Creating business process diagram

Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) is a graphical representation for designing and modeling business processes visually. It is a standard for business process modeling, and provides a graphical notation for specifying business processes in a business process diagram (BPD).

A sample business process diagram

Creating business process diagram

When you create a new project in BP-VA, a blank business process diagram named Business Process Diagram1 will be created as a default diagram for process modeling. If you want to create a diagram yourself right click on Business Process Diagram in Diagram Navigator and select New Business Process Diagram from the popup menu.

Create a business process diagram through Diagram Navigator

Assigning IDs to model elements

It is possible to assign IDs to objects in business process diagram. By default, IDs are assigned by following the order of object creation, starting from number 1. However, you can define the format, or to enter an ID manually.

Defining the format of ID

To define the format of ID, open the Options dialog box by selecting Tools > Project Options from the main menu. Select Diagramming from the list on the left hand side, and open the Business Process tab. From there you can adjust the format, and control whether or not to display the ID on diagram, and the position of ID.

Defining format of ID

Below is a description of options.

Option Description Prefix Text to add before the number Num of digits The number of digits of the number. For example, when digit is 3, ID "1" will become "001" Suffix Text to append to the number Show ID option Whether or not to show ID on diagram, and whether to show it as label that attach to a shape, or as text below caption

Options for formatting ID

Showing ID on diagram

By default, ID is just a text property that won't appear on diagram. However, you can make it appear either near or within a shape.

Different looks of a task when ID is not shown, ID is shown as label and ID is shown below caption

To configure how to show ID (or not to show ID), you can either set the global option (refer to the previous section), or set it through diagram's option by right clicking on the business process diagram, selecting Presentation Options >Configure Show ID Options from the popup menu.

To show ID on a diagram

In the Configure Show ID Options dialog box, click on the drop down menu Show ID Options and select if you want to show IDs, and if yes, where to show - below caption or as a label.

To configure the whether or not to show ID

If you selected to show as label, you can adjust in further the position of ID, relative to the shape (e.g. Top right of task) and the rotation.

To make ID of task show as label, position at the left of shape

ID assignment

There are several ways that you can assign an ID to an element, including:

• Through the specification dialog box (Right click on it and select Open Specification... from the popup menu)
• Through the ID label (available only when ID is shown as label on diagram)
• Through the Property Pane

Nested ID

When you draw something in a lane/pool, or to drill down a sub-process into another level and draw something, this forms a nested element hierarchy such like a task is contained by its parent pool. ID is formed nested according to the hierarchy. For instance, while a pool has '3' as ID, its children have 3.1, 3.2... as IDs. You can turn this function on and off.

To turn on or off, right click on a BPD and select Diagram Content > Edit IDs... from the popup menu. At the bottom of the dialog box, check or uncheck the option Sub-Level ID.

Showing process statistic

Process statistic refers to the results of the statistical analysis that can be conducted upon your process. There are three types of figures: number of message flows, total process-costs and the total processing hours.

To show process statistic:

1. Right click on the background of the business process diagram.
2. Select Utilities > Show Statistic... from the popup menu. This opens the Statistic window, like this:
   

   Process statistic

   Below is a description of figures.
   

   Figure Description Number of Message Flows The number of message flows that exist in the current diagram. Total process-costs A summation of costs specified for tasks and sub-processes in the current diagram. Total processing hours A summation of duration specified for tasks and sub-processes in the current diagram.

   Description of figures in process statistic