Appendix A_ Glossary of BPMN Terms
Diagram Object | Description |
|---|---|
Process | A flow of Activities that perform work. In BPMN, a Process is depicted with a set of Flow Objects (Activities, Events, Gateways), which are connected by Sequence Flow. |
Participant | A business entity (e.g., a company, company division, or a customer) or a business role (e.g., a buyer or a seller) that controls or is responsible for a business process as part of a Collaboration between the Participants (Pools) in a Process. |
Pool | Pools are graphical representations of Participants. They partition a Process from other Pools/Participants. A Pool is not required to contain a Process. The Pool should be named for the Participant it represents or the Process it contains. |
Lane | Lanes represent resources such as internal roles (e.g., Manager, Associate), or organizations (e.g., shipping, finance). |
Activity | This is work that an organization performs. Activities include Tasks and Sub-Processes (defined below). There is not an "Activity" shape, there is a "Task" shape. |
Sequence Flow | Shows the order that Activities are performed by the Process.
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Message Flow | Shows communication between Participants (Pools, e.g. from the Process to a customer) and are recommended, though optional. Message flows cannot connect objects that are within the same Pool. |
Association | Connects text artifacts to other diagram objects. If Association flow (with an arrowhead), connects Artifacts together with Activities. |
Generic Task | Denotes where work is performed by the process. |
User Task | Task type: Denotes a task performed by a human with the aid of software. |
Automated Task | Denotes a task that is performed without a human. |
Collapsed Sub-Process | Denotes a process that is represented as a single activity, that has more detail that is not visible in the diagram. Clicking the plus sign opens the additional detail (opens a separate diagram, vs. expanding in the same diagram). |
Embedded Sub-Process | Denotes a Sub-Process where the Sub-Process tasks are shown directly inside the activity; the equivalent of an expanded sub-process. |
Call Activity Collapsed Sub-Process | An activity that represents a call to a globally-reusable Process. The shape may link to another diagram within the repository using the Diagramming Properties dialog. |
Exclusive Gateway | Controls where the token (or case) flows next; only 1 path on inputs or outputs is used (an 'OR' condition): Divergence: Represents a decision where the flow can take only one of the paths. The default behavior in the built-in shape library is a Yes/No decision. |
Parallel Gateway | Controls where the token (or case) flows next; all paths on inputs or outputs is used (an 'AND' condition): Divergence: Used to create parallel process flow. |
Inclusive Gateway | Controls where the token (or case) flows next; one or more paths are used; commonly a more complex ‘decision’ or synchronization of parallel paths in the process (an ‘AND/OR’ condition): Divergence: Used to take one or more paths; may take a single path, or may create parallel process flow. |
Event-Based Gateway | Controls where the token (or case) flows next; will delay the 'decision' until a downstream Event is triggered. Like an Exclusive Gateway, only 1 path on inputs or outputs is used (an 'OR' condition): Divergence: Represents a decision where the flow can take only one of the paths. The token will flow to the first available (triggered) Event that has a sequence flow line from the Gateway to the Event. |
Generic Event | By default, this Event is added to the diagram without a specific behavior. In the BPMN terminology, this shape is equivalent to the "None" Event. |
Start Event | Denotes the beginning of a process. It's good practice to begin and finish a flow with Start and End Events. To be BPMN compliant, if a Start shape is used then an End shape must also be used. The dimension (start / intermediate / end) of an Event is automatically chosen by the diagram based on the lines drawn to or from it. |
End Event | Denotes the end of a process. It is automatically drawn with a thick border. The dimension (start / intermediate / end) of an Event is automatically chosen by the diagram based on the lines drawn to or from it. |
Timer Event | Denotes waiting time in a process flow. Tokens (cases) will collect waiting for the designated time or duration. The dimension (start / intermediate / end) of an Event is automatically chosen by the diagram based on the lines drawn to or from it. |
Message Send | Within a flow, this shape denotes an event that sends a message to another Participant (Pool). At the end of a flow, the shape denotes where the process sends a message to another process. The dimension (start / intermediate / end) of an Event is automatically chosen by the diagram based on the lines drawn to or from it. |
Message Receive | Can start a process when a message is received from another Participant (e.g. via message from another Pool). Within a flow, as an Intermediate Event, the shape denotes where the process waits to receive a message. The dimension (start / intermediate / end) of an Event is automatically chosen by the diagram based on the lines drawn to or from it. |
Terminate Event | This event immediately ends all parallel flows through the process and any sub-process. Because this terminates all processing this event should be used sparingly. Typically, the End Event is used to end a process flow under normal conditions. The dimension (start / intermediate / end) of an Event is automatically chosen by the diagram based on the lines drawn to or from it. |
Artifact – Text Object: | Provides additional information about the process flow. |
Artifact – Data Object | Indicates data that is consumed and/or produced by Activities. May be connected to/from shapes via Association flow lines. |
| Note | A rich text property that provides supplemental documentation on a Flow Object (shape). Notes can be used to describe an activity procedure or any other information. |
Comment or Annotation | An iGrafx object, a comment added to a specific location on a diagram. Annotations can be used for making remarks; e.g., during a review or approval cycle. |
See the Enterprise Objects and Folders topic in the User Guide for definitions of iGrafx repository objects.