BPMN diagrams

You can use BPMN to represent internal and external processes, and collaborations that can help identify both efficiencies and problems in a business process. BPMN diagrams provide a common notation that all stakeholders in the business model can understand, from business analysts, to developers to business managers. In the following image, a BPMN diagram is used to describe a single process.

Collaborative BPMN diagrams and BPMN models

You can use BPMN collaborative models to model the messages that occur between business processes or between different organizations. In BPMN diagrams, pools distinguish processes, and messages represent the information that moves from one process pool to another. Typically, BPMN models model a single process. However, a BPMN diagram can reference additional processes by using call activities.

In the following image, a collaboration BPMN diagram describes the process that occurs between the Bank and Customer participant or pool.

You can use BPMN in an organization to model internal processes. The level of detail that you include in a BPMN diagram depends on its purpose, and can be simple or complex. You can also use BPMN models to represent external processes and refine those processes in a service model to represent a service that the business provides.

Choreography and collaboration BPMN models

Choreography BPMN models focus on the coordination of interactions of participants in the model. Choreography BPMN models provide details of the exchange of messages between participants. In contrast, collaborations remain focused on the work occurring within a Pool, while a choreography occurs outside of a pool and requires two participants.

A choreography model can be contained within a BPMN collaboration. A BPMN collaboration model focuses on work performed by each Pool and in turn each Pool can pass messages between each other. A choreography model furthers these messages by adding tasks, sequence, and establishes the interaction and interface between the two participants more fully.

Service models

You can use service models to refine BPMN models by using existing elements in the BPMN model to create capabilities, participants, and service interfaces. Service models provide more detail about the service that the business process provides. You can transform BPMN models into code that developers can use to create the services that you refined from the BPMN model.