How to Draw BPMN Conversation Diagram?
A conversation diagram shows the messages that exchange between participants (pools). In this tutorial, we will create a simple conversation diagram for a logistics system.
What is a BPMN Conversation Diagram?
A BPMN (Business Process Model and Notation) Conversation Diagram is a graphical representation of the interactions and messages exchanged between two or more participants in a business process. It is a type of flowchart that illustrates the sequence of activities and the flow of information between different participants, processes, and external entities.
In a BPMN Conversation Diagram, each participant is represented by a swimlane or a column, while the messages exchanged between them are represented by conversation nodes. Conversation nodes can be of two types: sending (represented by an open circle) and receiving (represented by a closed circle).
The conversation nodes are connected by sequence flows (solid lines with arrows) or message flows (dotted lines with arrows), which represent the order of activities and the flow of information between participants.
BPMN Conversation Diagrams are useful for modeling complex business processes that involve multiple participants, as they provide a clear and concise overview of their interactions. They can also be used to identify potential bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and errors in the process, and to optimize and streamline it for better performance.
Drawing a BPMN Conversation Diagram
- Create a new project by selecting Project > New from the application toolbar. In the New Project window, enter Logistic System as the project name and click Create Blank Project.
- Create a conversation diagram by selecting Diagram > New from the application toolbar. In the New Diagram window, select Conversation Diagram and click Next.
- Leave the diagram name unchanged and click OK to create the diagram.
- Let's start by creating a participant. Select Participant from the diagram toolbar.
- Click on the diagram to create a participant. Enter Retailer as the name and press Enter to confirm.
- Move the mouse pointer over the Retailer participant.
- Press and drag the Resource Catalog icon (at the top right of the shape) to an empty space on the diagram.
- Release the mouse button and select Sub-Conversation Link -> Participant from the Resource Catalog to create a new participant.
- Enter Supplier as the name of the new participant and press Enter. Then, enter Delivery Negotiations as the name of the sub-conversation (the purple shape in the middle) and press Enter again.
- Select Participant from the diagram toolbar again and click below the Delivery Negotiations sub-conversation to create another participant. Name it Consignee.
- Move the mouse pointer over the Consignee participant. Press and drag the Resource Catalog icon to the Retailer participant to create a link between them.
- Select Conversation Link from the Resource Catalog.
- Enter Delivery/Dispatch Plan as the name of the conversation link and press Enter. If the new shape overlaps with others, drag it to a different position to tidy up the diagram.
- Repeat the previous steps to create a conversation link between Consignee and Supplier. Name this communication Shipment Schedule.
- Resize the Retailer and Supplier participants to make them taller.
- Use the Resource Catalog to create a new participant named Shipper from the Supplier participant, with a conversation link in between. Then, create another participant named Insurance from the Shipper participant.
- Continue drawing the conversation diagram until it looks like the one below. You can use the techniques you have learned so far. Note that you can add a line break when naming a shape by pressing Alt + Enter.
- Move the mouse pointer over the Consignee participant. Press and drag the Resource Catalog icon to the empty space below the participant.
- Release the mouse button and select Conversation Link -> Communication from the Resource Catalog.
- Connect the newly created communication, the Consolidator participant, and the Shipper participant with a conversation link using the Resource Catalog.
- Move the mouse pointer over the Carrier (Land, Sea, Rail, or Air) participant. Click on the Resource Catalog icon (don't drag it this time).
- Select Self Conversation Link -> Participant from the Resource Catalog.
- Enter Arrival / Pickup Confirmation as the name of the communication and press Enter to confirm.
- Nearly done. Right-click on the Carrier (Land, Sea, Rail, or Air) participant and select Open Specification... from the popup menu.
- Click on the drop-down menu for Participant and select Create Participant....
- In the Participant Specification window, select Participant Multiplicity as Multiplicity and click OK to confirm.
- Click OK to close the Pool Specification window and return to the diagram. Your final diagram should look like this:
