Introduction to BizAgi

Slide 2

User Interface (Summary) The user interface for BizAgi resembles

Office It uses a similar ribbon

The Palette contains the various symbols (Flow, Artifacts, Swimlanes, Connections) Draw these on the visual palette

The Element properties section allows you to configure the selected element

Slide 3

User Interface (Illustration)

Slide 4

Creating a New Model Click File, New to create a new BizAgi

model The design surface shows a process

with a single pool Use the Basic properties to give the

process a name Drag the Lane icon to the design surface

to create a swim lane Use the element properties to name each

swim lane

Slide 5

Creating the Model Use the Palette to drag symbols to the

diagram

Slide 6

Events Fire as a result of something happening

A message is received A period of time elapses An exceptional conditional arises

We typically perform an action in response to an event

Slide 7

Events Fire as a result of something happening

A message is received A period of time elapses An exceptional conditional arises

We typically perform an action in response to an event

Slide 8

Event Types Message – Arrives from a participant Timer – Process starts at a period in

time Rule (conditional)– Triggers when a rule

becomes true

Slide 9

Event Types (2) Link – Connect the end event of one

process to the start of another process Multiple – Multiple ways of triggering

the process Exception – An error End events

Slide 10

Message Events Messages are typically sent by one

participant and received by another Send sales order information that is

received by accounting to check credit The event can be thrown or caught

Sending a message means throwing a message

Receiving a message means catching a message

See MessageThrowCatch in EventSamples

Slide 11

Message Throw Catch Example

Slide 12

Timer Events The event fires a specific time or cycle

Only applicable to start or intermediate events

In BizAgi, use the Element properties to set the timer to a date or cycle

Examples Time delay to approve credit Wait for payment date Start payroll process every two weeks See Timer in EventSamples

Slide 13

Conditional Events Events that fire when an external

condition becomes true or false Process A/P checks on Mondays

We could also implement this as a timer Inventory below threshold – generate

order request Only applicable to start or intermediate

events See Conditional in EventSamples

Slide 14

To Create an Event First, drag the event icon to the

designer surface Right-click on the event and set the

event type

Slide 15

Gateways 1 Gateways are used to depict decisions

or merges Types

Exclusive (XOR) Only one output (alternative) flow is

allowed Gateways diverge or converge

Inclusive (OR) A default output flow must be specified

Parallel for / join (AND)

Slide 16

Gateways (2) Event-based gateways

These are (Exclusive) gateways that rely on external messages

Slide 17

Gateway – XOR Example Exclusive XOR Decision

See ExclusiveGateway in EventSamples

Slide 18

Gateway - OR Inclusive OR decision

Slide 19

Gateway – Example 3 Parallel Forking – All sequence flows

drawn out of the gateway are taken

Slide 20

Processes and Tasks A process is a network of steps A process can be marked as having a

sub-process

To mark an activity has having a sub process, right-click the activity and click Transform to subprocess

Slide 21

Sub Processes – Illustration (1)

Slide 22

Data Objects First, we are not talking about a

database or physical data We are talking about information about a

process Data objects are attached to a sequence

or message flow with a dashed line

Slide 23

Data Objects (Illustration)

Slide 24

Text Annotation Contains descriptive text about a

process A line connects the annotation to the

activity

Slide 25

Workflow Patterns (Introduction) In this second section of the lecture, we

talk about simple and complex workflow patterns

Much of this is derived from the AIFB paper (Modeling Workflow Patterns) in this lecture

Slide 26

Sequence Pattern Tasks are executed in sequence (one

after another)

Slide 27

Parallel Split This is a logical AND gateway The parallel branches are executed

concurrently

Slide 28

Parallel Split (Example)

Slide 29

Synchronization Two or more different branches get

merged into a single branch All merged branches must be completed

before the process can continue (Implied) Synchronization can occur because of a

parallel split

Slide 30

Synchronization (Illustration)

Slide 31

Exclusive Choice Here, we are making a decision with

mutually exclusive outcomes (Only one outcome is possible)

Slide 32

Exclusive Choice (Example)

Slide 33

Simple Merge A point in a process where two or more

branches are merged into a single branch

The initial branches are created via some type of choice

Slide 34

Simple Merge (Example)