Business Process

Management
[BSIN 103]

GIU – Spring 2025 – Lecture 4

Business Process Modelling II:
Concepts & Design

Dr. Ayman Al-Serafi

Teaching Assistants: Ahmed Elnager & Youssef Elsawi

Business Process
Management Lifecycle
Evaluation:
Process Mining
Business Activity Monitoring

M. Weske: Business Process Management,

1

© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2007

Evaluation

Design:
Administration Business Process
Enactment: and Design & Identification and
Operation Enactment Modeling
Monitoring Stakeholders Analysis
Maintenance
3 Analysis:
Validation
Simulation
Configuration Verification

2
Configuration:
System Selection
Implementation
Test and Deployment

Fig 1.5. Business process lifecycle

BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-2
Outline
1. Business Process Modelling (recap)
2. Business Process Model and Notation
(BPMN)
3. Choreography using BPMN (Extra
Theoretical)
4. Conclusion

Q&A breaks
between sections

Urgent Qs only in
between!

BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-3

Outline
1. Business Process Modelling (recap)
2. Business Process Model and Notation
(BPMN)
3. Choreography using BPMN (Extra
Theoretical)
4. Conclusion

BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-4

BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-5
No start
and end The Order Fulfillment Process
events No conditions,
workflow splits /
What is missing? merges, and
gateways to
make
alternative
workflow paths

No data
objects and Don’t know if activities
documents! are manual or
automatic by
computers

BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-6

Outline
1. Business Process Modelling (recap)
2. Business Process Model and Notation
(BPMN)
3. Choreography using BPMN (Extra
Theoretical)
4. Conclusion

Q&A
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-7
Process Modeling Notations
 Focus on
 Information/Data Flow Diagram
 Flow Chart
 UML-activity diagram
 Petri Nets
 EPC
 BPMN  Main modelling notation for this course!

BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-8

Business Process Model and
Notation (BPMN)

 The intent of the BPMN for business process modelling is

very similar to the intent of the Unified Modeling Language
(UML) for object-oriented design and analysis.
 Became an industry standard!
 Complex notations and logic supported, we only cover the most
important basics!

 To identify the best practices of existing approaches and to

combine them into a new, widely accepted language.

BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-9

with role information Example
(BPMN)
Data Object XOR Condition
Start event gateway
(Document)
(with
message)

Activity (task) End event

Sequence flow

Parallel Condition
gateway
Swim lanes
(participants)

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BPMN Elements

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BPMN
BPMN Basic Elements
Basic Elements
 Sub-process, Activity or Task: Action that performs work

 Events:
 Signal that something happened
 Status of process
 Describes how a process starts, pauses, waits, sends signals,
redirects process flow, ends

 Gateway: Branches / controls flow of activity

 Decision / Split
 Merge / Join

 Sequence flow:
 Connects activities within a process (and events and
gateways!)
 Shows order of tasks

 Message flow:
 Shows flow of messages between participants
(Choreography)

 Association: Associates information with objects

BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-12

 BPMN Basic Elements (cont’d)
BPMN A Play Area  Pool: Graphical representation of an
organisation in a process
«Lane»

 Are not required

«Pool»

«Lane» «Lane»

 Swimlane: Sub-partition of a process

«Lane»

 Are not required

 Used to organize activities
 Usually represents roles / users in process
 Can be nested

 Data Object: Information involved in process

 Are not required
 May be required to perform an activity
 May be generated as output from an activity

BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-13

BPMN Pools and Lanes
 Used to organize processes and activities

 Pools
 Is not required
 Represents a “participant / organisation”
 “Container” for a process
 Sequence flow cannot cross boundary
 Message flows must always be between two pools
 Message flow can attach to boundary (black box)
{Message flow can also attach to BPMN element within a pool}

 Lanes
 Is not required
 Represents any “logical grouping” – usually for roles / responsibilities
 Participant / Roles
 Organization
 Title
 Specific Name
 Sequence flow crosses boundaries
 Can be nested
 Can be horizontal or vertical – tool or user preference

BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-14

Source: “Fundamentals of Business Process Management” (2013)

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Example of business process diagram
expressed in BPMN without roles

BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-16

Business process diagram
with role information

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Activities
Activities might also
Activities have an internal
characterize units structure, in which case
of work. Activities they are called
which are not subprocesses. Rather
further refined are than showing the
called atomic structure, the modeller
activities or tasks. can decide to hide the
complexity of the
subprocess, using the
plus symbol. But
subprocesses can
also be expanded,
exposing their internal
structure.

This makes the model

clearer and less
crowded

BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-18

BPMN Activity
 Activity = work performed in process
 Task = atomic: no further breakdown
 Sub-process = compound activity
 May be further broken down into any level of sub-
processes or tasks and BPMN elements
 May be shown collapsed or expanded
 Enables high level overview of process

BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-19

Collapsed and expanded
subprocess

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Activity types specify the kind of
task that is represented

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Activity Types
Icons in upper left of task box indicates task type
Different types have different inherent behavior

 Service:
 Represents a service, such as a webservice
 Performed by system / application (fully automated)
 Requires (1) data input, may have 0-1 output [message / data object]
 Receive / Send:
 Task either receives / sends message
 Can be replaced with send / receive event

 User: Workflow type activity

 Performed by person
 Usually interfaces with a system
 Scheduled through a task list manager (workflow)  BPMS
 Manual:
 Work performed without any aid of system
 Unmanaged by any system
 Not tracked / metrics not available from BPM engine
 Business rule:
 Provides input to rules engine
 Receives output / calculation results
 Script:
 Executed by BPM engine directly

BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-22

 BPMN Task Activity Markers
 Task: Smallest piece of work; Activity

 Looping task: (Do while):

 Perform activity at least once
 Evaluate / test for condition
 If condition is true, repeat task again
 Condition may be a Boolean Expression or a Numeric Cap
 Condition may be evaluated at beginning or end of task

 Multiple instance task: (For each):

 Perform activity X times, where X is known at onset of task
starting
 Task is complete when all X iterations are done
Next task does NOT begin until all iterations are done
 Instances of activity can occur in sequence or in parallel with
Parallel Sequential each other
 Each instance must complete the task before next task
begins

BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-23

Loop Types:
Loop Gateway Standard Loop Multiple Instance
Type (Do-While or Do-Until) (For Each)
Use •Repeat activities •Repeat one or more activities while •Activities will occur a fixed
without preserving the preserving the data/results of the number of times, and this
previous results activities for future reference number of times is known
•Activities always repeat •Number of occurrences is not known before the loop begins (based
sequentially (do once, prior to first instance on data object)
then maybe do again) •Activities always repeat sequentially •Activities may repeat
• Loops cross multiple (do once, then maybe do again) sequentially or in parallel
swim lanes •Exceptions regularly occur

Pros Readily understood Visual indication of repeated activity No need to specify a loop
condition
Cons • Difficult to represent •No way to determine what the loop •No way to tell how many
exceptions condition is without annotations parallel instance or serial
iterations are currently being
• Open to performed (during execution)
misinterpretation •Least intuitive

BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-24

Loop Example

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BPMN Gateways
 Do NOT perform work
 Do not affect process time

 Control sequence flow:

 Directs flow
(based on logical condition or event occurrence)
OR
 Splits flow (generates additional / alternative
paths) OR
 Merges flow together

BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-26

Gateway types in the BPMN
 Types:
 Exclusive Or: Only one path can be
followed – based on data condition
 Only one answer / condition can be true

 Parallel (aka “and”): All paths are

taken (no question is asked)
 All paths must reach end event for
process to complete

 Inclusive Or: One or more paths can

be followed
 One or more answer / condition can be
true

BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-27

Exclusive gateway with
conditions and default flow

This is the default

path to take if risk can
not be evaluated or if
it is not low or
medium!

BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-28

Exclusive gateways realizing a
loop

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Example involving the parallel
gateway

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Example of an inclusive or
gateway

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Handling Data

Notational elements regarding data

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 BPMN Prepares Solicitation

BPMN: Data Objects Input

Activity A
Ouput

For Analysis For Execution

 Visual representation of  Should be re-used
artifacts used in a process throughout the process
 Types:
 Input
 Output
 Single Data Object
 Use references to reflect
 Multiple / collection of data different states
 Examples
 Sales order from customer
[received]
 Life of data object is tied
 Sales order from customer to life of process (or sub-
[fulfilled]
 Purchase order to supplier process) in which it’s
referenced
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi

1-33
Process diagram involving
data objects

BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-34

 Modeling IT applications?
 Model as a lane if system
activities are being
documented

 Model as a custom object

/ artifact associated with
activities
 Associate user activities /
business processes with
applications

BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-35

Outline
1. Business Process Modelling (recap)
2. Business Process Model and Notation
(BPMN)
3. Choreography using BPMN (Extra
Theoretical)
4. Conclusion

Q&A
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-36
 Connecting Processes:
Choreography vs. Orchestration
 Choreography is concerned with describing the external visible
behavior of business processes, as a set of message exchanges
 Like the ballet or choreography dancers, each performer perform
independent of the other, exchanging movements or “message flows”,
while knowing their exact role and time to perform action.
 Events that happen based on triggers
 The communication messages and events with external / public
participants and other business processes

 Orchestration deals with describing how a number of activities, 2 or

more, cooperate and communicate with the aim of achieving a common
goal of value for the customer / organisation
 Like the maestro, guide the conduction of the business process and
sequences of activities in the workflow
 Activities that follow a strict sequence to serve a common business goal
 The main internal workflow in a single business process

BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-37

 Choreography Example

https://www.visual-paradigm.com/guide/bpmn/bpmn-orchestration-vs-choreography-vs-collaboration/

BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-38

BPMN Events
 Events in a business process can be partitioned into three
types, based on their position in the business process:
 Start events are used to trigger processes,
 Intermediate events can delay processes or they can be triggered
during process executions.
 End events signal the termination of processes.

 There are obvious connection rules associated with these

events. Start events have no incoming edges, end events
have no outgoing edges, and intermediate events have both
an incoming and an outgoing edge

BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-39

BPMN Events (Messages)
 Something that happens during a process
 Affect flow of process
 Have a cause and/or reaction
 Examples:
 Activity starts or ends
 Message arrives
 Change of state in document
 Placement in diagram
 Stand alone:
 Catch: wait for signal, then proceed
 Throw: send a signal, then proceed
 Boundary:
 Catch: wait for a signal
 Interrupt activity and redirect flow

BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-40

BPMN Events
 Start: Single circle: Starts the process
 Intermediate: Double circle: Occurs
during process
 End: Single bold circle: Ends the
process
BPMN Dealer Quote

• Throw / send events: Black icon Send

 Trigger is sent when token reaches event

BPMN Dealer Quote
 Token immediately moves along sequence flow
• Catch / receive events: White icon Receive

 Token stops at event and waits for trigger

 Token moves along sequence flow after trigger is
received

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Events II

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 Black-box
Throwing and catching events Process

Annotations just for

explanation purposes,
not needed!

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Business Process Example
with Timer event Here we model this as orchestration in the
same pool although we could model it as a
choreography with the client in a separate
pool!

You can also use an

event to create delay in
the process with a clock
symbol
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-44
Using markers to identify send
tasks and receive tasks

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Collaborating business processes
with public process of the Supplier

Black-box
Process

BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-46

Collaborating business processes with
public processes of both partners

White-box
Process

BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-47

Outline
1. Business Process Modelling (recap)
2. Business Process Model and Notation
(BPMN)
3. Choreography using BPMN (Extra)
4. Conclusion

Q&A
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-48
Process Modeling Guidelines
 Modeling of value-adding activities (usually not
coordinating, search or information activities)

 Separation between two activities if there is

 change of performer
 change of processed object
 change of responsibility

 Modeling of organizational structures /

participants using the swim lanes and pools

BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-49

Material
 Book
 Mathias Weske. Business Process Management: Concepts, Languages, Architectures,
Springer, The Netherlands

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 THANK YOU FOR
YOUR ATTENTION
NEXT WEEK: Business Process
Reengineering (BPR)

NEXT TUTORIAL: BPMN Lab