BPMN is a graphical notation that consists of a set of symbols and rules for creating and interpreting business process diagrams. It was developed by the Business Process Management Initiative (BPMI) and later adopted by the Object Management Group (OMG) as an international standard. BPMN aims to provide a common and easy-to-use language for business process modeling, regardless of the industry, domain, or level of detail. BPMN covers four basic categories of elements: flow objects, connecting objects, swimlanes, and artifacts. Flow objects represent the main components of a process, such as events, activities, and gateways. Connecting objects show the sequence, message, and data flows between the flow objects. Swimlanes group the flow objects by their roles or responsibilities, such as departments, functions, or systems. Artifacts provide additional information or documentation for the process, such as annotations, groups, or data objects.
Over the years, BPMN has evolved and adapted to meet the changing needs of business process modeling. BPMN has gone through several version upgrades, with each iteration introducing new features and improvements. Notable versions include BPMN 1.0, BPMN 2.0, and the latest release, BPMN 2.0.2. These updates have refined the notation, enhanced its capabilities, and addressed feedback from users and industry experts.
BPMN, or Business Process Model and Notation, is a standardized method for visually representing business processes. It uses symbols and diagrams to illustrate how different tasks, events, and flows interact within a process. In my experience, using BPMN helped a team I worked with clarify complex workflows. By mapping our processes visually, everyone could easily understand their roles and how their tasks fit into the larger picture. BPMN enhances communication and ensures that all stakeholders have a common understanding of processes, leading to better collaboration and process improvement.
Using BPMN for your business process mapping can bring you several benefits, such as clarity, consistency, and improved communication and collaboration between stakeholders. BPMN provides a standardized and unambiguous way of describing processes, allowing everyone to speak the same language. Moreover, its graphical and intuitive notation facilitates the sharing and discussion of process maps. This can bridge the gap between the business and technical perspectives and enable the integration of processes with other systems. Furthermore, BPMN enables you to analyze and improve existing processes, compare and optimize current and future states, measure outcomes, design new processes, explore different scenarios, and innovate.
To accommodate specialized requirements, BPMN allows for extensibility through the use of custom annotations, additional symbols, and extensions. This flexibility enables organizations to tailor BPMN to their specific needs and capture domain-specific information in their process models. One of the key strengths of BPMN is its interoperability. The notation allows for seamless integration and exchange of process models between different BPMN-compliant tools and platforms. This interoperability promotes collaboration, enables process sharing, and supports the integration of BPMN models with other systems and technologies.
Defining an internal standard takes a lot of work. Getting everyone to agree to that standard is harder. You can re-invent the wheel if you like, but why? BPMN provides an internationally recognized standard that will allow you to get everyone on the same page quickly. Like anything, there is a minor learning curve, but the basics are pretty intuitive. It also gives you an out. If someone wants to use unicorn🦄 and rainbow🌈 shapes, you can blame BPMN for not allowing it 🤷♂️.
To use BPMN for your business process mapping, a few steps need to be taken. First, define the scope and purpose of your process map, including the goal, actors, participants, inputs and outputs, and boundaries and constraints. Then, decide on the level of detail and abstraction that is necessary. After that, select the appropriate BPMN elements, such as flow objects, connecting objects, swimlanes, and artifacts. Finally, draw and validate your process map by arranging and aligning the elements in a logical way. Additionally, check and verify that your process map is accurate and complete by testing and simulating it.
Think of your BPMN model like the scene of a play. The Pools / Lanes tell you the actors that will be in the scene. The Start Event tells you how the scene opens (i.e. Order Received) The Activities are their lines, who says (does) what when with who and in what order. Intermediate events give the actor additional queues (i.e. Hold for approval) The Gateways provide the actor with choices that may change the script or add lines under certain circumstances. (i.e. Approval received or denied) The End event tells us how the scene ends (i.e. Order Processed *or not if approval was denied) Once you have completed the document, most BPMN tools today will allow you to do a conformance check to see if you are complying with the BPMN rules.
Working with an aged Care (NFP) client, they faced difficulties with their Time & Attendance system. Our goal was to help them overcome these challenges. I used BPMN for process mapping, involving stakeholders from the start. We defined the purpose, participants, inputs/outputs, and goals of the process map. I conducted workshops, created the AS-IS process map using BPMN, and documented the process steps. The process maps helped identify gaps, making the GAP analysis exercise straightforward. We then provided a walkthrough to stakeholders, actioned feedback, and validated the process map. This approach helped us formulate strategies to achieve the TO-BE state.
To use BPMN effectively, start by identifying the process you want to map. Gather input from stakeholders to understand the steps involved and the relationships between tasks. In a project I worked on, we began by brainstorming and listing all the activities. Then, we used BPMN symbols to create a visual diagram that showed the flow of tasks and decisions. Once the diagram is complete, review it with the team to ensure accuracy and clarity. This collaborative approach helps everyone understand the process and identify areas for improvement, making BPMN a powerful tool for business process mapping.
Using BPMN for your business process mapping can also pose some challenges, such as complexity and flexibility, compatibility and interoperability, and maintenance and evolution. The expressive notation of BPMN can capture various aspects and nuances of your business processes, but it may be complex and overwhelming for beginners or non-experts. You may need to learn a lot of symbols and rules, and decide how to use them appropriately for your specific context and needs. Additionally, ensure compatibility and interoperability with the software and hardware you use, as well as comply with the latest version and specifications of BPMN. Finally, it can be challenging to maintain and update BPMN for large and complex processes; thus, you must keep track of the changes and revisions of your process maps, ensuring that they are consistent with the reality and goals of your business.
The biggest challenge most people face is what level of detail needs to be captured. At one end, you have not enough detail which may leave out crucial steps that must be performed in order to complete the process successfully. On the other end, you have diagram that is so detailed that it provides very detailed and explicit steps on how to sharpen your pencil and the type of pencil to use. This is less of a process and more of a procedure. Either can be frustrating. The challenge for most is finding that sweet spot in the middle. I have seen both ends of this spectrum, process maps with a single shape (obviously not enough detail) and some that took a plotter and an entire wall to display (too much).
To maximize the benefits of using BPMN for business process mapping, it's important to follow some best practices. Start with a high-level overview of the process and define its scope, purpose, actors, inputs, and outputs. Use a simple notation such as a value chain diagram or a SIPOC diagram. Also, use the right level of detail depending on the audience and objective of your process map. Follow the BPMN symbols and rules correctly and consistently, and stick to established standards and conventions. Lastly, choose a tool that supports BPMN and meets your requirements and preferences. Make sure it's easy to use, reliable, compatible with your systems and applications, as well as offering features like templates, validation, simulation, collaboration, and export.
Best practices for using BPMN include keeping diagrams simple and clear, using standardized symbols, and involving stakeholders in the mapping process. Simplicity ensures that everyone can understand the diagram without confusion. In a past project, I focused on avoiding excessive detail in our BPMN diagrams, which helped maintain clarity. We also made sure to follow BPMN standards, which made it easier for team members to interpret the diagrams. Regularly reviewing and updating BPMN diagrams based on feedback and process changes keeps them relevant. By following these practices, you can enhance communication and drive effective process improvements.
Have you ever had someone tell you a story that seemed to take forever to get to the point or had so much extra detail that now you were focused on why that detail was relevant and you are no longer paying attention to the story? The same holds true for your models. Remember that simplicity is the key. Less is more. Try to refrain from using additional annotations, artifacts, or lanes for systems if you can. These tend to clutter the diagram creating distractions that make it seem more complex and harder to read. Also define a common set of shapes that will be used for all your models. BPMN has a lot of shapes. You DO NOT need to use them all. If your tool allows, create your own subset of shapes or turn off the ones you do not want used.
In the airport industry, the implementation of formal business processes is crucial to ensure consistent work quality and maintain operational efficiency as airports evolve and grow. Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan emphasized the importance of Business Process Management (BPM) in their book 'Execution' (2002), highlighting how BPM is a vital tool for leaders to ensure effective execution. Despite the challenges associated with its complexity and dependency on multiple co-systems, there are successful examples of airports benefiting from BPM implementation.
Last piece of advice. DO NOT try to boil the ocean, gulp down the whole elephant, or whatever other idiom you prefer. Once you have identified the stakeholders, the audience and the intent of the process, start with what this process looks like in a perfect world. Some might say your "happy path". Do not worry with nuances on this first pass. Once we all agree on A-Z, we now go back and question everything. Do you always do this step? Do you always NEED to do this step? Do you always do this next? If not, why not? What do you do instead? etc. Understand this may take more than one session to accomplish - that's ok - This is a journey not a sprint.