initiate the business process. Start events are represented by a circle shape with a thin border.
2. Intermediate Event: Intermediate events are actions that occur somewhere in the middle of a business process. Intermediate events are represented by a diamond shape.
3. End Event: End events represent the conclusion of a business process. End events are represented by a circle shape with a thick border.

BPMN Gateways

Gateways in BPMN help control the flow of a business process. There are four types of gateways in BPMN:

1. Exclusive Gateway: Exclusive gateways are used when there is a decision to be made in the process flow. Exclusive gateways are represented by a diamond shape with an X inside.
2. Parallel Gateway: Parallel gateways are used for when a process branches out to multiple activities that need to be performed in parallel. Parallel gateways are represented by a diamond shape with a plus sign inside.
3. Inclusive Gateways: Inclusive gateways are used when there are multiple possible outcomes, but all outcomes may occur at once. Inclusive gateways are represented by a diamond shape with a circle inside.
4. Event-Based Gateways: Event-based gateways are used when there is an event that triggers multiple possible process paths. Event-based gateways are represented by a diamond shape with three dots inside.

BPMN Flows

Flows in BPMN represent the sequence of events that occur in a business process. There are three types of flows in BPMN:

1. Sequence Flow: Sequence flow is used to define the order in which activities and events are performed. Sequence flow is represented by an arrow between two connecting elements.
2. Message Flow: Message flow represents communication between two elements in a business process. Message flow is represented by a dashed line with an arrow between two connecting elements.
3. Association Flow: Association flow is used to associate data or text with a task or event. Association flow is represented by a dotted line between two connecting elements.

BPMN Artifacts

Artifacts in BPMN help to provide additional information about a business process. There are three types of artifacts in BPMN:

1. Data Object: Data objects represent data that is used, created or modified during a business process. Data objects are represented by a rectangle with a folded corner.
2. Group: Groups are used to group multiple activities or events together. Groups are represented by a rounded rectangle with a dashed border.
3. Annotation: Annotations provide additional information about a task or event in a business process. Annotations are represented by a small rectangle with a folded corner and a dotted line connecting it to the task or event.

Conclusion

We hope this article has helped you to better understand the different BPMN symbols and their meanings. BPMN is a powerful tool to help businesses to visualize, analyze, and optimize their processes, and understanding BPMN symbols is essential in creating effective business process models.

If you would like to learn more about BPMN, its symbols, and its applications, please visit our website bpmn.page.

Editor Recommended Sites