BPMN 2.

0 Method & Style

BPMN-Level 1 Palette BPMN-Level 2 Palette Elements of BPMN Style
Activity: Work performed in a process Activity: Additional Types and Properties
Task A Task is an atomic Activity, having no subparts Task A Send Task sends a Message. • Make models hierarchical, using Subprocesses to
defined in the model. Level 1 palette distinguishes A Receive Task receives (waits for) a Message. represent Process Levels.
Generic (None) User Task Service Task Call Activity human User Task from automated Service Task. • User labels to make Process logic obvious from the
Task Generic None Task means task type undefined. Send Task Receive Task Fulfil order Out of stock
diagram alone.
A Global Task (of each type) is a call to a reusable Out of stock? • Label Activities Verb-Noun
Subprocess Task definition. Check stock Pick stock Ship order • If possible, label Exclusive Decision Gateways with a
Repeating Activities Collapsed
In stock?
success
yes/no question, and label the outgoing Sequence
Subprocess
A Subprocess is a compound Activity, having Subprocess Expanded at Child Process Level Flows yes and no.
Subprocess A Loop Activity evaluates a true/false condition
A B subparts defined in the model. May be displayed
either collapsed, expanded inline, or expanded at after each iteration; if true, the Activity is performed
Multi-Instance Multi-Instance • Use empty (Black-box) Pools to represent external
Loop Activity again.

Customer
Call Activity a Child Process Level in hierarchical style. Activity (parallel) Activity (sequential) participants.

Customer
Expanded inline Expanded Subprocess inherits Process (Pool) of A Multi-Instance Activity is performed, typically in
parallel, for each item in a list. Loop and • Begin customer-facing Processes with a Message Start
collapsed Subprocess at Parent Level.
Call Activity Event receiving a Message Flow from the Customer Pool.
yes

A B
It must have a None Start Event. Multi-Instance (MI) Activities may be either Tasks Confirmation
request
Confirmation
response confirmed

A Call Activity is a call to a reusable Subprocess or Gateway: Additional Flow Control Pattern or Subprocesses. • Label White-box Pools with the name of a Process; label
Expanded at Child Process Level Notify Black-box Pools with a participant role or business entity.
Global Task definition.
Place Calculate no
customer Cancel
factory order delivery date

Inclusive (OR) Gateway and Conditional Sequence Flow An Inclusive (OR) Gateway represents independent
delivery date
Car unavailable

Order Process
confirmed?

Gateway: Routing logic

Cancel factory order

conditions; all Sequence Flows with a true condition

Factory Ship
order date

are enabled in parallel.

Factory
high amt
Exclusive (XOR) Gateway A Gateway controls process flow. Without a Conditional Sequence Flow (right) is an alternative
Gateway, all Sequence Flows out of an Activity High amt representation without a Gateway.
A ja B are taken in parallel. Exclusive (XOR) Gateway is Special Handling Default Flow (tickmark) means “otherwise,” i.e., no • Model internal process participants (activity performers)
special handling
other conditions are true.

Sales
exclusive decision.

Sales
as Lanes within a single Process Pool, not as separate
Parallel (AND) Gateway means split into Parallel Use OR Gateway to join conditionally parallel paths. Pools.
Paths, or join Parallel Paths.

Order Process
nein
otherwise

Fulfilment
Fulfilment
Parallel (AND) Gateway
(Parallele Verzweigung) (Parallele Zusammenfürhung)

C1 D Event Gateway An Event Gateway represents exclusive choice

Billing
based on the Event that occurs first. Each Gate

Billing
must contain a catching Intermediate Event,
Normal response typically Message or Timer.
C2 • Show Message Flows between Process and all external

Customer
Pools in Top-level Diagram, and show Message Flows

Customer
consistently in Parent- and Child-level-Diagrams.
Event: A Signal that „something happened“ Exception response
Order
Confirmation Confirmation yes

Start Event A Start Event indicates the start of a Process or request response Confirmation
request
Confirmation
response confirmed

Subprocess. A Top-Level Process may have a

3 days
Order car from

Sales
Enter order

Review Car Sales

Trigger representing the type of signal that starts
factory yes Financing Notify
Place Calculate no
unavailable customer Cancel
factory order delivery date
Receive order Car unavailable delivery date
Car unavailable

the Process: Message (external request), Timer

Order from factory? Car unavailable? confirmed?

None Message Timer

Event: Additional Event Types
Factory Ship Cancel factory order
no order date

(scheduled start), or None (manual start). Prepare car for

Prep
delivery

A Subprocess always has a None trigger.

Factory
no

Additional Start Events Conditional Start signifies triggering by a monitored

data condition, such as “low inventory.” Collapsed Subprocess at Parent Process Level Expanded at Child Process Level
End Event An End Event indicates the end of a path in a Signal Start signifies triggering by a broadcast signal
Process or Subprocess. Best to use a separate End Conditional Signal (publish-subscribe integration). Obtain management approval
• Indicate success and failed end states of a Process with
Event for each distinct end state. End Event may separate End Events, and label them to indicate the
None Message Terminate throw a result signal: Message (to external entity), end state.
Terminate (abort Subprocess), or None (no signal An Error End Event in a Subprocess throws a signal
Approve yes
• If Subprocess is followed by yes/no Gateway, match
thrown). All Parallel Paths in a Process or Subprocess Additional End Events request
approved no
Continue
caught by an interrupting Error Boundary Event on approved ?
Happy path
one End Event of the Subprocess with Gateway Label.
must reach an End Event to complete normally. the same Subprocess. no rejected?
Error Escalation Signal Report reason
An Escalation End Event in a Subprocess throws a for rejection rejected

Pools, Lanes and Connectors signal caught by a non-interrupting Escalation

Handle
Boundary Event on the same Subprocess. yes
exception
Pool, Lane A Pool represents a participant in a Collaboration, A Signal End Event broadcasts a signal catchable
an interaction between a Process and the external by any Signal Event.
• All Activities, Gateways, and Events must be connected
Lane 1

environment. A Pool can contain a single Process.

My Process

C
An empty black-box Pool represents an external
C via a continuous chain of Sequence Flows leading
participant. from a Start Event to End Event.
Throwing and Catching Intermediate Events Catching and throwing Intermediate Events have • Do not leave Flow Objects “floating” in the Diagram.
A Lane is a subdivision of a Process, typically
Lane 2

Sequence Flow in and out. A B

representing a performer role or organizational unit. A B
Throwing Intermediate Events (black icon) send a
signal and continue.
Sequence Flow represents orchestration, or flow Catching Intermediate Events (white icon) wait for a
signal, then resume.
• Sequence Flow (or equivalent link event pair) must
Sequence Flow of control within a Process or Subprocess. When

Prozess 1
Message Timer Signal

Process 1
Prozess 1
not cross a Pool boundary.
the node at the tail is complete, the node at the Message Event sends or receives a Message to/ A A A

from another Pool.

• Use Message Flow to link Pools.
arrowhead is started.
Timer Event is a specif ed time delay.
Signal Event broadcasts a signal or subscribes to a

Prozess 2

Prozess 2

Process 2
broadcast Signal. B B B
Conditional Escalation

Message Flow Message Flow represents Collaboration, or inter-

action between Pools in the form of Messages. Link Event Pair A Link Event Pair stands for a Sequence Flow
“go-to,” typically used as an off-page connector. • Message Flow cannot connect points in the same

Employee
Employee
Data It is only allowed where a Sequence Flow would be Prepare Budget
Prepare
Budget pool
nach A. p.2 von A. p.1
A A allowed.
A Data Object represents information stored

Budget Process
Data Object, Data Store, Data Association

Budget Process

Manager
Manager
within a process level. Review no Request
Review budget budget resubmit

A Data Store represents external information

Data store
customer info
Interrupting and Non-Interrupting Boundary Events Boundary Events
Ok?

accessible to the Process. (attached to an Activity boundary) listen for a

Director
Consolidate

Director
Consolidate yes
The Data Association connector represents signal while the Activity is running. If the signal
budget budget

Data Flow. Normal flow occurs, Interrupting Events (top) abort the Activity
Error
and exit on the Exception Flow.
• Message Flow cannot connect to a Gateway.
Data Object Non-Interrupting Events (bottom) trigger the

Claimant
Claimant
order
Exception Flow in parallel with normal Activity
Miscellaneous
Exception flow
completion and exit. Message Event is a signal from
Message Timer Escalation Signal Conditional outside the Process. Timer Event is a timeout.
Text Annotation and Association A Text Annotation is a comment visible in
Info
request

the diagram, linked to a diagram node via an Error and Escalation Boundary Event on Subprocess claim
Info request claim Request
Any comment
no
catch exception signal thrown from the child level
Additional info
Association connector.
of the Subprocess. Review claim
yes
Review claim
yes

Conditional Boundary Event responds to a Receive claim

Complete?
Receive claim
Complete?

Group Group is a drawing aid that visually links enclosed continuously monitored data condition.
• Do not use gateway to merge exclusive alter-
elements. Message B B B native paths into an activity
A Message represents the content of a D D D
• Use AND-gateway to join unconditionally
communication between two Participants. In parallel paths
Documentation Documentation is purely an XML element. • Use OR-gateway to join conditionally parallel
Initial Message Return Message BPMN 2.0, a Message is a graphical object. C C C
It has no graphical representation. paths

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