BPMN Meets DMN:

Business Process and Decision Modeling

Week 1:
Introduction to Business Process Management

An openHPI Course

Prof. Dr. Mathias Weske

Hasso Plattner Institute at the University of Potsdam

Business Process Technology
 Week 1
Introduction to
Business Process and Decision Modeling
• 1.1 Defining Business Processes
• 1.2 On Modeling
• 1.3 Business Process Models
• 1.4 Interacting Business Processes
• 1.5 Models and Instances
• 1.6 Levels of Process Models
• 1.7 Business Process Lifecycle

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1-2
 Video Clip 1.1
Defining Business Processes

BPMN Meets DMN: Business Process and Decision Modeling:

An openHPI Course by Mathias Weske
 Business Processes are Everywhere
• We are all involved in business processes

• As clients, we trigger business processes

- Submitting an insurance claim
- Applying for a permit to build a house
- Applying for a credit to finance property

• As professionals, we participate in business processes

- Check whether the theft of a bike is covered by the insurance
contract of the applicant
- Check if the local requirements for building the house are met
- Assess the risk of granting the credit

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1-4
 We try to be visual …
• … and represent participants and the flow of messages

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1-5
 Role of Business Processes

• Companies and public administrations provide services

and products to their clients by enacting business
processes

• Business processes are at the core of organizations and

an important success factor

• People are the key to business processes

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1-6
 Roles involved in Process Management
• Process participants
- Domain experts in, e.g., insurance, public administration, finance

• Process owners
- Domain experts, management position, business background

• Business Process Management consultants

- Process experts, with business background or IT background

• Software architects and developers

- IT experts, often computer scientists

• These people use a different technical terminology, they

speak “different languages”

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1-7
 Need for a Common Understanding
• Common understanding requires a common language

Process Process
monitoring documentation
Business process
models
Process Process
automation improvement

• This is why process modeling is at the core of this course!

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1-8
 Business Process
• A business process consists of a set of activities that are
performed in coordination in an organizational and
technical environment.
• These activities jointly realize a business goal.

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1-9
 Interacting Business Process
• Each business process is enacted by a single
organization, but it may interact with business processes
performed by other organizations.

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 10
 Business Process Management (BPM)
• Business process management includes concepts,
methods, and techniques to support the design,
administration, configuration, enactment, and analysis of
business processes.

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 11
 What Business Processes Describe
• Business processes describe the execution ordering of
activities and the interaction with partners.
• They do not describe the implementation of activities and
interactions, nor the way the coordination is achieved.

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 12
 BPM System
• A business process management system (BPMS) is a
generic software system that is driven by explicit process
representations to coordinate the enactment of business
processes.
• Coordination can be achieved in a flexible way by a BPMS.

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 13
 Process Orchestration
• A business process management system acts as a
central agent that controls the execution of process
activities.
- Ensures coordination of activities as defined by the process model
- Similar to a conductor centrally controlling the musicians in an
orchestra

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 14
 Video Clip 1.1
Defining Business Processes
• Business processes

• Interacting business processes

• Business process management

• Business process management system

• Process orchestration

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 15
 Video Clip 1.2
On Modeling

BPMN Meets DMN: Business Process and Decision Modeling:

An openHPI Course by Mathias Weske
 Modeling Basics
• Modeling is a human way of coping with complexity
- A model is an abstract representation of an original
- and has a modeling goal

[Glinz 2005]

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 17
 Properties of Models [Stachowiak 1973]
• Mapping feature
- Models are associated with originals, which might or might not
exist, and originals are mapped to models during the creative act
of modeling („Abbildungsmerkmal“)

• Abstraction feature
- Models are abstract representations of originals; models disregard
properties that are not considered relevant for the modeling goal
by the modelers („Verkürzungsmerkmal“)

• Pragmatic feature
- Models can replace originals for the modeling goal
(„pragmatisches Merkmal“)

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 18
 Descriptive Models
• Descriptive models describe an existing original

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 19
 Prescriptive Models
• Prescriptive models prescribe how to build an original

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 20
 Is a model descriptive or prescriptive?

• Descriptive or prescriptive
- Cannot be told from the model itself
- Can be told from the modeling goal
- During the design of a system, models typically first have a
prescriptive, later a descriptive character
Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 21
 Modeling in Computer Science
• Models play a key role in the design of systems,
especially IT systems
• Different types of
models have been
developed
• UML
Use Case
Diagrams, …

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 22
 Modeling in Computer Science
• … Data Models …

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 23
 Modeling in Computer Science
• … Architecture Models …

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 24
 Modeling in Computer Science
• … and Process Models!

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 25
 Video Clip 1.2
On Modeling
• Modeling basics

• Properties of models
- Mapping feature
- Abstraction feature
- Pragmatic feature

• Descriptive models and prescriptive models

• Modeling in Computer Science

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 26
 Video Clip 1.3
Business Process Models

BPMN Meets DMN: Business Process and Decision Modeling:

An openHPI Course by Mathias Weske
 Business Process Models
• A business process model is an abstract representation of
a business process, serving a modeling goal.

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 28
 Business Process Models
• Mapping feature
- In process modeling, we map relevant aspects of business
processes to process models
- For instance, events, activities, ordering, and decisions

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 29
 Modeling Theory and Process Models
• Abstraction feature
- Each business process model abstracts from aspects that are not
relevant for the modeling goal
- Space is precious: Each process model should only have
elements that are relevant for the particular modeling goal

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 30
 Modeling Theory and Process Models
• Pragmatic feature
- Each business process
model can replace
the business process
for the modeling goal

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 31
 Descriptive or Prescriptive?
• Process models can have a descriptive character or a
prescriptive character

• Descriptive character
- Process documentation and process monitoring

• Prescriptive character
- Process improvement and process automation
Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 32
 Process Models answer Questions
The goal of business process models is answering questions

• Which activities constitute the business process?

• Which decisions can be taken?
• Which event starts the process?
• What is the ordering of events, decisions, and activities?
• Which are the possible outcomes of the process?
Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 33
 Process Models answer Questions

• Who is responsible for conducing which activities?

• Where are the handovers of work in the process?
• Who takes which decisions in the process?
• Which errors can occur, and how do we react to them?
Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 34
 Process Models: Simple or Complex?
• A process model should be designed so that it can
answer exactly the questions it is meant to answer
- Simple and well readable process models might suffice
- But some process models need to answer complex questions, for
instance, regarding detailed working procedures

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 35
 Process Models: Simple or Complex?
• Process models should always be understandable,
so there is a limit to process model complexity

• BPMN provides means to handle complexity, for instance

decomposition (discussed later in this course)
Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 36
 Video Clip 1.3
Business Process Models
• Defining business process models

• Mapping feature

• Abstraction feature

• Pragmatic feature

• Can be descriptive or prescriptive

• Process models answer questions

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 37
 Video Clip 1.4
Interacting Business Processes

BPMN Meets DMN: Business Process and Decision Modeling:

An openHPI Course by Mathias Weske
 Interacting Business Processes
• In the definition, we saw that a business process can
interact with other business processes
• Example: Order fulfillment by a reseller
- To focus on the interaction, almost only send and receive
activities are shown

Order
received

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 39
 Interacting Business Processes
• The buyer also runs a corresponding business process
- For placing the order, receiving the products, etc.
- The buyer process interacts with the reseller process

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 40
 Interacting Business Processes

Order
received

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 41
 Interacting Business Processes
• Interaction between business processes
- Performed by sending and receiving messages
- No common data store assumed
- These assumptions
match
reality
quite well

Order
received

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 42
 Interacting Business Processes
• These assumptions also fit nicely with the insurance claim
example

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 43
 Interacting Business Processes
• Interacting business processes are specified by process
choreographies; can be defined by
- Connecting send and receive activities of different business
processes

• Process choreography
- The term choreography indicates the absence of a central agent
that controls the activities in the business processes involved. The
interaction is only achieved by sending and receiving messages.

- This situation is similar to dancers who need to agree on a

common choreography before the performance commences.
During the performance, however, each dancer behaves
autonomously but in line with his or her part in the choreography.

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 44
 New Reseller: Reseller-A

Order
received

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 45
 Interaction with Reseller-A
• Observation
- Reseller-A sends
the products only
after receiving the
payment
- Still, the interaction
between the
business processes
is correct

Order
received

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 46
 Interaction with new Buyer
• Assume there is a new Buyer-A
- Buyer-A sends the funds only after receiving the products
Buyer-A

Place Receive Receive Send

Order Invoice Products Funds
Reseller-A

Check Send Receive Send

Order Invoice Funds Products
Order
Received

- As a result, the interaction between the business processes is

incorrect
- We study process choreographies in more detail in Week 6

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 47
 Video Clip 1.4
Interacting Business Processes

• Processes interact by messages

• Definition of process choreographies

• Processes may need to wait for messages

• Incorrect interactions may lead to infinite waiting

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 48
 Video Clip 1.5
Models and Instances

BPMN Meets DMN: Business Process and Decision Modeling:

An openHPI Course by Mathias Weske
 Models and Instances
• Each business process model acts as a blue print for a
set of business process instances
- The abstraction feature includes classification
- The whole class of process instances is represented by the
process model

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 50
 Models and Instances
• A business process instance represents a concrete case
in the operational business of a company.
- Claim (142, Weber, 7671, Sept 18, 2013, „Road bike“, € 1590)
- Claim (143, Petersen, 7479, Sept 19, 2013, „MTB“, € 1490)
- Claim (144, Lose, 7963, Sept 19, 2013, „MTB“, € 1890)

• Each process model has any number of instances

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 51
 Process Instances
• As clients, we trigger business process instances

• Notice
- There is no visual representation of process instances
- (We come back to this point when talking about process simulation)
Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 52
 Terminology is important
• We need to be careful when using the term „process“
- Do we mean a process model or a process instance?

- Do you have a process for procuring material?

- Did the hiring process already start?

• Strictly speaking
- There is not such thing as a process, it is either a process model
or a process instance!
Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 53
 Video Clip 1.5
Models and Instances

• Process models as blueprints

• Process instances represent concrete cases

• One-to-many-relationship

• “Do you mean process model or process instance?”

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 54
 Video Clip 1.6
Levels of Process Models

BPMN Meets DMN: Business Process and Decision Modeling:

An openHPI Course by Mathias Weske
 Levels of Business Processes
• Organizational business processes
- Represent coarse grained entities that
cover the main activities of an
organization

• Operational business processes

- Cover process activities and their
logical ordering from a business
perspective

• Implemented business processes

- Add execution information of
processes, including organizational and
technical aspects

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 56
 Organizational Business Processes
• Are defined in textual form
- Input and output
Process Name: Responsible Process
- Persons responsible Product Development Manager: Dr. Myers
Process
- Supplier/customer relationships
with other organizational Process Inputs: Supplier Processes:
business processes
Product specification, Product Planning
- Each organization has about a Budget Plan, Process,
Prototypes Innovation Process
dozen organizational business
processes Process Results: Customer Processes:

• Remark Integrated and

completely tested
Order Management
Process
innovative product
- Relationships of organizational
business process are captured
by process landscapes

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 57
 Sample Process Landscape

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 58
 Operational Business Processes
• Are defined by process models, focusing on
business aspects rather than technical
aspects
- Activities and their logical ordering
- Organizational aspects
- Decision points and responsibilities
- Main data objects involved
• Use of graphical process modeling
languages, for instance BPMN

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 59
 Implemented Business Processes
• Can be defined by process models, enriched
with technical and organizational information
- Software systems and services are used to
implement process activities
- Details organizational aspects of the process
implementation, including responsibilities and
access rights of process participants
- Details operational business processes, but can
also differ in structure from them
- (implemented processes not covered in this course)

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 60
 Video Clip 1.6
Levels of Business Processes

• Organizational business processes

• Process landscapes

• Operational business processes

• Implemented business processes

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 61
 Video Clip 1.7
Business Process Lifecycle

BPMN Meets DMN: Business Process and Decision Modeling:

An openHPI Course by Mathias Weske
 Business Process Lifecycle
• Idea
- Business processes traverse different phases
- Each phase focuses on specific aspects and produces artifacts
that are used for the succeeding phase
- An iterative repetition of the phases leads to continued
improvement of the business process

• In practice there are many variants of BP lifecycles

• We have already seen a simple BP lifecycle
- That uses well-known
terms and was used
to motivate process
models

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 63
 The Business Process Lifecycle
• Academia mostly uses this lifecycle

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 64
 Design and Analysis
• Design
- Identification and elicitation of business processes
- Explicit documentation with business process models
- Performance metrics might be designed as well

• Analysis
- Validation of models using reviews, discussions, and simulation
- Verification of formal properties, e.g., the absence of behavioral
anomalies

• Artifact produced
- Operational
business process
models and
process
landscapes
Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 65
 Configuration
• Organizational aspects
- Performance metrics are implemented
- Sometimes requires renovation of organizational structures
- Assignment of responsibilities, change management

• Configuration of software systems

- Configuration of business process management systems
- Enrichment of process models with technical aspects
- Integration of applications, data and services, coding

• Artifact
- Implemented
business
process model

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 66
 Enactment
• Runtime of business processes
- Process instances are performed and execution data is collected

• Monitoring
- Observe progress of process instance(s)
- Identify exceptions and deviations
- Provides information about
conducted tasks, execution time,
and resources involved

• Maintenance
- Make sure the process
runs in presence of
system modifications

• Artifact
- Execution data
Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 67
 Evaluation
• Identification of weaknesses, potentials for improvement
- Using execution data
- Comparison with performance indicators
- Process mining techniques used

• Artifacts are used as input

for succeeding phases to
- improve the
business process model
(design & analysis) and
- improve the
process implementation
(configuration phase)

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 68
 Video Clip 1.7
Business Process Lifecycle
• Design and Analysis
• Configuration
• Enactment
• Evaluation

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 69
 Summary of Week 1
• Defining
- Business Processes
- Business Process Orchestrations, and
- Business Process Choreographies

• Introduction to Modeling, and Process Models

• Interacting Business Processes
• Process Models and Process Instances
• Process Landscapes
• Business Process Lifecycle

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 70
 Course Outline
Week 1: Introduction to Business Process Management (✔)
Week 2: Basic Business Process Modeling
Week 3: Analyzing Business Process Behavior
Week 4: Advanced Business Process Modeling
Week 5: Data in Process Models
Week 6: Business Decision Modeling
Week 7: Final Examination

Mathias Weske – openHPI course on Business Process and Decision Modeling – 2016 1 - 71