Microsoft Visio's Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) shapes are fundamental to creating clear, standardized, and effective process diagrams. Understanding these shapes is crucial for anyone involved in business process management, as it enables them to communicate complex processes in a simple, universally understood way.
BPMN shapes are categorized into several groups, each serving a specific purpose in process mapping. Let's delve into the basic shapes that form the backbone of BPMN and explore their roles in creating comprehensive process models.
Flow Objects
Flow objects are used to represent the flow of activities within a process. They are the building blocks that connect other BPMN elements together.
There are three types of flow objects:
Events
Events are used to capture something that happens at a specific point in a process. They can be used to start, interrupt, or end a process. There are three types of events in BPMN: Start, Intermediate, and End events.
Start events are represented by a hollow circle, intermediate events by a filled circle, and end events by a hollow circle with a cross. Examples include 'Start Timer' to initiate a process after a certain time, 'Message' to receive or send a message, and 'Terminate' to end a process prematurely.
Activities
Activities represent the work done as part of the business process. They can be atomic (simple) or composite (complex).
Atomic activities are represented by rounded rectangles, while composite activities are shown as pools or sub-processes. Examples include 'Send Invoice' (atomic), 'Process Order' (composite), and 'Review Application' (composite, shown as a collapsed sub-process).
Gateways
Gateways control the flow of the process, determining the path to follow based on certain conditions. They are represented by diamonds.
There are three types of gateways: Exclusive (XOR), Parallel (AND), and Inclusive (OR). 'Exclusive Gateway' is used for one-way branching, 'Parallel Gateway' for concurrent paths, and 'Inclusive Gateway' for merging paths. Examples include 'Check Credit Score' (Exclusive), 'Process Payment' (Parallel), and 'Review Application' (Inclusive).
Connecting Objects
Connecting objects are used to link flow objects together, showing the sequence of activities in a process.
There are two types of connecting objects:
Sequence Flows
Sequence flows are used to connect activities in the order they occur. They are represented by solid lines with an open arrowhead.
Sequence flows can be used to connect events, activities, and gateways. They can also be used to connect a gateway to an event, indicating the default flow if no condition is met.
Message Flows
Message flows are used to represent the exchange of information between different processes or participants. They are represented by dashed lines with an open arrowhead.
Message flows can be used to connect pools (representing different processes or participants) and events. They can also be used to connect activities within a pool, indicating that the activity sends or receives a message.
Association
Association is used to connect artifacts (like text annotations) to other elements in the process. It is represented by a dashed line with an open arrowhead.
Associations can be used to connect artifacts to events, activities, gateways, or other artifacts. They are used to provide additional information about the process, such as a note or a data object.
Swimlanes and Pools
Swimlanes and pools are used to organize and group activities within a process. They are used to represent different processes, participants, or departments.
Swimlanes are used to group activities within a pool. They are represented by horizontal or vertical lanes within a pool. Pools are used to represent different processes or participants. They are represented by a rectangular border with rounded corners.
Pools can contain other pools (nested pools), swimlanes, activities, events, and gateways. They can also contain text annotations and data objects. Examples include 'Order Processing' pool containing 'Receive Order' and 'Process Payment' activities, and 'Human Resources' pool containing 'Onboard Employee' sub-process.
Understanding and effectively using these basic BPMN shapes is key to creating clear, standardized, and effective process diagrams. It enables better communication, collaboration, and understanding of complex business processes among all stakeholders. So, start exploring these shapes today and elevate your process mapping skills!