Insyt
All charts in the library

Flow, process and networks

BPMN process diagram

Models business processes using BPMN's defined symbols and connection rules.

  • Diagram
  • Process explanation
  • Workflow specification

What it answers

How does the business process operate under BPMN semantics?

Shape
Standard tasks, events, gateways and flows
What it shows
Control flow, participants and message exchanges.

Example

The question

How is a purchase order approved, in standard notation?

Purchase order approval (BPMN process diagram)

Purchase order approval (BPMN process diagram)Start event, task “check budget”, exclusive gateway: under EUR 5,000 goes to the manager, EUR 5,000 or more to the director, then end event.< EUR 5k≥ EUR 5kCheckbudget×ManagerapprovesDirectorapprovesThin circle: start event · diamond: exclusive gateway · rounded box: task · thick circle: end event
Purchase order approval (BPMN process diagram)Start event, task “check budget”, exclusive gateway: under EUR 5,000 goes to the manager, EUR 5,000 or more to the director, then end event.< EUR 5k≥ EUR 5kCheckbudget×ManagerapprovesDirectorapproves
Start event, task “check budget”, exclusive gateway: under EUR 5,000 goes to the manager, EUR 5,000 or more to the director, then end event.

Illustrative data. It belongs to no company.

When to use it

Use it when

Specifying executable or governed business processes.

Avoid it when

Generic arrows that violate BPMN semantics or audiences without notation support.

How to read it

Read event, task, gateway and flow types using BPMN rules.

Note

A generic flowchart is not automatically valid BPMN.

The data you need

Layout
Structured process model / BPMN XML
Fields
ElementID,ElementType,Name,Pool,Lane; FlowID,FlowType,SourceID,TargetID
One row is
One node or one directed process connection. What is the grain?
Rules
Use valid BPMN element types and semantics. Sequence flows stay within a process; message flows connect participants. Importers often require BPMN XML.
Optional
Gateway conditions, event definitions and boundary events.
Preparation
Validate the input grain and missing values. Use valid BPMN element types and semantics. Sequence flows stay within a process; message flows connect participants. Importers often require BPMN XML.
Units
Relationships and positions have no numeric unit by default. Label any counts, durations, probabilities or weights separately.
Example of the input layout: Structured process model / BPMN XMLA long table: one row per observation, few columns. New data adds rows.ElementIDElementTypeNamePoolAABBC
A long table: one row per observation, few columns. New data adds rows.

Worked example

StartEvent->ReviewTask->ExclusiveGateway; label branchesApprove/Reject. Sequenceflows remain within aprocess; messages betweenparticipants use messageflows.

ElementIDElementTypeNamePoolLane
e1StartEventRequest receivedP1Support
t1TaskReview requestP1Support
FlowIDFlowTypeSourceIDTargetID
f1SequenceFlowe1t1
All charts in the library