Business Process
Management
[BSIN 103]
GIU – Spring 2025 – Lecture 4
Business Process Modelling II:
Concepts & Design
Dr. Ayman Al-Serafi
Teaching Assistants: Ahmed Elnager & Youssef Elsawi
Business Process
Management Lifecycle
Evaluation:
Process Mining
Business Activity Monitoring
M. Weske: Business Process Management,
1
© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2007
Evaluation
Design:
Administration Business Process
Enactment: and Design & Identification and
Operation Enactment Modeling
Monitoring Stakeholders Analysis
Maintenance
3 Analysis:
Validation
Simulation
Configuration Verification
2
Configuration:
System Selection
Implementation
Test and Deployment
Fig 1.5. Business process lifecycle
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-2
Outline
1. Business Process Modelling (recap)
2. Business Process Model and Notation
(BPMN)
3. Choreography using BPMN (Extra
Theoretical)
4. Conclusion
Q&A breaks
between sections
Urgent Qs only in
between!
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-3
Outline
1. Business Process Modelling (recap)
2. Business Process Model and Notation
(BPMN)
3. Choreography using BPMN (Extra
Theoretical)
4. Conclusion
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-4
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-5
No start
and end The Order Fulfillment Process
events No conditions,
workflow splits /
What is missing? merges, and
gateways to
make
alternative
workflow paths
No data
objects and Don’t know if activities
documents! are manual or
automatic by
computers
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-6
Outline
1. Business Process Modelling (recap)
2. Business Process Model and Notation
(BPMN)
3. Choreography using BPMN (Extra
Theoretical)
4. Conclusion
Q&A
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-7
Process Modeling Notations
Focus on
Information/Data Flow Diagram
Flow Chart
UML-activity diagram
Petri Nets
EPC
BPMN Main modelling notation for this course!
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-8
Business Process Model and
Notation (BPMN)
The intent of the BPMN for business process modelling is
very similar to the intent of the Unified Modeling Language
(UML) for object-oriented design and analysis.
Became an industry standard!
Complex notations and logic supported, we only cover the most
important basics!
To identify the best practices of existing approaches and to
combine them into a new, widely accepted language.
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-9
with role information Example
(BPMN)
Data Object XOR Condition
Start event gateway
(Document)
(with
message)
Activity (task) End event
Sequence flow
Parallel Condition
gateway
Swim lanes
(participants)
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-10
BPMN Elements
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-11
BPMN
BPMN Basic Elements
Basic Elements
Sub-process, Activity or Task: Action that performs work
Events:
Signal that something happened
Status of process
Describes how a process starts, pauses, waits, sends signals,
redirects process flow, ends
Gateway: Branches / controls flow of activity
Decision / Split
Merge / Join
Sequence flow:
Connects activities within a process (and events and
gateways!)
Shows order of tasks
Message flow:
Shows flow of messages between participants
(Choreography)
Association: Associates information with objects
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-12
BPMN Basic Elements (cont’d)
BPMN A Play Area Pool: Graphical representation of an
organisation in a process
«Lane»
Are not required
«Pool»
«Lane» «Lane»
Swimlane: Sub-partition of a process
«Lane»
Are not required
Used to organize activities
Usually represents roles / users in process
Can be nested
Data Object: Information involved in process
Are not required
May be required to perform an activity
May be generated as output from an activity
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-13
BPMN Pools and Lanes
Used to organize processes and activities
Pools
Is not required
Represents a “participant / organisation”
“Container” for a process
Sequence flow cannot cross boundary
Message flows must always be between two pools
Message flow can attach to boundary (black box)
{Message flow can also attach to BPMN element within a pool}
Lanes
Is not required
Represents any “logical grouping” – usually for roles / responsibilities
Participant / Roles
Organization
Title
Specific Name
Sequence flow crosses boundaries
Can be nested
Can be horizontal or vertical – tool or user preference
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-14
Source: “Fundamentals of Business Process Management” (2013)
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-15
Example of business process diagram
expressed in BPMN without roles
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-16
Business process diagram
with role information
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-17
Activities
Activities might also
Activities have an internal
characterize units structure, in which case
of work. Activities they are called
which are not subprocesses. Rather
further refined are than showing the
called atomic structure, the modeller
activities or tasks. can decide to hide the
complexity of the
subprocess, using the
plus symbol. But
subprocesses can
also be expanded,
exposing their internal
structure.
This makes the model
clearer and less
crowded
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-18
BPMN Activity
Activity = work performed in process
Task = atomic: no further breakdown
Sub-process = compound activity
May be further broken down into any level of sub-
processes or tasks and BPMN elements
May be shown collapsed or expanded
Enables high level overview of process
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-19
Collapsed and expanded
subprocess
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-20
Activity types specify the kind of
task that is represented
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-21
Activity Types
Icons in upper left of task box indicates task type
Different types have different inherent behavior
Service:
Represents a service, such as a webservice
Performed by system / application (fully automated)
Requires (1) data input, may have 0-1 output [message / data object]
Receive / Send:
Task either receives / sends message
Can be replaced with send / receive event
User: Workflow type activity
Performed by person
Usually interfaces with a system
Scheduled through a task list manager (workflow) BPMS
Manual:
Work performed without any aid of system
Unmanaged by any system
Not tracked / metrics not available from BPM engine
Business rule:
Provides input to rules engine
Receives output / calculation results
Script:
Executed by BPM engine directly
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-22
BPMN Task Activity Markers
Task: Smallest piece of work; Activity
Looping task: (Do while):
Perform activity at least once
Evaluate / test for condition
If condition is true, repeat task again
Condition may be a Boolean Expression or a Numeric Cap
Condition may be evaluated at beginning or end of task
Multiple instance task: (For each):
Perform activity X times, where X is known at onset of task
starting
Task is complete when all X iterations are done
Next task does NOT begin until all iterations are done
Instances of activity can occur in sequence or in parallel with
Parallel Sequential each other
Each instance must complete the task before next task
begins
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-23
Loop Types:
Loop Gateway Standard Loop Multiple Instance
Type (Do-While or Do-Until) (For Each)
Use •Repeat activities •Repeat one or more activities while •Activities will occur a fixed
without preserving the preserving the data/results of the number of times, and this
previous results activities for future reference number of times is known
•Activities always repeat •Number of occurrences is not known before the loop begins (based
sequentially (do once, prior to first instance on data object)
then maybe do again) •Activities always repeat sequentially •Activities may repeat
• Loops cross multiple (do once, then maybe do again) sequentially or in parallel
swim lanes •Exceptions regularly occur
Pros Readily understood Visual indication of repeated activity No need to specify a loop
condition
Cons • Difficult to represent •No way to determine what the loop •No way to tell how many
exceptions condition is without annotations parallel instance or serial
iterations are currently being
• Open to performed (during execution)
misinterpretation •Least intuitive
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-24
Loop Example
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-25
BPMN Gateways
Do NOT perform work
Do not affect process time
Control sequence flow:
Directs flow
(based on logical condition or event occurrence)
OR
Splits flow (generates additional / alternative
paths) OR
Merges flow together
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-26
Gateway types in the BPMN
Types:
Exclusive Or: Only one path can be
followed – based on data condition
Only one answer / condition can be true
Parallel (aka “and”): All paths are
taken (no question is asked)
All paths must reach end event for
process to complete
Inclusive Or: One or more paths can
be followed
One or more answer / condition can be
true
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-27
Exclusive gateway with
conditions and default flow
This is the default
path to take if risk can
not be evaluated or if
it is not low or
medium!
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-28
Exclusive gateways realizing a
loop
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-29
Example involving the parallel
gateway
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-30
Example of an inclusive or
gateway
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-31
Handling Data
Notational elements regarding data
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-32
BPMN Prepares Solicitation
BPMN: Data Objects Input
Activity A
Ouput
For Analysis For Execution
Visual representation of Should be re-used
artifacts used in a process throughout the process
Types:
Input
Output
Single Data Object
Use references to reflect
Multiple / collection of data different states
Examples
Sales order from customer
[received]
Life of data object is tied
Sales order from customer to life of process (or sub-
[fulfilled]
Purchase order to supplier process) in which it’s
referenced
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi
1-33
Process diagram involving
data objects
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-34
Modeling IT applications?
Model as a lane if system
activities are being
documented
Model as a custom object
/ artifact associated with
activities
Associate user activities /
business processes with
applications
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-35
Outline
1. Business Process Modelling (recap)
2. Business Process Model and Notation
(BPMN)
3. Choreography using BPMN (Extra
Theoretical)
4. Conclusion
Q&A
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-36
Connecting Processes:
Choreography vs. Orchestration
Choreography is concerned with describing the external visible
behavior of business processes, as a set of message exchanges
Like the ballet or choreography dancers, each performer perform
independent of the other, exchanging movements or “message flows”,
while knowing their exact role and time to perform action.
Events that happen based on triggers
The communication messages and events with external / public
participants and other business processes
Orchestration deals with describing how a number of activities, 2 or
more, cooperate and communicate with the aim of achieving a common
goal of value for the customer / organisation
Like the maestro, guide the conduction of the business process and
sequences of activities in the workflow
Activities that follow a strict sequence to serve a common business goal
The main internal workflow in a single business process
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-37
Choreography Example
[Link]
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-38
BPMN Events
Events in a business process can be partitioned into three
types, based on their position in the business process:
Start events are used to trigger processes,
Intermediate events can delay processes or they can be triggered
during process executions.
End events signal the termination of processes.
There are obvious connection rules associated with these
events. Start events have no incoming edges, end events
have no outgoing edges, and intermediate events have both
an incoming and an outgoing edge
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-39
BPMN Events (Messages)
Something that happens during a process
Affect flow of process
Have a cause and/or reaction
Examples:
Activity starts or ends
Message arrives
Change of state in document
Placement in diagram
Stand alone:
Catch: wait for signal, then proceed
Throw: send a signal, then proceed
Boundary:
Catch: wait for a signal
Interrupt activity and redirect flow
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-40
BPMN Events
Start: Single circle: Starts the process
Intermediate: Double circle: Occurs
during process
End: Single bold circle: Ends the
process
BPMN Dealer Quote
• Throw / send events: Black icon Send
Trigger is sent when token reaches event
BPMN Dealer Quote
Token immediately moves along sequence flow
• Catch / receive events: White icon Receive
Token stops at event and waits for trigger
Token moves along sequence flow after trigger is
received
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-41
Events II
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-42
Black-box
Throwing and catching events Process
Annotations just for
explanation purposes,
not needed!
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-43
Business Process Example
with Timer event Here we model this as orchestration in the
same pool although we could model it as a
choreography with the client in a separate
pool!
You can also use an
event to create delay in
the process with a clock
symbol
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-44
Using markers to identify send
tasks and receive tasks
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-45
Collaborating business processes
with public process of the Supplier
Black-box
Process
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-46
Collaborating business processes with
public processes of both partners
White-box
Process
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-47
Outline
1. Business Process Modelling (recap)
2. Business Process Model and Notation
(BPMN)
3. Choreography using BPMN (Extra)
4. Conclusion
Q&A
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-48
Process Modeling Guidelines
Modeling of value-adding activities (usually not
coordinating, search or information activities)
Separation between two activities if there is
change of performer
change of processed object
change of responsibility
Modeling of organizational structures /
participants using the swim lanes and pools
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-49
Material
Book
Mathias Weske. Business Process Management: Concepts, Languages, Architectures,
Springer, The Netherlands
BSIN 103 - GIU - Dr. Ayman Alserafi 3-50
THANK YOU FOR
YOUR ATTENTION
NEXT WEEK: Business Process
Reengineering (BPR)
NEXT TUTORIAL: BPMN Lab
