BPMN Element Roles and Attributes

By Tim Ackroyd on

 In our UML Operator Channel, we are publishing a series on Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN). As I move through Business Process Modeling content, I want to reiterate the purpose of some elements, their roles, and attributes relevant to each. BPMN is extended from the Unified Modeling Language (UML) and in Sparx EA, we can blend UML and BPMN to support more effective delivery. Another struggler that modelers have in "delivery", is the elicitation, development, and specification of "Requirements". We cannot solve a problem if we do not understand the problem, and problems are defined using different types of "Requirements".

Reminder: BPMN (Business Process Model and Notation) is a standard for representing business processes in a graphical notation. It uses a set of elements to define the flow of activities and the relationships between them. In this article I will BPMN and differences with UML, various requirement types.

Here's a table illustrating some BPMN elements, along with their roles and attributes:

BPMN Element Role Attributes
Start Event Marks the beginning of a process or a task. - Event Type: (e.g., None, Message, Timer)
- Trigger: (e.g., Message, Timer, Signal)
Task Represents a manual or automated task. - Task Type: (e.g., User, Service, Business Rule)
- Assignee: (User or Group responsible)
Gateway Represents a decision point in the process. - Gateway Type: (e.g., Exclusive, Inclusive)
- Condition: (Expression for decision-making)
Sequence Flow Indicates the flow of the process from one element to another. - Condition: (Expression for conditional flow)
End Event Marks the end of a process or a task. - Event Type: (e.g., None, Message, Terminate)
- Result: (Outcome of the process or task)
Sub-Process Represents a subprocess or a nested process. - Sub-Process Type: (e.g., Embedded, Call)
- Loop Characteristics: (e.g., Standard, Multi-instance)
Data Object Represents data within the process. - Data Type: (e.g., String, Integer)
- State: (e.g., Input, Output, Intermediate)
Pool and Lane Used in a collaboration diagram to represent participants. - Pool: (Represents a participant in a collaboration)
- Lane: (Part of the pool, representing a specific role or department)

The table above provides a basic overview, and there are more elements and attributes in BPMN depending on the complexity of the business process. Additionally, BPMN can be extended with custom attributes based on specific business requirements.

Understanding these roles and attributes will help you and others progress in Business Process Modeling. I am sure most know what "Start" and "End" Events are, but I find that many don't relate the "Attributes" to the Events. Another missed opportunity that many Modelers do, is around the use of Pools and Lanes.

I hope this helps. Happy Modeling! 😎

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