BPMN 2.0 is the latest update to layout and visual communication in a BPM context. It was developed with the goal of creating a standard, common language for modelling business processes. In this article, we will take you through everything you need to know to bring your processes in Gluu to life with BPMN 2.0.
To enable the BPMN2 mode go to your account settings and check the field 'BPMN2 mode enabled'. This will allow your pro users to both use our classic and BPMN 2 modes when creating new processes.
If you wish to only use BPMN2 for your process mapping, make sure to check the field 'BPMN2 mode is mandatory for new processes'. (Your already created processes will not be automatically changed to BPMN2, however, when creating new ones BPMN2 will be the set mode).
Note: All starter users will be able to view your BPMN 2.0 processes, however, only pro accounts can create them.
BPMN 2.0 Standard Symbols
A swimlane describes which role is included in the process.
Activity describes the kind of work being done in a particular process instance.
Decision gates separate and recombine flows.
An event can symbolize the start or end of an event.
Call conversations are wrappers for globally defined conversation or rub-conversation.
DataStore represents the ability to store or access data that are associated with a business process.
DataObject represents information flow through the process, such as business documents, e-mails, or letters.
Groups organize tasks or processes that have significance in the overall process.
Annotations allow the modeler to describe additional flow parts of the model or notation.
New to process mapping? Read our Guide to simple process mapping first
Let me now explain some of the symbols in more detail!
Activities
Once you name your activity and state its outcome, you can set up the type of your activity, an icon, and markers. If you are unsure how to map activities, read our article on mapping activities.
BPMN2 provides four different types of activities:
Task activity is the most basic level and it can not be broken down further.
Transaction activity involves payment.
Call activity is reused at various points in the business flow.
Sub-process activity is a group of tasks that fit together.
Icons are used to identify the behaviour of the activity and its tasks. There are 7 types of icons, as suggested in the image below.
Lastly, when it comes to activities, you can choose a marker. They specify the BPMN sub-process. Marking your activity makes your process map less complex, as you can split a complex process into multiple levels. This allows you to focus on a particular area in a single process diagram. There are 6 types of markers, as suggested in the image below.
Decision gates
There are 8 types of decision gates. Find everything you need to know about exclusive and other decision types in this article.
Events
You can now choose one of three types of events: start, intermediate, and end, as well as whether your event is interrupting or no. To make your map less complex, you can choose one out of my icons to highlight the notion of your event.
Conversations
Just like using markers with activities, you can mark conversations to be parallel, sequential, sub-process, compensation, ad-hoc, and loop.
Data Object
There are three types of DataObject: none, input, and output. Data input is an external input for the process, whereas data output is the data result of the entire process. You can further select whether your Data Object is a collection, e.g., a list of order items, etc.
