BPMN Syntax

Racing event

A X event is used, if two external events X against one another. The first of the two events that occurs determines the continuation of the process. The X events is captured by means of the XOR-Split. When the token arrives at this fate the execution stops until either the message event or the timer event occurs.

Start event

A X event triggers a new process instance by generating a token that traverses throughout the sequence flow ("token source")

Multi instance activity

A X is a construct which is useful when the same activity is executed for multiple data items. It's executed multiple times concurrently. Depicted as an activity marked with three small vertical lines at the bottom.

Exclusive Gateway - (XOR) Join

A X proceeds, when one incoming branch has completed We use an X to merge two or more alternative branches that may have previously been forked with an X.

Data Stores

A place containing data objects that must be persisted beyond the duration of a process instance. It is used by an activity to store (as output) or retrieve (as input) data objects. e.g. databases

Exclusive Gateway - (XOR) Split

An X captures decision points, between two or more alternative activities. it represents a decision to take exactly one path in the flow. More than one path can not be taken. Relation between two or more alternative activities, like in the case of the approval or rejection of a claim, we use an exclusive X

End event

An X event signals that a process instance has completed with a given outcome by consuming a token ("token sink")

Parallel Gateway - (AND) Join

An X is used to synchronise the execution of two or more parallel branches. All concurrent executions. arriving at the parallel join gateway, wait at the gateway; until execution has completed for each of the incoming sequence flows.

Inclusive Gateway - (OR) Join

An X proceeds when all active incoming branches have completed. An active branch will ultimately deliver a token to the X Once all tokens of active branches have arrived, X synchronises these token into one.

Intermediate event

An X represents any even that occurs between a start and end event. The event can catch or throw information.

Sub-process

An activity in a process can be decomposed into a ____ It is an abstraction technique that is used whenever a process becomes too large or complex to understand

Data Objects

Captures an artifact required (input) or produced (output) by an activity. Can be physical or electronic

Connection object: Conditional and default sequence flow

Conditional flows = sequence flows that take precedence under certain conditions. Default flow = the ordinary sequence flow that has to be followed if neither condition is met. The conditional flow is followed only in special circumstances. The conditional flow needs to have a label that describes its condition, for instance 'invoice amount 5000€' so its clear when to take this path in the process. Generally, only one 'default sequence flow' is allowed per element.

Connecting object: Sequence flow

Connects flow objects in proper sequential order

Swimlanes

Denote different organizational units/participants in the process. Can be both human actors or systems. Can be black-bloxed.

Inclusive Gateway - (OR) Split

Inclusive gateways are used to model situations where a decision may lead to one or more options being taken at the same time. An X is similar to he XOR-Split, but the conditions on its outgoing branches do not need to be mutually exclusive, i.e. more than one of them can be true at the same time.

Connecting object: Message flow

Represents messages from one process participant to another

Connecting object: Association flow

Shows relationship between artifacts and flow objects

Message event

Start a process (X start event), which creates a new instance when the X arrives. End a process (X end event), which ends the current process instance when the message is sent. Resume a process flow (X intermediate catch event) when the message arrives. Intermediate - X events can be used between pools but NOT lanes.

Timer event

This event type indicates that process instances start upon the occurrence of a specific temporal event, e.g., · every Friday morning, · every working day of the month, · every morning at 7 a.m. A X event may also be used as an intermediate event to capture that a temporal interval needs to elapse before the process instance can proceed. X events are catching events only, since a timer is a trigger outside the control of the process (that means the process does not generate the timer, but rather reacts to this)

Text Annotation

Used to clarify the meaning of certain activities or events. They do not affect the flow of the tokens.

Parallel Gateway - (AND) Split

X is used to model the parallel execution of two or more branches. When two or more activities do not have any order dependencies on each other (i.e. one activity does not need to follow the other, nor excludes the other). They can be executed concurrently or in parallel.