Project Process ModellingPurpose / Characteristics

Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN)

Project Process Modelling

Want processes to be …

Planned / Tailored to context / Adjusted based on experience

Process model defines how to reach a specific goal

WHO is doing WHAT, WHEN, and HOW?

Characteristics of a good process model

Guidelines for efficient development of quality software

Reduce risk and increase predictability

Promotes common vision and culture

Attributes of a project process model

Activities of the process

Order and scope

Pre- and post-conditions

Performed one or several times?

Roles involved

Artefacts / Deliverables

Models / Documents / Source code / etc.

Methods / Practices / Tools involved in the process

Purpose of (descriptive) process modelling

Understand the process

Communicate aspects about the process

Support management

Guide the work effort

Identify typical deviations from the prescribed process models

Improve software development activities

Support measurement and evaluation

Support automatic process enactment / decision-making

BPMN - Background

Standard Simplicity and Expression

● Not owned by any enterprise

● Standard for OMG (Object Management

Group)

● Current version: BPMN 2.0

● Simple notation

● Graphical representation

● Precise descriptions

● Based on flowcharting

References

The following examples are taken from: https://camunda.org/bpmn/tutorial/

Great resource: Check this site out for more on BPMN-modelling

Events and Tasks: Example I

hunger noticed

acquire groceries prepare meal eat meal

hunger satisfied

meal prepared

What is happening in the above diagram?

What information can we derive from the flowchart?

Events

Tasks

Order of occurrence

Start Event

hunger noticed

acquire groceries prepare meal eat meal

hunger satisfied

meal prepared

Shows which event causes the process to start

The “triggering” event

Representation

Outlined circle

Tasks

hunger noticed

acquire groceries prepare meal eat meal

hunger satisfied

meal prepared

The “heart” of the process

Something that should happen to produce a desirable outcome

May contain sub-processes

Representation

Rounded rectangle

Tasks

hunger noticed

acquire groceries prepare meal eat meal

hunger satisfied

meal prepared

Naming conventions

Adhere to object-oriented design principles

[verb] + [object] pattern

[acquire] + [groceries]

[prepare] + [meal]

[take care of shopping]

[start the cooking process]

Intermediate events

hunger noticed

acquire groceries prepare meal eat meal

hunger satisfied

meal prepared

Represent a significant status reached in the proces

Used somewhat infrequently

Mostly useful for communicating milestones

Representation

Double-outlined circle

End events

hunger noticed

acquire groceries prepare meal eat meal

hunger satisfied

meal prepared

Status reached at the end of a process path

Marks the process as completed

Representation

Thickly outlined circle

Basic Events in BPMN

START

The “triggering” event for the process

INTERMEDIATE

Something that happens between start and end

END

Result of a process

Additional Events in BPMN

http://bpmb.de/poster

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Pools, Swimlanes, and Gateways: Example II

Decide if normal post or special shipment

Package goods

Request quotes from

carrier

Check if extra

insurance is necessary

Goods to ship Mode of

delivery

Special carrier

Normal post

Fill in post label

Take out extra

insuranceextra

insurance required

always

Assign carrier and

prepare Paperwork

Move package to picking

area Goods available

Insurance included in carrier services.

Pools, Swimlanes, and Gateways: Example II

What does the diagram tell us?

What are the tasks in the process?

Who is involved in the process?

Pools, Swimlanes, and Gateways: Example II

What does the diagram tell us?

What are the tasks in the process?

Who is involved in the process?

Diagram shows …

Preparing steps a hardware retailer has to fulfill before shipping

Sequence of events

Roles and responsibilities

Business rules

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Pools and Swimlanes

Decide if normal post or special shipment

Package goods

Request quotes from

carrier

Check if extra

insurance is necessary

Goods to ship Mode of

delivery

Special carrier

Normal post

Fill in post label

Take out extra

insuranceextra

insurance required

always

Assign carrier and

prepare Paperwork

Move package to picking

area Goods available

Insurance included in carrier services.

Pools and SwimlanesS

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Sub

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PoolsPartitions in a business process

Specific entity (department) / Role

SwimlanesSub-partitions of pools

E.g. Pool: “Hardware Retailer” | Lanes: “Warehouse worker”, “Clerk”, “Logistics manager”

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Gateways

Decide if normal post or special shipment

Package goods

Request quotes from

carrier

Check if extra

insurance is necessary

Gods to ship Mode of

delivery

Special carrier

Normal post

Fill in post label

Take out extra

insuranceextra

insurance required

always

Assign carrier and

prepare Paperwork

Move package to picking

area Goods available

Insurance included in carrier services.

Parallel Gateway

Splits sequence flowOutgoing branches are activated simultaneously

Upon merging → Wait for all incoming branches to complete

From exampleClerk decides normal or special shipment

Warehouse worker can already start packaging the goods

Decide if normal post or special

shipment

Package goods

Exclusive Gateway

Routes sequence flowChoose exactly one of the outgoing branches

Upon merging → Wait for one incoming branch to complete

From exampleIf special shipment, Clerk requests quotes from different carriers

If normal post, Clerk needs to check if extra insurance is necessary

Check if extra insurance is necessary

Request quotes from carriers

Normal post

Special shipment

Inclusive Gateway

Splits sequence flowOne or more branches are activated

Upon merging → All active incoming branches must complete

From exampleIf extra insurance required, Logistics manager must take out extra insurance

Regardless, Clerk must always fill in a postal label for the shipment

Take out extra insurance

Fill in post label

extra insurance required

always

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The Whole Picture

Decide if normal post or special shipment

Package goods

Request quotes from

carrier

Check if extra

insurance is necessary

Goods to ship Mode of

delivery

Special carrier

Normal post

Fill in post label

Take out extra

insuranceextra

insurance required

always

Assign carrier and

prepare Paperwork

Move package to picking

area Goods available

Insurance included in carrier services.

Wait for activated tasks

Synchronise parallel

gateways

Exercises

● Study the BPMN-poster available on the course webpages:

Activity types

Event types

Gateways

Pools and Swimlanes

Data and message flow

Choreographies

● Create a process model for case in the weekly task

Closing Remarks

These slides are based on:

Lecture slides by Dag Sjøberg and Yngve Lindsjørn

Larman, C. and Vodde, B. (2009). Scaling Lean & Agile

Development: Thinking Organisational Tools for Large-Scale Scrum.

Addison-Wesley.

Online BPMN-modelling tutorial: https://camunda.org/bpmn/tutorial/