Business Process Diagrams

Business Process Diagrams are one of the most commonly used diagrams to describe the way a business works; they can also be used to describe technology and engineering processes. You can draw the diagrams using the basic elements of the language or alternatively you can create more detailed diagrams using many of the advanced elements. The level of details you choose will not only be determined by the complexity of the processes you are describing but also by the audiences' ability to interpret and understand the diagram. At their simplest they will comprise of a sequence of activities with intervening gateways that act as decision points. You can add Pools and Lanes to a diagram to indicate the participants in the process or who is responsible for each of the Activities and Tasks.

A BPMN Process Model using Pools and Lanes, constructed with Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect

Business Process Diagram with two gateways and a single Pool that contains three Lanes indicating three participants.

To create BPMN elements and relationships on Business Process diagrams in either BPMN 2.0 or BPEL formats, you can use the 'BPMN 2.0 Business Process' pages of the Diagram Toolbox.

BPMN 2.0 Diagram Orientation

On a BPMN 2.0 diagram, you can set the flow orientation to horizontal or vertical, or none (the default).

To set or clear the orientation, right-click on the diagram background and click on 'Set Diagram Flow Direction'. Then click on either:

None (the default, no specific orientation set)
Horizontal (diagram flows across the page, Pool and Lane elements occupy the full width of the diagram), or
Vertical (diagram flows down the page, Pool and Lane elements occupy the full height of the diagram)

Access

Use any of the methods outlined here to display the Diagram Toolbox, then click on Search to display the 'Find Toolbox Item' dialog and specify 'BPMN 2.0 Business Process'.

Ribbon	Design > Diagram > Toolbox : to display the 'Find Toolbox Item' dialog and specify 'BPMN 2.0 Business Process'
Keyboard Shortcuts	Ctrl+Shift+3 : \| BPMN 2.0 \| BPMN 2.0 Business Process
Other	Click the icon on the Diagram caption bar to display the Diagram Toolbox, then \| BPMN 2.0 \| BPMN 2.0 Business Process

BPMN 2.0 Business Process Elements

Item	Use to
Business Process	Extend a composite Activity that defines a business process.
BPEL	Define the behavior of an executable or abstract business process.
Activity	Represent work that is performed within a Business Process. An Activity can be modeled as a: Sub-Process - a compound Activity that is defined as a flow of other BPMN 2.0 elements or Task - an atomic Activity that cannot be broken down into a smaller unit As a sub-process, the Activity can be made a composite element that links to a child diagram containing the flow of other BPMN elements. A BPMN Activity is initially created on a diagram with the name centered at the top. If you drag elements onto the Activity the name can be obscured, so the system automatically moves the name into the top-left corner out of the way. You can also control this movement manually, by right-clicking on the element and selecting the 'Is Expanded' option to toggle the setting.
Global Task	Define a task or activity performed in the top-level process, at a higher level of execution.
Data Object	Provide or store the information for an Activity.
Data Store	Represent a mechanism for an Activity to retrieve or update stored information.
Start Event	Define the initiating event in a process. Elements of this type cannot be edge-mounted on other elements.
Intermediate Event	Define an intermediate event in a process. Elements of this type can only be edge-mounted on Activity elements.
End Event	Define the terminating event in a process. Elements of this type cannot be edge-mounted on other elements.
Gateway	Define a decision point in a business process. If a condition is true then processing continues one way; if false, then another.
Pool	Extend a Partition element to logically organize an Activity.
Lane	Extend a Partition element to subdivide a Pool.
Message	Represent the contents of a communication between two elements.
Group	Extend a Boundary element to group other elements.
Text Annotation	Create a comment.
BPMN 2.0 Business Process Connectors	Sequence Flow Use to: Extend a Control Flow relationship to define the flow of activity.
Association	Link the information and Artifacts with BPMN graphic elements.
Message Flow	Extend a Control Flow relationship to define the flow of communications in the process.
Data Association	Move data between Data Objects, Data Store, Properties and Activities, Processes.
Conversation Link	Connect a Conversation Node with a Pool, in either direction.

BPMN 2.0 Business Process Connectors

Item	Use to
Sequence Flow	Sequence Flow Use to: Extend a Control Flow relationship to define the flow of activity.
Association	Link the information and Artifacts with BPMN graphic elements.
Message Flow	Extend a Control Flow relationship to define the flow of communications in the process.
Data Association	Move data between Data Objects, Data Store, Properties and Activities, Processes.
Conversation Link	Connect a Conversation Node with a Pool, in either direction.

Notes

The appearance and specification of many elements and connectors are defined by Tagged Values