BPMN notation, the most used for modeling processes

Is BPMN 2.0 notation a mystery to you?

In a few minutes, it won't be anymore!

In this post, we will present everything you need to know about Business Process Model and Notation, how to use it in BPMN process mapping, as well as introduce a series of BPMN 2.0 symbols with their meanings and even practical examples of use.

Check it out!

BPMN 2.0 Notation – Secrets Revealed!

The BPMN 2.0 notation is the latest in notations for schematizing and visually communicating in the context of BPM.

This notation was created and improved by the Business Process Management Initiative, which later merged with the Object Management Group, an international open and non-profit association founded in 1989.

The BPMN 2.0 notation was developed with the specific goal of creating a standard, a common language for business process modeling.

Thus, when drawing a process diagram, it will be possible to use universal symbols that will be understood by various professionals who have access to this international notation standard.

Also, process modeling is a key step in BPM, and it can be used to describe the process as it is and also to design the optimized version.

In conclusion, the BPMN notation specifies the business process in a diagram that is easy to read for both technical users and business users. BPMN diagramming is intuitive and allows the representation of complex process details. The BPMN symbolism serves as a standard language, bridging the communication gap between process modeling and its execution. For this reason, it is considered today the lingua franca for communication in the business world.

How is BPMN notation performed?

What the BPMN language does is represent each action with a symbol. Let's take as an example a travel agency that receives a request from a potential client.

The travel planning process starts with this request and goes through hotel quotes, airline tickets, car rentals, and tourist tours. Then, everything is gathered and consolidated, ending with the proposal being sent to the client.

If accepted, a new process begins, the sales process. Each of these steps and the relationship between them is represented in the BPMN diagram by a symbol, making the process a standard within the company and understandable by everyone.

We can identify four types of BPMN 2.0 symbols related to elements that represent the behavior of the process:

• Flow objects
• Connection objects
• Swim lanes
• Artifacts

Flow objects are divided into three types:

• Activities – the work that is performed, something that is done (for example, the hotel quote), symbolized by squares.
• Events – occurrences, something that happens (for example, the start of the process, the plan request), symbolized by circles.
• Gateways – deviations points that will determine the path the process will follow (for example, the decision to consolidate information), symbolized by diamonds.

About swim lanes, there are two types to analyze:

• Pools – represent processes and participants in the process.
• Lanes – each pool has several lanes, which symbolize roles, areas, and responsibilities in the process.

Connection objects:

Flow objects are a BPMN symbology that needs to connect with each other in some way, and this is done through connection objects.

• Sequence flow – shows the order in which activities are performed and is symbolized by a solid line and an arrowhead.
• Message flow – indicates which messages flow between two processes/pools and is represented by a dashed line, an open circle, and an open arrowhead at the end.
• Association – connects artifacts to flow objects and is symbolized by a dashed line.

Artifacts:

Artifacts are used to add visual documentation to the diagram. One of the main elements of BPMN is data objects, which describe how data can be manipulated. They can be output, input, data store, and data object.

Did all this information about BPMN 2.0 notation become a bit difficult to visualize for you?

Don't worry! We have selected the main BPMN 2.0 symbols for you to be fully informed on the subject!

Main symbols used in BPMN 2.0 notation

It would be extremely long to present all the BPMN 2.0 icons and symbols. Therefore, we will present only a few of them, divided into 4 main types that are applied in BPMN process design:

1- Connectors

They connect different elements in a BPMN flow.

Sequence flow of activities:

Message flow:

Association of artifacts and flow elements:

2- Activities

These are the tasks that must be performed. They can be detailed with small BPMN symbols in the upper left corner of the rectangle that represents them.

See some examples:

Simple task: A task represents work performed in the process. It can have an associated form for data entry.

Manual task: Represents a task performed by a person who does not use a workflow system. Example: Serving coffee.

User task: Represents work performed by a user of a system connected to the workflow engine. Example: Registering an employee.

Service task: Executes a web service and is used to implement integrations with information systems.

Message sending task: Sends a message to another pool or process and automatically advances to the next task, which is usually a receiving task or an intermediate message capture event.

Message receiving task: Waits for a message from another pool or process. It is usually positioned after a message sending task or intermediate message launch event.

Script task: Executes a sequence of commands using the process engine itself. It can be used, for example, to run a Powershell script.

Business rule task: Triggers a business rule that returns a value for comparison. It can be performed through a web service call.

Call Activity: is a specialized type of activity that references another process or a global task, effectively "calling" it within the main process.

Subprocess: It represents a sequence of activities that are grouped together to achieve a specific outcome, allowing for modular design and reuse in process modeling.

These were just some examples of the most used task types that are included in the best BPMN tools. Some variations may exist or even be developed over time. Therefore, it is essential to always stay updated.

3- Events

For all types of events, as a rule, a thin outline line means start (green color can also be used), a double line shows an intermediate event (blue color can be used), and a thick line indicates a final event (red color can be used), with some exceptions where it would not make sense to have a final event of this type.

It is important to remember that depending on the event, different consequences will occur both at the beginning, in the intermediate phase, or at the end of the process, according to BPMN 2.0 notation.

As an example, let's look at the events related to process initiation:

Simple start: it is usually used to represent the manual start of a process.

Timer: the process is started by a time condition.

Conditional: a logical condition determines the start of the event.

Signal: it initiates a process upon receiving a broadcast message from any other process.

Multiple: one of many possible events starts the process.

Parallel multiple: multiple events must occur to start the process.

Message: it starts the process after receiving a message from other process or pool.

Many of the triggers (icons) of initiating events can also be found in intermediate events, which serve to model the events that occur during the execution of the process. See some examples of intermediate events according to BPMN 2.0 notation:

Intermediate (generic): this event does not have a defined action but represents some state change in the process in the modeling.

Message: it can be used for message exchange between two pools. In HEFLO's automation implementation, it is also used for sending and receiving emails, web service calls, and other functions available via connectors.

Timer: it can be used as a boundary event on a task to define exception flows. It is also used to establish a flow constraint (e.g., "Wait 1 day").

Link: it is used to graphically represent a continuation of a sequence flow. The event that initiates the "go to" must be of the "launch" type, and the link event that receives the redirection must be of the "capture" type.

Signal: it can be used to broadcast a signal or to listen to a broadcast in a signal of a boundary event. Signals are a form of decoupled communication between business processes.

Conditional: Like the intermediate timer event, it can be used as a boundary event (contained in a task) to modify the normal flow or outside tasks to represent a constraint.

Parallel: similar to conditional and timer events, but with the possibility of containing several intermediaries, where all contained items must be met for the parallel to be triggered.

Multiple: similar to parallel, but triggers the event when only one of the contained intermediaries is met.

We could not fail to include the symbol that indicates a final event. Like the previous ones, it can include many of the triggers seen earlier:

End (generic): it is a simple marking of the end of the process and ends the flow "token." It is worth remembering that a process can contain 1 or more "tokens," which are parallel paths.

Multiple: it is formed by several other finishers, which are all executed at the end of the process.

Message: at the end of the process, it performs a message launch, which can be used for message exchange between two pools.

Escalation: at the end of the process, it sends an escalation message so that capture events (escalation initiator or intermediate escalation capture) initiate complementary flows.

Signal: it sends a signal broadcast so that other processes start flows through signal initiators or intermediate signal capture events.

Error: it ends the process and sends an error signal for handling by an error subprocess.

Termination: it ends the process by closing all active "tokens." This element is important if there are parallel paths in your process.

Compensation: it ends the process or "token" and initiates the compensation handling flow, which is used to undo actions previously performed in the process.

4- Gateways

Exclusive: the flow follows only one of the outgoing flows. It can be used to represent a deviation in the flow.

Parallel: the flow splits into others that occur in parallel.

Inclusive: the flow follows an inclusive condition, that is, for each outgoing sequence flow, a formula is evaluated, and if the value is true, then the path is activated. This type usually requires the addition of a second inclusive gateway to represent synchronization. We talk about this in our BPMN modeling course.

Complex: it controls complex conditions of divergence and also convergence.

Intermediate exclusive event-based: it is always used to split the flow by starting a process due to the exclusive occurrence of one of multiple events. It is widely used to receive a message from another pool.

Initial exclusive event-based: it is always used to split the flow by starting a process due to the exclusive occurrence of one of multiple events.

Initial parallel: it is used to start a process from multiple events. In this case, all events must occur for the process instance to be generated.

If you're eager to deepen your understanding of business process modeling and see BPMN in action, we invite you to watch our comprehensive video class on BPMN. This video dives into the practical side of modeling, showing how each BPMN element can be applied to real-world scenarios. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your skills, this class will help you bridge theory with practice, making it easier to create clear and efficient process diagrams. Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your BPMN expertise and bring added value to your process management projects!