The BPMN spec contains way over 100 different object types that can be used in the different model types. There are special rules about how to use them, which I will explain in later lessons. This article contains an overview of the available objects.
BPMN Objects Overview
Depending on your use case and point of view, the amount of available object in the different BPMN models might be a blessing or a course. Most likely business people will shy away from the notation and might see it as “too complex”, while technical folks who want to implement a workflow system might welcome the possibilities to express even complex situations in a (relatively) simple way.
However, there is a thin line – due to the openness of the specification in the object definition, as well as the modeling style that allows to express the same thing in multiple ways – for Enterprise Architects who want to standardize on BPMN for the process layer to walk on, since some mappings are not possible or can be only achieved with workarounds.
(BPMN 2.0 poster created by the BPM Initiative Berlin; downloadable at http://bpmb.de/poster)
While posters like the one above provide a good reference for experienced BPMN users, the usage and combination of objects is not included. In addition to this, the specification clusters the objects in two subclasses to reduce complexity for different modeler groups.
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BPMN Objects in the BPMN model types / in ARIS
The following table shows the available BPMN objects in the current ARIS implementation. Please note that the Choreography diagram is not implemented as of ARIS 7.1 SR9 and therefore some object types are missing. Since this is a new model type, the majority of existing users might not miss this at all and use the more commonly used BPMN Process and Collaboration diagrams.
|
BPMN Object |
Symbol |
ARIS Object Type and Model |
Description |
| Pool |  |
Participant; Collaboration/ Conversation/ BPMN Allocation | Pools represent the participants in a collaboration diagram. They are used to show the change of control within the process. |
| Lane |  |
Lane; Process/ Collaboration/ BPMN Allocation |
Lanes can represent multiple things, like roles, org units, systems, or data. They are always part of one pool. However, lanes do not have a singular specific meaning and you have to map them to the “real” objects if you want to do advanced modeling. |
| Event |  |
Event; Process/ Collaboration |
An event is something that “happens” during the course of a business process. These events affect the flow of the process and usually have a cause (trigger) or an impact (result). Events are circles with open centers to allow internal markers to differentiate different triggers or results. There are three types of Events, based on when they affect the flow: start, intermediate, and end. |
| Task |  |
Function; Process/ Collaboration |
An activity is a generic term for work that company performs. An activity can be atomic or non-atomic (compound). The types of activities that are a part of a Process Model are: Process, Sub-Process, and Task. Tasks and Sub- Processes are rounded rectangles. Processes are contained within a Pool. |
| Subprocess |  |
Function; Process/ Collaboration |
see Task |
| Gateway |  |
Rule; Process/ Collaboration |
A Gateway is used to control the divergence and convergence of Sequence Flow. Thus, it will determine branching, forking, merging, and joining of paths. Internal Markers will indicate the type of behaviour control. |
| Message |  |
Message; Collaboration | Messages show the conversation exchange between pools (= participants). |
| Data object |  |
Cluster; Process/ Collaboration |
Data Objects provide information about what |
| Data store |  |
Information Carrier; Process/ Collaboration | See data objects. Data stores save information persistently for this process. |
| Text annotation |  |
Text Annotation; Process/ Collaboration/ Conversation |
Text annotations are a mechanism for a modeler to provide additional information for the reader of a BPMN diagram. |
| Communication |  |
Conversation; Conversation | Communications show the interactions of different participants on a 30,000 foot level. |
| Group |  |
Structural Element; Process/ Collaboration | Groups are artifacts that can group objects logically. |
| Partner Entity |  |
Organizational Unit; BPMN Allocation | Partner entity objects are provided to map pools to org units (that can be reused in other non-BPMN views). |
| Partner Role |  |
Person Type; BPMN Allocation | The partner role allows to map roles in BPMN allocation diagrams. |
Please have a look at this page that holds the table of content of the “Learning BPMN” series here at ARIS Community.
Notes
- Some of the objects are also used in the 1.x BPMN implementation. The table above only reflects the 2.0 implementation – e.g. a pool can be used in a 1.x BPMN process model but not in a 2.0 process model.
- Sub-classes graphic updated on 3/11/11.
Information here on the subclasses is not correct for BPMN 2.0. They may have been taken from an earlier version of XPDL. In BPMN 2.0 spec there is no Simple subclass. Descriptive is your Simple + Descriptive, plus documentation and I think Link was moved to Analytic. Analytic is not everything, but the most commonly used additional elements, like event gateway; intermediate events timer, message, error, signal, escalation, and signal; conditional and default flow, etc. These subclasses are intended to support interchange between modeling tools; only name and id attributes are in the subclass. For executable processes there is another important one, Common Executable, which is in between Descriptive and Analytic but adds support for execution-related attributes and child elements. I am working on "profiles" aligned with these subclasses to make model portability between tools actually possible, in analogy with WS-I for web services. If ARIS is interested in this effort please contact me.
Thanks a lot for this article. Just a small remark: flow objects are missing from the table, althought some of them are possible to use in ARIS 7.1.
Let me share some of my observations:
Although the "Message" object can be used but - unfortunately - not according to BPMN 2.0 specifications, meaning it can not be used by default "to depict the contents of a communication between two Participants (as defined by a business PartnerRole or a business PartnerEntity" please correct me if I am wrong.
An additional missing possibility is to attach annotations to flow objects, this makes a bit harder to create easily understandable models - at least my "clients" got used to annotations on flow objects (previously Visio was used be me).
According to the BPMN specifications:
"The implementations claiming Process Modeling Conformance MUST support the following BPMN packages:
- The BPMN core elements, which include those defined in the Infrastructure, Foundation, Common, and Service packages (see Chapter 8).
- Process diagrams, which include the elements defined in the Process, Activities, Data, and Human Interaction packages (see Chapter 10).
- Collaboration diagrams, which include Pools and Message Flow (see Chapter 9).
- Conversation diagrams, which include Pools, Conversations, and Conversation Links (see Chapter 9)."
A couple things:
1. Certainly the Text Annotation shape is supported in BPMN, linked to any flow element through an association connector.
2. Mr Osztrogonacz points out the paragraph that made "Process Modeling Conformance" unachievable in full in the draft BPMN 2.0 spec. That is why the Descriptive and Analytic subclasses in the final spec are so important. They do not include Conversation diagrams, and they strictly limit the elements (and their attributes and child elements) that a tool must support to conform to the subclass. These subclasses were the subject of the original post. A further note... choreography is not part of Process Modeling Conformance at all. There is a separate conformance class for it. I personally doubt it will ever be widely used.
Attila,
that's true that I "forgot" the flow elements due to the facts that these are no objects in ARIS but are treated differently (as "connections", duh). Be assured that you can use the connections in BPMN models in ARIS as they are defined by the spec (e.g. showing dotted connections between pools and solid conntection in processes/within pools).
There is one exception in regards to how ARIS treats message connections. Here you have to create two connections: one from a pool to the message object and one from the message object to the second pool. You also cannot connect a message to a connection as a "callout" as you can see with the text annotation below.
If you like you can have a look at the "modelling_bpmn_2_0_with_aris" PDF that is included on your installation DVD. It describes how the spec was implemented in ARIS.
To create a text annotation that is connected to an object/connection, you will have to select that object/connection first and then add a text annotation object from your symbol toolbar. It will then connect automatically to that object/connection as shown above.
As an alternative you might want to maintain a connection attribute (e.g. a description or a custom attribute) and then drag and drop it into the model, or use a free text object formatted as a "comment".
Unfortunately I don't have insight in the implementation plan for Choreography models (if and when).
hi,
im new to aris business architect and i have to write a paper about its bpmn support. there is one aspect i need to know: does aris support any kind of methodology? the main point is the camunda bpmn framework, but it could be any other. an additional information that i would appreciate is if there is any possibility to automate a modeled business process by some kind of process engine?
thanks and looking forwand for your answer
Muhammed
Hi,
We have inserted "Free-Form Text" and aligned the text content with objects in the models in Local Data base in ARIS Business Architecture.
After we load the model to Server the text contents alignment are getting misaligned.
Kindly suggest the feature available to avoid "Text misalignment" after loading
@Martin - to create a text annotation that is connected to a connection (message or sequence), select the connection and then click on the text annotation symbol in your symbol toolbar. This will create the line from the text annotation to the connection as shown in the graphics above.
@Muhammad - ARIS supports multiple frameworks/methodologies (e.g. TOGAF, DoDAF, etc.) and the ARIS method is a framework itself. A framework describes the different views and viewpoints of an architecture which will be shown/mapped to available notations (like EPC or BPMN in the process view). So the question will be how you create the drill-downs and levels in your setup and you can use the available BPMN model types for the process view in any way you want. My suggestion though is that you create higher level process models as Value Chain Diagrams and use BPMN only as the lower level notation.
Hi Ronald,
Thanks for update. The points is, we are using "ARIS Business Architecture" and created a EPC Model in Local Database (in laptap) inserting "Free-Form Text" Procedure steps using in text .
We import the model into server. After importing to server, when we check the model in ARIS Business Publisher, we found the Text are getting misaligned. Kindly help to fix the issue.
How can i change the type of BPMN model from BPMN Collaboration model(BPMN2.0) to BPMN Process diagram(BPMN2.0). While importing from Aris Express to Aris Business Architect.
While importing no option is coming, directly it is importing to BPMN Collaboration model(BPMN2.0).
Any Idea???
Regards,
Alok
