Building Reliable Process Models: BPMN Events

An introduction to the meaning of Events in BPMN.

This video is a short introduction to the meaning of the shapes but is not an exhaustive tutorial on how to use them.

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Building Reliable Process Models: BPMN Pools and Lanes

An introduction to the meaning of Pools and Lanes in BPMN.

This video is a short introduction to the meaning of the shapes but is not an exhaustive tutorial on how to use them.

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Building Reliable Process Models: Defining Process Scope

Rather than jumping straight into modelling process steps, set out the scope of the process first. Here is a method you can use to do that.

BPMN 2.0: What is it? Why use it?

Before we get into the vocabulary and grammar of BPMN 2.0, let’s have a quick look at what it is and why I think you should be using it for process modelling.

If you find this tutorial useful, please subscribe to my YouTube channel for more. Thank you.

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Defining Process Scope

As a business process modeler, you might find yourself modelling what you think is one process, only to find that it is several processes. This can dramatically alter your estimate of how much effort is required.

I learned this to my cost many years ago. This video outlines my approach to defining the […]

Sizing process complexity

A lot of people think the complexity of a process is about the number of stages and steps it has but it’s not.

I have often seen BAs do an initial analysis of a business process by producing a diagram like this:

This is fine, as […]

Complexity versus Difficulty

On software development projects people have to estimate the effort involved. In doing so, one of the things analysts are asked to consider is the complexity of a process, but it surprises me how often analysts confuse complexity with difficulty.

The two concepts are mutually exclusive. A process can be simple, […]

Introduction to the BPMN 2.0 Level 1 Palette

The slide deck below is an introduction for process modelers to the Level 1 Palette of shapes for Business Process Modelling Notation 2.0.

When I was new to the BPMN palette years ago, I used it as I had used any other process flowcharting palette previously, i.e., I used the shapes […]

Process Model versus Process Map

When it comes to describing business processes BPMN 2.0 is my notation of choice.

This post is about what I mean when I say “process model” and “process map”, so let’s not get hung up on the terms themselves. If you are an advocate of and expert in BPMN and you […]

Collaboration does not equal ochlocracy

Collaboration isn’t some kind of Arthurian round table. It’s not about everyone having their say or having equal weight assigned to their say.

I have no time for the old style of business analyst who spends months crafting 3,000 pages of text (but not a single model) to describe requirements and […]