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)