BPMN vs EPC

Anning Yeow on March 19, 2021

Hi,

Even though I have performed business modelling using EPC and BPMN, I am still uncertain when comes to usage or in what context using the BPMN and EPC.

I read an article (https://blog.leonardo.com.au/epc-vs-bpmn-reviewing-modelling-notations) and wonder you comprehend of the following questions I had....

Article said
The EPC is most often used to model higher-level business processes. However, there are cases where these have been used for executable modelling. BPMN would be most often better for lower-level process modelling, having been designed to be convertible to Business Process Execution Language (BPEL). So if your company has web services or SOA implemented – or you are in the IT, technology or telecommunications industries – BPMN would be more suited, since it has process automation as a primary focus.

Questions -

1. What does it mean by "higher-level business process"? please give an example.

2. Likewise, what does it means by "lower-level business process"? please give an example.

3. Why the higher-level process is suitable to model using EPC and why the lower-level process is suitable for BPMN?

4. Why BPMN modelling is best suited for modelling company in IT, technology and telecommunication industry?

Article said
EPCs do not support semi-structured processes, whereas ad-hoc sub-processes can be implemented in BPMN. EPC cannot be easily used to describe executable processes.

5. What is "semi-structured processes".

6. Why EPC cannot be used to model an executable process?

7 May I model an organisational business process in the following structure? which one is allowed and which one is not allowed? (Level 4 is a sub-process)

LEVEL 1 (VACD) ----- LEVEL 2 (VACD) ------ LEVEL 3 (BPMN) ------- LEVEL 4 (BPMN)
LEVEL 1 (VACD) ----- LEVEL 2 (VACD) ------ LEVEL 3 (EPC) ------- LEVEL 4 (EPC)
LEVEL 1 (VACD) ----- LEVEL 2 (VACD) ------ LEVEL 3 (BPMN) ------- LEVEL 4 (EPC)
LEVEL 1 (VACD) ----- LEVEL 2 (VACD) ------ LEVEL 3 (EPC) ------- LEVEL 4 (BPMN)

8. Is there other BPM tools that allow EPC modelling or EPC modelling only is possible through ARIS (i.e. Software AG) as it is part of IP under ARIS

Regards,

Anning

Bookmark

Notify Moderator

Best Reply

Alexander Cherednichenko on March 19, 2021 - 09:28

Hi,

The question of "higher/lower" level is not so simple. I'm sure every analyst would see a slightly different view on this question. And it is normal, as we all work with different companies. So there is no one right answer.

Relate EPC vs. BPMN, there is only my IMHO. BPMN works only where you really need to automate processes in BPMS system (1), or your models' "consumer" is at the very same level of qualification (2). The main problem, and it is almost never talked of BPMN-evangelists, is that business-BPMN-model and executable-BPMN-model are absolutely different models. It means that if BPMN model is for business purposes, you would never "execute" it without very serious amendments. So you would always have double-work. I've been implementing BPMS for many years and our strategy on this always was - "business model - in ARIS & EPC, executable model - in BPMS & BPMN". Then you save a lot of your efforts and resources.

If you are going to use BPMN only for business purposes, well, I would not recommend that, IMHO. There is one of my old article about your topic:

EPC vs. BPMN. What notation is better to choose?

Relate tools, I know only local products, as russian's Business Studio, but I'm not sure they copyrighted that usage of EPC notation. There is also EPC in MS Visio, but I would not count this cave-drawing tool.

or register to reply.

Show in context Notify Moderator

5 Replies

Alexander Cherednichenko on March 19, 2021 - 09:28

Best reply

Hi,

If you are going to use BPMN only for business purposes, well, I would not recommend that, IMHO. There is one of my old article about your topic:

EPC vs. BPMN. What notation is better to choose?

or register to reply.

Notify Moderator

M. Zschuckelt on March 19, 2021 - 10:10 as Reply to Alexander Cherednichenko

Spot on, Alexander!

or register to reply.

Notify Moderator

Caspar Jans on March 19, 2021 - 10:14

In addition to Alexnader's comments I would like to add that I see a trend in the market (as well as in our customer base) to migrate away from EPC and move into business BPMN model (not for execution). The model to execute philosophy has (unfortunately, although opinions vary on that) never taken off.

To my opinion, the eBPMN model type is a perfect marriage between the richness of modeling functionality of EPC and the structured modeling approach of BPMN. The biggest disadvantage, if you ask me, of EPC is that it can become completely unreadable very quickly (certainly when the rich EPC approach is chosen). Of course, you can also create very clear and structured EPC models, but using eBPMN it simply is easier to maintain consistency across process models throughout your repository.

After all, the process model is not the only way anymore to consume the information, the STEPS view is gaining popularity quickly.

or register to reply.

Notify Moderator

M. Zschuckelt on March 19, 2021 - 10:58 as Reply to Caspar Jans

Please also take note of the webinar on the upcoming ARIS 10.0 SR14. The features you may already know from Advanced and Elements of modelling your satellite relationships in the fashion of properties is finally coming to the Enterprise Edition as well. This is an option if you find rich EPC too crowded and dislike function allocation diagrams. So from that point of view the choice between EPC and eBPMN is even more open.

I agree that EPC is more adequate for the business point-of-view. You can bring together all the needed resources of the enterprise on the process steps, while the BPMN notation does not have this in the standard. It is a pure process and message flow notation. Everything else you may do with eBPMN is your proprietary sugar.

I have an open-minded customer who took the time to get familiar with both notations and was focused on the business view. Although at first I thought there was a pre-disposition towards BPMN, because one business unit already used that intensively, they eventually decided for EPC in the horizontal table layout!

BPMN as such is very feature-rich in terms of flow logic and IT technicalities. If you want to use it for business processes you have to consciously decide NOT to use most features. Don't even tell the business people about all the features BPMN has. They will get distracted from their business. So when you come to the conclusion, that most of the features are too distracting, you might as well choose for a notation that was made for the target group of business people, giving them the features they need. In BPMN you have to artificially add those to the notation.

or register to reply.

Notify Moderator

Anning Yeow Author on March 21, 2021 - 06:20 as Reply to Alexander Cherednichenko

Hi Alex,

Could you please elaborate on your statement that said:

"our strategy on this always was - "business model - in ARIS & EPC, executable model - in BPMS & BPMN". Then you save a lot of your efforts and resources."

Why business model best use EPC while the executable model better is best reflected in BPMN? What is the difference between a business model and an executable model (an example, will be great).

Also, what is IMHO in your previous statement means?

Regards,
Anning

or register to reply.

Notify Moderator