Introduction to BPMN

 BPMN – Business Process Model and Notation

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 An OMG (Object Management Group) specification for

producing models that business analysts can use to develop
processes, that technical people can use for implementation
and that business users can use to manage and oversee
 BPMN can bridge the gap between business process design
and process implementation.
 BPMN is a flowcharting notation that can depict the
simplest to the most complex of process modelling
situations
 Specification versions: BPMN 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 2.0
 We will be using version 2.0
 BPMN 2.0 resources are on BBLearn
Slide 1
 A business process in simple
terms….
 A sequence of logically interrelated
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tasks performed to achieve a specific

business outcome
 E.g.
 Creating a new bank account
 Processing an insurance claim
 Providing customer service
 Lending books in a library

Slide 2
 BPMN Basic Notation
Symbol What it represents What it means
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Activity An activity is a task and

represents some unit of work
performed within a process.

Flow An event is something that

Event Objects happens during the course of a
process. Events usually have a
trigger or a result.

Gateway A gateway controls the flow of a

process, i.e. helps determine
which path to take in a process.
Gateways can split or merge the
flow of a process.

Sequence A connector links two objects in a

Connector diagram. At the basic level a
Flow connector represents a sequence
flow.
Slide 3
 A simple process
Process credit card application
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Receive
Credit Issue Credit
Application Do Credit Check YES
Check OK? Card
Form

NO

Refuse Credit
Card

This is the start These are This is an end

event. It is just activities/tasks in event, it
the process – The gateway terminates the
where the process The connectors are
usually named with illustrates a decision process
begins/starts. No sequence flows, i.e.,
a verb then noun. point where one of
special trigger has they tell us how the two paths can be
been used here. process proceeds followed.
from task to task.

Slide 4
 An alternative representation
Process credit card application
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Issue Credit
YES
Card

Receive
Credit
Application Do Credit Check
Check OK?
Form

Refuse Credit
NO
Card

If using multiple end points, as in this diagram, each

path through the diagram must be logically correct.

It may be better practice to use one termination event

if in doubt.
Slide 5
 From the scenario to the diagram
 Scenario – Mark coursework
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submission
 This process begins when the coursework is
received by the lecturer, is read, evaluated
against the marking scheme and comments
entered in a spreadsheet. If the comments
made against the marking scheme represent
a failure, the student receives a failing grade,
otherwise the student receives a passing
grade.

Slide 6
 Extracting the tasks
 Scenario – Mark coursework submission
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 This process begins when the coursework is received by

the lecturer, is read, evaluated against the marking
scheme and comments entered in a spreadsheet. If the
comments made against the marking scheme represent a
failure, the student receives a failing grade, otherwise the
student receives a passing grade.

 The tasks can be identified as:

 Receive Coursework, Read Coursework,
Evaluate Coursework, Enter Comments, Mark
Coursework as Failed, Mark Coursework as
Passed
Slide 7
 Identifying the decision points
 Scenario – Mark coursework submission
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 This process begins when the coursework is received by

the lecturer, is read, evaluated against the marking
scheme and comments entered in a spreadsheet. If the
comments made against the marking scheme represent a
failure, the student receives a failing grade, otherwise the
student receives a passing grade.

 The decision point occurs when the lecturer checks

to see if the comments amount to a failure of the task
or a pass:
 Decision: check comments
 Paths: Fail/Pass
Slide 8
 Start, End and Flow
 Scenario – Mark coursework submission
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 This process begins when the coursework is received by

the lecturer, is read, evaluated against the marking
scheme and comments entered in a spreadsheet. If the
comments made against the marking scheme represent a
failure, the student receives a failing grade, otherwise the
student receives a passing grade.

 There is no special trigger for the start of this

process and the process ends when the marking is
complete

Slide 9
 Draw the resulting BPMN diagram
 Steps:
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 Download and store a copy of a BPMN 2.0 stencil

 Best place to store it is in My Documents  My Shapes
 Open MS VISIO
 Select “FileNew”
 Choose Blank Drawing
 Open the BPMN 2.0 Stencil either from My Shapes or from the
“Open Stencil” option under More Shapes

Mark Coursework Submission

Mark
Receive Read Evaluate Enter Check
PASS Coursework as
Coursework Coursework Coursework Comments Comments
Passed

FAIL

Mark
Coursework as
Failed

Slide 10
 Another example
 Scenario – Eat out at a Restaurant
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 This process begins when the customer receives

the restaurant menu, consults the food list,

consults the drink list, orders food and drink,
consumes them, then requests the bills, pays for
the bill and leaves.
 As for the previous scenario
 Extract the tasks, decision points, start and end
events and flows and draw the diagram.
 Compare your result with the example solution
given.
 DO NOT LOOK AT THE RESULT BEFOREHAND
Slide 11
 A possible solution….
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Eat Out at a Restaurant

Order Food Consume Food

Consult Food Consult Wine Leave

Receive Menu Request Bill Pay For Bill
List List Restaurant

Order Wine Consume Wine

These activities are

happening in
parallel, therefore
there is a split and
then a merge.

Compare this solution with yours and discuss points

of difference.
Slide 12
 Task 1 Notes
 To create an organisational chart in MS
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Visio do the following steps:

 Go to FileNew
 Choose the template category “Business”
 Choose Organization Chart
 Use the stencils to produce the diagram

Slide 13
 Task 2 Notes
 Steps:
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 Read and understand the scenario

 Extract the tasks, decision points, start and
end events and flows
 Draw the diagram
 Read the diagram and see whether it
matches the original scenario

Slide 14