Business Process Modeling and

Notation (BPMN)
 Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) is a
graphical representation for specifying business
process models.
 BPMN uses a series of symbols to represent the
elements of a process
 The first challenge is to recognize each of these
symbols and interpret them in context
 The list of symbols used by the BPMN standard
is relatively longer. There are for instance more than
thirty different symbols to represent events.
Magal and Word | Integrated Business Processes with ERP Systems | © 2011
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Business Process Modeling and
Notation (BPMN)

Process flow Activity

Message flow (Work)

Start of process Exclusive process split / decision

(follow only one path)

End of process Set of tasks, for which details

Event are not important or
(May trigger the start of a process, documented elsewhere
or occur during a process)
BPMN Example
BPMN: Job roles
 Lanes are used for different job roles
 One lane for each job role
 The role name is placed at left or at the top of each
lane
 Start, end, tasks, decisions etc. are all placed within
the lanes to show who is responsible for that task,
decision, etc.
 Process flow arrows that cross lane boundaries
represent the handoff of responsibility from one role
to another
 The visual similarity to swimming pool lanes is where
the term “swim-lane flow chart” comes from
 Also called a cross-functional flow chart

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© Derick Lyle 2014-2017.
BPMN example with roles
Use BPMN to model the card sorting
process
 How many roles? Which?
 Where/how does the process start?
 Where does the process end?
 What are the decisions and process splits?
 What should we treat as a sub-process?
 Card sorting game
- Form teams of 4-5 students.
- Each team will make a BP by drawing its steps on cards.
- The BP will be moved to other team.
- Each student in the other team will pick up a step (on a card)
of the business process and put it in order (do not discuss with
other members).
- Finish the business process.
- Select a spokesperson from each team.
- Each spokesperson must present and explain team’s diagram.

Magal and Word | Integrated Business Processes with ERP Systems | © 2011
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Discussion
 What would be different if you were allowed to put cards on
the table?
 Idle/wait states?
 Batch processing?
 What are problems during the game?