Process Mapping

Why Process Map

Types of Process Maps
Why Standard Notation
Approaches to modeling
What is on a process map?
• Activities
• Decisions The modeler makes decisions about the purpose of the model
• Dependencies The interpretation of the model is always up to the reader
• Milestones
• Errors
• Performers All models need to contain a certain amount of rigor to be
meaningful
• Systems / Tools
BPMN is capable of representing many different levels of details and
• Inputs / outputs different sorts of diagrams for different purposes
• Metrics
BPMN (Pools and Lanes)
 Pools
• Pools represent the process participants (i.e. they answer the WHO
question, while process steps answer the WHAT).
• They are rectangles with a label (and dividing line).

Pools can be organizations or units – it depends on your perspective.

And this lack of clear rule is first source of problems for BPMN modelers.
However in practice you can overcome this by remembering that
participant has full control over the process inside a pool. Generally
speaking it means that usually you will have one pool representing your
whole organization (assuming there is some end-to-end handling of a
process…) and other pools will represent other participants such as
your customers, partners etc.

You do not need to draw a pool for the main process participant. It is
treated as implicit. In practice it is helpful if you are creating a very
simple diagram or do not worry about using lanes to show
responsibilities (because your tool supports).
 Pool
• Represents a participant in the process:
• Business Entity: company or department
• Business Role: seller or buyer

• ... Or represents a business process:

• Complaint handling, or order process.

• Well defined semantics in BPMN:

• The pool is a container for the sequence flow between activities.
• Sequence flow is not allowed to cross the boundary of a pool.
 Lanes
To show that certain units/roles are responsible for performing specific
process steps you can divide the process with lanes (rectangles within a
pool).

Sometimes it may make sense to have more pools, where each of the pools shows part of the end-to-end process (e.g. parts done in
HR, IT etc). This approach is pretty common in cases where you do not care very much about seeing the process as a whole and want to
be able to present process parts to the different user groups (e.g. your colleagues from IT may not be very interested about details of
work done by HR in the new employee onboarding process). It may also make sense if you want to automate only some parts of the
whole process – in this case one pool could cover elements done by the BPMS engine.
 Pools and Lanes
• Pools may be subdivided into Lanes:
• Business Units: Departments
• Business Role: Buyer, Seler.

• Can be nested:
• Company-Department-Roles
• Lane set applies to a specific process level
What is the difference between process flow
within a pool and communication between pools?
Collaboration
Let’s assume you identified all the process participants and created
pools and lanes as needed. How should you show the flow of your
process?
To connect elements of the process (events, tasks, sub-processes, gateways)
you need to use sequence flows – arrows with solid line and filled arrowhead:

Please remember that each pool needs to be either empty (it is so called black box pool serving as placeholder to show that we have a
participant but do not need to document details of her process) or complete.

In practice it means that you cannot have interrupted process flows in a pool or processes that do not start and end properly.

Just like you cannot swim outside your swimming pool, you cannot have sequence flow that traverses pool boundary (however you can
dive to change lane within a pool).
To represent details of collaboration (i.e. how do they exchange messages) between participants
you should use Message Flows. Those are arrows drawn with dashed line.

Message Flows are only allowed between the pools. You cannot have message flow inside a pool.
 Ex 1
This process starts whenever a purchase order has been received from a
customer.
If the product requested is not in stock, the customer receives a messages
about the problem.
If the product is in stock, it is retrieved from the warehouse before
confirming the order.
Next, the shipment address is received so that the product can be shipped
to the customer. Afterwards, the invoice is emitted and once the payment is
received the order is archived, thus completing the process.
 Ex 2
This process starts whenever a purchase order has been received from a
customer.
If the product requested is not in stock, it needs to be manufactured before the
order handling can continue.
To manufacture a product, the required raw materials have to be ordered.
Once the raw materials are available, the product can be manufactured and the
order can be confirmed.
On the other hand, if the product is in stock, it is retrieved from the warehouse
before confirming the order.
Next, the shipment address is received so that the product can be shipped to the
customer. Afterwards, the invoice is emitted and once the payment is received the
order is archived, thus completing the process.
Ex 3
The order fulfillment process is carried out by a seller’s organization which
includes two departments: the sales department and the warehouse &
distribution department. The purchase order received by warehouse &
distribution is checked against the stock. This operation is carried out
automatically by the ERP system of warehouse & distribution, which queries
the warehouse database. If the product is in stock, it is retrieved from the
warehouse before sales confirm the order. Next sales emit an invoice and
wait for the payment, while the product is shipped from within warehouse &
distribution. The process completes with the order archival in the sales
department. If the product is not in stock, the ERP system within warehouse
& distribution checks the raw materials availability by accessing the suppliers
catalog. Once the raw materials have been obtained the warehouse &
distribution department takes care of manufacturing the product. The
process completes with the purchase order being confirmed and archived by
the sales department.