How to use BPMN* for modelling business processes

WEBINAR (SHORT VERSION) HOW TO USE BPMN* FOR MODELLING BUSINESS PROCESSES Dr Alexander Samarin www.samarin.biz * Business Process Modeling Notation

BPM reference model BPMN basic elements Modelling methodology BPMN diagramming style BPMN practical patterns BPMN-based modelling procedure Evolution of BPMN BPMN advanced use Agenda 2009-summer How to use BPMN for modelling business processes

Ideally, one formal description of business processes model in design input for project planning and execution executable program for coordination of work documentation for all staff members Explicit expression of coordination Express relationships between BPM artefacts Understandable by all staff members A tool for communication A tool for joint work of the business and the IT Context for BPMN 2009-summer How to use BPMN for modelling business processes

An original development by Business Process Management Initiative to align modelling notations since 2000 The primary goal – understanding by business stakeholders OMG standard since 2005 Current version 1.2 since Jan 2009 Version 2 is under development (to be discussed at the end of this webinar) BPMN standard 2009-summer How to use BPMN for modelling business processes

This is based on the experience that the direct use of some standards does not guarantee interoperability Development “by committee” leads to exotic features Bottom-up approach leads to yet another attempt to solve all problems with the current tool BPM industry is vendor-driven and not customer-driven BPMN has no solid execution semantic model – each tool executes BPM diagrams differently It is important to follow a critical approach to BPMN 2009-summer How to use BPMN for modelling business processes

3 kinds of flow objects Activity Gateway Event 3 ways of connecting Sequence flow Message flow Association Two types of container Pools Lanes (swimlanes) BPMN basic set shapes 2009-summer How to use BPMN for modelling business processes

Template-based static connection of “flow objects” or sequence relationship (predecessor and successor) similar to a river (upstream and downstream) process template is an abstract description of a process Three types of coordination logic (1) 2009-summer How to use BPMN for modelling business processes

Token-based token marks elements which active at a particular time dynamic connection of “flow objects” or synchronisation (wait for) / chronologic relationship similar to a “flock” of ducks (split and join) several tokens may co-exist Three types of coordination logic (2) 2009-summer How to use BPMN for modelling business processes

Instance-based process instance is an enactment of a process template each instance may have different behaviour of tokens a process instance is completed when all tokens have been consumed a process instance may start several instances of another process (although the latter is mentioned only once in the former) Three types of coordination logic (3) 2009-summer How to use BPMN for modelling business processes

Start event produces a token End (or finish) event consumes a token Intermediate token means that something happened within a business process engine Event types 2009-summer How to use BPMN for modelling business processes

Too many events details Recommendations to use: Mainly “message” Sometimes “empty”, “error” and “timer” Event details 2009-summer How to use BPMN for modelling business processes Throw message Catch message Start message End message

It has at least one activity! Simplest useful process 2009-summer How to use BPMN for modelling business processes

Activity02, Activity03 and Activity04 will be executed in parallel; the process will only be continued when each of them is completed Logic of tokens is used Parallel gateway 2009-summer How to use BPMN for modelling business processes

A single activity Activity02 or Activity03 or Activity04 will be executed. The choice is based on the logic defined within the gateway G01 Logic of tokens is used Exclusive gateway 2009-summer How to use BPMN for modelling business processes

Several activities can be executed in parallel It covers functionality of parallel and exclusive gateways Logic of tokens is used Inclusive gateway 2009-summer How to use BPMN for modelling business processes

Many tokens can pass the same activity Logic of templates vs. logic of tokens 2009-summer How to use BPMN for modelling business processes

Process fragment is a compound activity Also called “sub-process” Process fragments 2009-summer How to use BPMN for modelling business processes

Repeating conditions may be different in different systems Repeatable process fragments (1) 2009-summer How to use BPMN for modelling business processes

Be explicit within fragments; the exclusive gateway G01 which is used to specify two branches – one to continue the loop and one to exit it Repeatable process fragments (2) 2009-summer How to use BPMN for modelling business processes

Catching errors and time-outs Process fragment as logical grouping 2009-summer How to use BPMN for modelling business processes

A pool is a container for activities carried out by a particular participant in a process Typically, a participant is a role for a human activity a service (or a process) for an automated activity Pool 2009-summer How to use BPMN for modelling business processes

Flow connector represents the sequence of activities within the same pool Message connection represents the communication between activities in separate pools Connectors 2009-summer How to use BPMN for modelling business processes

Handling of messages (1) 2009-summer How to use BPMN for modelling business processes

Handling of messages (2) 2009-summer How to use BPMN for modelling business processes

The full set of elements 2009-summer How to use BPMN for modelling business processes

Example of unstructured BPMN 2009-summer How to use BPMN for modelling business processes

Horizontal vs. vertical timeline Diagramming style in BPMN (1) How to use BPMN for modelling business processes 2009-summer Timeline

Diagramming style in BPMN (2) How to use BPMN for modelling business processes 2009-summer Participants

Recent research work led by several universities has led to the identification of about 40 workflows patterns; used for comparison of different workflow engines Visit http://www.workflowpatterns.com/ Most of them are complex Workflow patterns How to use BPMN for modelling business processes 2009-summer

Anti-pattern PRF Process Realisation Faked 2009-summer How to use BPMN for modelling business processes

With a process instance we “carry” a package with Business objects (by value and by reference) Business documents (by value and by reference) Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Audit trails Comments Local variables etc. Pattern PP Process Package How to use BPMN for modelling business processes 2009-summer

it treats human and automated activities equally it is primarily for capturing the flow of control, and not for optimisation it is a tool for both the business and the IT (maybe with coaching by a process architect/engineer) it provides validation by simulation it provides validation by quick prototyping – real services can be invoked it is a visual programming approach Principles of the modelling procedure 2009-summer How to use BPMN for modelling business processes

Its purpose is to analyse a building block (what it is supposed to do) to synthesise its implementation (how it does this) as the explicit coordination of other building blocks (processes or activities) It is iterative – we can apply it until we have left only indivisible building blocks (i.e. activities) Artefacts are constructed recursively, like Russian dolls The modelling procedure 2009-summer How to use BPMN for modelling business processes

Four phases 2009-summer How to use BPMN for modelling business processes

The purpose to analyse a building block as a whole to discover its functional characteristics and some related artefacts The method the business story behind this building block should be carefully analysed to determine some of its artefacts Recommendations at this point, don’t go into excessive detail for each artefact; this should be done later Blackboxing phase 2009-summer How to use BPMN for modelling business processes

The purpose to analyse a building block from within to determine its internal structure and its major artefacts The method determine the main functional (or logical) steps add check-points between steps classify artefacts for these steps Recommendations don’t have more than 7 steps avoid loop-back over check-points Structuring phase (1) 2009-summer How to use BPMN for modelling business processes

Steps and check points Structuring phase (2) 2009-summer How to use BPMN for modelling business processes

Steps, check points and artefacts Structuring phase (3) 2009-summer How to use BPMN for modelling business processes

The purpose to synthesize an initial version of the formal coordination: some kind of process skeleton The method add intra-step logic start formalising the business objects involved collect test scenarios Recommendations consider implementation of human activities as interactive forms Re-construction phase (1) 2009-summer How to use BPMN for modelling business processes

The diagram Re-construction phase (2) 2009-summer How to use BPMN for modelling business processes

The purpose to enrich the process skeleton by adding more automated activities The method add pools apply different practical patterns use a business rule engine if available collect test scenarios Recommendations work iteratively (step-by-step) Instrumentation phase (1) 2009-summer How to use BPMN for modelling business processes

The diagram Instrumentation phase (2) 2009-summer How to use BPMN for modelling business processes

Seamless exchange between different modelling tools Conformance levels Execution semantic promised Merging orchestration and choreography Driven by vendors BPMN 2.0 (in development) 2009-summer How to use BPMN for modelling business processes

Agreed BPM reference model Conformance for standard execution semantic BPMN-like model with different levels of detail A modelling procedure which guides people A coherent set of standards similar to W3C for HTML: xHTML for structure and content CSS for presentation DOM-based API for dynamic modifications some other specialized standards All vendors benchmark their products against an agreed test (similar to acid3.acidtests.org) Dreaming about a customer-centric BPM 2009-summer How to use BPMN for modelling business processes

Example: Apply for a position 2009-summer How to use BPMN for modelling business processes

Contact information: Alexander Samarin [email_address] www.improving-BPM-systems.com Thank you 2009-summer How to use BPMN for modelling business processes

How to use BPMN* for modelling business processes

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How to use BPMN* for modelling business processes