What is Business Process Model and Notation - BPMN?

When it comes to graphically capturing operational flows in a company, many people are faced with a dilemma when choosing a methodology.
Although it may seem simple to trace a process step by step, the truth is that there are several ways to represent it and, without an appropriate tool, documenting it clearly and efficiently can become cumbersome and complex. For those who are just starting out in procedure analysis and mapping, the wide range of possibilities offered, for example, by a tool like Microsoft Visio could be overwhelming, and the lack of familiarity with technical concepts further complicates the selection.

BPMN or Business Process Model and Notation stands out as a viable option in this context. Unlike other similar methodologies, BPMN was specifically designed to represent business processes in a clear and standardized manner. What does this mean exactly? It doesn't matter if you're an expert analyst, an experienced developer, or a supervising project manager; BPMN provides a visual language that is understandable to everyone. However, it's understandable that someone who hasn't heard of BPMN before has doubts about whether it's really the right tool for their needs. Although at first glance it might seem like an overly simple solution, BPMN offers advanced functionalities that meet even the most demanding demands. At the same time, its learning curve is not as steep as that of other, more difficult methods.

This article aims to clear up those doubts. Here, I will explain what BPMN is, how it differs from other process mapping techniques, and, most importantly, when and why you should consider it the best option to visualize and optimize your workflows. If you’ve tried mapping processes before and haven’t achieved the expected results, this methodology might be exactly what you need.



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What is BPMN?

BPMN, as mentioned above, is a widely used methodology for the graphical representation of business processes. Its main objective is to provide a standard and understandable way to model and communicate business processes at both a technical and business level. The advantage of BPMN is that it provides a visual notation that is easily understandable to all participants in a project, whether they are business analysts who design the process in a complex way, developers who implement the solution in a thorough way, or even executives who need to deeply understand the organization's workflow. In addition, BPMN offers the possibility of graphically representing different types of tasks, events and flows within a business process in a clear and simple way, achieving effective communication between all stakeholders.

The BPMN diagram is composed of various graphical elements that represent different aspects of a process. These elements include activities, decisions, events, and flows, like what happens with flowcharts.

The Symbolism of BPMN

Unlike other process mapping symbols, BPMN is characterized by being very simple and standardized, ensuring that the learning curve to adopt it is short. Each symbol in BPMN has a specific meaning. For example, activities are specific tasks or jobs carried out within a process. Events indicate what triggers or ends a process. Flows, in turn, show the sequence in which activities occur and how they relate to each other. Additionally, BPMN incorporates additional elements, such as gateways and participants, allowing for modeling of more complex and interactive scenarios.

Most Used Symbols in BPMN

Below are the most used symbols in this methodology.

Comparison of BPMN with Other Methodologies

BPMN is distinguished from other process mapping methodologies due to its emphasis on standardization and its ability to be understood by different actors within an organization. Unlike other process mapping techniques, such as traditional flowcharts, process maps, or data flow diagrams, BPMN offers richer and more accurate notation that is specifically designed to represent business processes in a formal and detailed way. However, the complexity of its specification sometimes makes it difficult to adopt and generates confusion regarding its scope.

Also, as it is a versatile tool designed to model processes of a very diverse nature, the lack of guidelines that guide its appropriate application to each case can lead to excessively generic or unnecessarily complex designs, which reduces its practical usefulness. However, when applied following good practices and considering the particularities of each organization and process, BPMN proves to be a powerful methodology capable of substantially improving the management, execution and automation of workflows.

Conventional flowcharts are simple and intuitive for users with no experience in advanced notations. However, they lack the ability to represent complex events, conditions that require decision-making, or interactions between diverse actors, something that BPMN can accurately model. While flowcharts are useful for linear and simple processes, BPMN is more appropriate for capturing intricate processes involving multiple participants, choices, and interlocking events.

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Conventional Flowchart

Another widely used methodology is the data flow diagram (DFD), which focuses more on the path that information takes within a system than on specific activities or tasks. The DFD is useful for mapping how data moves between different entities in a system, making it particularly suitable for the analysis of computer systems or processes. On the contrary, BPMN not only demonstrates the flow of information, but also the activities, events, and decisions that occur within the process, making it a more comprehensive tool for action-oriented business processes.

Process maps, on the other hand, are a more abstract representation of business processes. They typically focus on the key steps of a process without going into too much detail about conditions or alternative flows. While they are useful for getting an overview of the process, they lack BPMN’s ability to model complex situations or detailed scenarios. BPMN is superior when a deep and technical understanding of the process is required, whereas process maps may be better for executive presentations or for communicating the general aspects of a workflow.

Process maps

When to Use BPMN

In terms of choice, BPMN is the best choice when accurate and standardized notations are required for complex processes, especially in environments where it is important for both technical and business teams to understand and collaborate on the definition of the process. It is also ideal when you want to automate business processes, as its level of detail allows processes to be implemented seamlessly into business process management systems (BPMS). In addition, its standardized structure provides a solid basis for the exchange of process information between various tools.

On the other hand, methods such as traditional flowcharts or process maps may be more appropriate for simpler projects, for basic teaching, or when a quick and general understanding of the workflow is sought, without needing to delve into operational or technical details. Below is an example of a simple BPMN diagram.

Advantages of Using BPMN

The great advantage of BPMN is that it allows you to standardize the way in which business processes are described within an organization. By achieving this standardization, it facilitates transversal collaboration between the various areas of the company, since all those involved can interact through a standardized visual language. This not only streamlines internal communication, but also contributes to visualizing operational inefficiencies, optimizing work routes and aligning daily actions with the strategic objectives set by management. In this way, the company ensures that its core processes are perfectly enunciated and directed towards the fulfillment of specific goals, which is essential to succeed in the context of increasing competition.

BPMN is also widely used for process automation because it allows workflows to be accurately and clearly represented, making it easier to implement those processes in automated systems such as business process management platforms. These technological tools help improve efficiency by minimizing human errors that could occur if the processes were carried out manually. However, when automating it is also important to consider that sometimes unforeseen events arise that require flexibility to make the necessary adjustments, so the human factor is still relevant in the supervision to ensure the correct functioning of the system.

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BPMN certainly provides an effective tool for those focused on optimizing business processes. Its ability to standardize the way workflows are represented not only clarifies intra-organizational understanding but also makes it possible to detect areas for improvement and boost productivity. Throughout the article we have appreciated how BPMN differs from traditional methodologies such as flowcharts, providing a degree of detail and adaptability that makes it conducive to complex and dynamic processes. At the same time, its flexibility allows the presentation of concepts in an original way, capturing the attention of the public due to its simplicity.

For those who want to implement a solution that can be used both on a technical and business level, BPMN offers the perfect balance. Its adoption is especially recommended in projects where process automation is sought or where collaboration between different teams is indispensable to achieve the desired results. By understanding and applying BPMN correctly, you can better align your operations with your strategic goals, reduce costs, improve communication, and achieve greater organizational agility. If you are evaluating how to improve the management of your processes, BPMN should be among your top considerations.

Sources

The illustrations were taken from Lucidchart https://www.lucidchart.com/ and from Interfacing https://www.interfacing.com/ which are tools where you can create BPMN models.