Business Process Management

Process Modeling

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Business Process
Lifecycle
 Purposes of process modeling
• Communication
• Documentation Process
identification
• Analysis (e.g. simulation) Conceptual
Process
Process architecture
architecture

Conformance
Conformance and
and Process As-is
As-is process
process
performance
performance insights
insights discovery model
model

Process
Process
Executable monitoring and
controlling analysis

Executable
Executable Insights
Insights on
on
process
process weaknesses
weaknesses and
and
model
model their
their impact
impact

Process Process
• Automation implementation To-be
To-be process
process
model
model
redesign

• Testing
Conceptual 3
 BPMN from 10,000 miles…

A BPMN process model is a graph consisting of four types of core

elements:

start end
activity event gateway sequence
flow
Let’s start modeling
Order-to-cash

An order-to-cash process is triggered by the receipt of a

purchase order from a customer. Upon receipt, the purchase
order has to be checked against the stock to determine if the
the requested item(s) are available. Depending on stock
availability the purchase order may be confirmed or rejected.
If the purchase order is confirmed, an invoice is emitted and the
goods requested are shipped. The process completes by
archiving the order or if the order is rejected.
Let’s start modeling – break it down
Order-to-cash

• An order-to-cash process is triggered by the receipt of a

purchase order from a customer.
• Upon receipt, the purchase order has to be checked against
the stock to determine if the the requested item(s) are
available.
• Depending on stock availability the purchase order may be
confirmed or rejected.
• If the purchase order is confirmed, an invoice is emitted and
the goods requested are shipped.
• The process completes by archiving the order or if the order is
rejected.
Let’s start modeling – break it down
Order-to-cash

• An order-to-cash process is triggered by the receipt of a

purchase order from a customer.
• Upon receipt, the purchase order has to be checked against
the stock to determine if the the requested item(s) are
available.
 BPMN Model
Order-to-cash

Check stock
availability
Purchase
order
received

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Let’s start modeling – break it down
Order-to-cash

• An order-to-cash process is triggered by the receipt of a

purchase order from a customer.
• Upon receipt, the purchase order has to be checked against
the stock to determine if the the requested item(s) are
available.
• Depending on stock availability the purchase order may be
confirmed or rejected.
• If the purchase order is confirmed, an invoice is emitted and
the goods requested are shipped.
• The process completes by archiving the order or if the order
is rejected.
 BPMN Model
Order-to-cash

end
Reject order
activity Items not in
Order
event
stock
rejected
Check stock
availability
split gateway end
Purchase
order Items in event
received stock Confirm Emit Archive
Ship goods
start order invoice order
Order
event fulfilled

Naming conventions
• Event: noun + past-participle verb (e.g. insurance claim lodged)
• Activity: verb + noun (e.g. assess credit risk)

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 Execution of a process model
The “token game”
Order #1
Order #2
Order #3
Reject order
Items not in
Order
stock
rejected
Check stock
availability
Purchase
order Items in
received stock Confirm Emit Archive
Ship goods
order invoice order
Order
fulfilled

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A little bit more on events…

A start event triggers a new process instance start

by generating a token that traverses the event
sequence flow (“tokens source”)

end
An end event signals that a process instance has event
completed with a given outcome by consuming
a token (“tokens sink”)

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 Order-to-cash example revisited…
[…] If the purchase order is confirmed, an invoice is emitted and
the goods requested are shipped (in any order). The process
completes by archiving the order. […]

Reject order
Items not in
Order
stock
rejected
Check stock
availability
Purchase
order Items in
received stock Confirm Emit Archive
Ship goods
order invoice order
Order
fulfilled

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 First try
Order-to-cash

Reject order
Items not in
Order
stock
rejected
Check stock
availability split Emit invoice
Purchase
order Items in
received stock Confirm Emit Archive
Ship goods
order invoice order
Order

split join fulfilled

Ship goods

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A little more on gateways: XOR Gateway

An XOR Gateway captures decision points (XOR-

split) and points where alternative flows are merged
(XOR-join)
condition

XOR-split  takes one outgoing branch

¬ condition

XOR-join  proceeds when one incoming branch has

completed
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Example: XOR Gateway
Invoice checking process

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A little more on gateways: AND Gateway

An AND Gateway provides a mechanism to

create and synchronize “parallel” flows.

AND-split  takes all outgoing branches

AND-join  proceeds when all incoming branches

have completed
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Example: AND Gateway
Airport security check

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 Revised order-to-cash process model

Reject order
Items not in
stock Order
rejected

Check stock
availability XOR-split Send invoice
Purchase
order Items in
received stock
Archive
Confirm order
order
Order
AND-split AND-join fulfilled

Ship goods

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Between XOR and AND
Order distribution process
A company has two warehouses that store different products:
Amsterdam and Hamburg. When an order is received, it is
distributed across these warehouses: if some of the relevant
products are maintained in Amsterdam, a sub-order is sent
there; likewise, if some relevant products are maintained in
Hamburg, a sub-order is sent there. Afterwards, the order is
registered and the process completes.

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Solution 1
Order distribution process

XOR-split XOR-join

AND-split AND-join

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Solution 2
Order distribution process

AND-split AND-join

XOR-split XOR-join

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OR Gateway

An OR Gateway provides a mechanism to create

and synchronize n out of m parallel flows.

cond1

OR-split  takes one or more branches depending

condn
on conditions

OR-join  proceeds when all active incoming

branches have completed
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Solution using OR Gateway
Order distribution process

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What join type do we need here?

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