The following text is derived from the Business Process Modeling Notation entry in the online Wikipedia.
The Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) is a standardized graphical notation for drawing business processes in a workflow. BPMN was developed by Business Process Management Initiative (BPMI), and is now being maintained by the Object Management Group since the two organizations merged in 2005.
The primary goal of BPMN is to provide a standard notation that is readily understandable by all business stakeholders. These business stakeholders include the business analysts who create and refine the processes, the technical developers responsible for implementing the processes, and the business managers who monitor and manage the processes. Consequently BPMN is intended to serve as common language to bridge the communication gap that frequently occurs between business process design and implementation.
... The adoption of BPMN standard notation will help unify the expression of basic business process concepts (e.g. public and private processes, choreographies) as well as advanced modeling concepts (e.g. exception handling, transaction compensation).
BPMN ... supports only the concepts of modeling that are applicable to business processes ... other types of modeling done by organizations for non-business purposes [are] out of scope for BPMN. For example, ... modeling ... the following is not a part of BPMN:
- Organizational structures
- Functional breakdowns
- Data models
In addition, while BPMN shows the flow of data (messages) and the association of data artifacts to activities, it is not a data flow diagram.
For further information on the concepts of BPMN, refer to the Wikipedia item and its linked sources.
Note: |
Version 1.4 of MDG Technology for BPMN is integrated with the Enterprise Architect installer for release 7.0 and above. This configuration does not include model validation. You can also install MDG Technology For BPMN version 1.3 separately, if you require the model validation component. However, this version is intended for - and only correctly integrates with - release 6.5 of Enterprise Architect. If you intend to install MDG Technology for BPMN 1.3, do not load it through the BPMN Add-In menu. |
BPMN in Enterprise Architect
Enterprise Architect enables you to develop BPMN diagrams quickly and simply, through use of an MDG Technology integrated with the Enterprise Architect installer. The BPMN facilities are provided in the form of:
- A BPMN diagram type, accessed through the New Diagram dialog
- BPMN pages in the Enterprise Architect UML Toolbox
- BPMN element and relationship entries in the UML Toolbox Shortcut Menu and Quicklinker.
BPMN Toolbox Pages
You can access the BPMN pages of the Toolbox through the More tools | BPMN menu option. These pages provide the graphical (Core) and non-graphical (Types) BPMN elements for use on business process diagrams. Specifications of these elements and relationships are defined by Tagged Values (for example, as applied to the Message, Timer and Default (/) characteristics in the diagram below).
To define the specifications of the elements and relationships, open the Tagged Values window and select the required element or relationship in a diagram. The Tagged Values window shows the appropriate Tagged Values and provides a list of values to assign to each one. For example, to change the decoration of a Start Event or Intermediate Event, set the Trigger Tagged Value. To change the decoration of an End Event, set the Result Tagged Value.
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|
Item |
Use to |
Business Process |
Extend a composite Activity that defines a business process. |
Activity |
Define an activity within a business process. |
Start Event |
Define the initiating event in a process. |
Intermediate Event |
Define an intermediate event in a process. |
End Event |
Define the terminating event in a process. |
Gateway |
Define a decision point in a business process. If a condition is true, then processing continues one way; if not, then another. |
Pool |
Extend a Partition element to logically organize an Activity. |
Lane |
Extend a Partition element to subdivide a Pool. |
Data Object |
Extend an Artifact element to define a physical piece of information used or produced by a system. |
Group |
Extend a Boundary element to group other elements. |
Text Annotation |
Create a comment. |
Sequence Flow |
Extend a Control Flow relationship to define the flow of activity. |
Message Flow |
Extend a Control Flow relationship to define the flow of communications in the process. |
Association |
Associate information and artifacts with flow objects. |
Message |
Extend a Class element to define a message. |
Participant |
Extend a Class element to define a participant in an activity. |
Rule |
Extend a Class element to define rule statements. |
Transaction |
Extend a Class element to define a transaction in an activity. |
Web Service |
Extend a Class element to define a web service. |
Property |
Extend an attribute to drag onto another element. |