ARIS Modelling Conventions

Ana,

ARIS modelling conventions have two parts (even when not explicitly stated in the TOC):

1. Enforced – for reference
2. Not enforced – to be complied with.

Those belonging to (a) are implemented by the ARIS configuration, mainly method filters but also templates, fonts and languages. In order to be easily maintained in Conventions manual, they should be extracted by means of reports

Those belonging to (b) normally include:

• Naming conventions
• Model conventions (e.g. "Don't create process models containing more than 20 symbols")
• Notation conventions (e.g. "Don't use conditional flows in BPMN"; use of implicit events etc)
• Grid

Representation:

• Symbol placement (e.g. "All symbols representing data should be on the left side of the control flow in EPC")
• Rules for change of attribute format outside template and predefined fonts
• Connections (rounding intensity and bridging)
• Use of headers

Let me know if that's of any value.

Hi Ana

Please contact me on suhanda-82@hotmail.com, so that i can share you a convention template 

Regards,

Suhanda 

I'm new on this community and  with Aris. What surprised me is that sharing documents with very useful information (for example a convention manual) is not what I can find here...

Members keep it for themselves... it's not very 2012... share...share...share... 

I hope it wil change...

With kind regards,

Gerwin van Uden

A question for Dr. Ivo Velitchkov (or anyone else who might now): 

You wrote "Connections (rounding intensity and bridging)", as a representational convention. Do you know if it possible to define the rounding intensity and bridging in the template, or if not, if it's possible to set those values for all models on a database with a script? 

We are doing updates of a lot of already modelled processes which have been developed over several years, and we realise now that we want to have a certain rounding and bridging for all  processes in our Architecture, and preferably pre-set the rounding and bridging for all process designers who model in ARIS from this point onwards. 

So that makes me want to include it in our standard company template. I can't find it when editing the template though.

Any ideas?

Cheers,

Magnus

Hi,

I just collected some useful posts about conventions:

http://www.ariscommunity.com/users/rbaureis/2010-03-22-basic-rules-epc-modelling

http://www.ariscommunity.com/users/tito/2010-01-18-aris-convention-handbook

http://www.ariscommunity.com/users/etienne/2010-08-27-bpmn-starter-guide-which-process-type-use

Maybe this helps.

Bye,

Frank

Thank you Frank, it helps

Mr. Magnus,

You should have a look at the script named Format Models.....

Best Regards,

Bob

I have created recently one, this is an overview about the topics included:

Introduction

• Goal and background; goal of the document and background in the organisation why to create a convention document
• ARIS platform; functions implemented in the organisation and why.
• Target group; who is the target group and what competences should they have for easy reading
• Maintenance conventions; process of how the document is maintained.
• Document structure: structure of the document

Process Framework

General explenation of the process framework implemented in the organisation. In most cases this is tool independant and is used further in the document to refer to.

General conventions

Conventions that are general and are not for a specific model, object. For example assignment structures.

Convention themes

Dependant on the theme like processen, risks, organisation the specific conventions are explained with the goal of a specific part. Objects, models, properties etc are explained.

This is the structure in a nutshell but one thing is very imported to keep in mind: make sure the user community in you organisation is known in the development of the document. This will save you lots of the afterwards when the document needs to be accepted.

Hope this will help, if any questions arise please ask.

Bob, 

thank you very much for pointing that script (report) out! I had looked there before but I guess I was  selecting it from a Group then, it only shows up when you select it from a Model (or Find and search for any model, select all to do it on multiple models).

The Format Model report also can re-apply the template to all the selected models, this is great for anyone doing convention updates, as a re-application of the Template on the models is needed when you have changed the Template. 

Frank, good stuff with the links, thanks! 

Best Regards,

Magnus