Drawing a sub-process
- Create a business process diagram, with a start event and a task Announce Proposal. Connect them with sequence flow.
- You can create a sub-process by making use of the Resource Catalog. Move your mouse pointer over the task Announce Proposal.
- Press on the Resource Catalog button at the top right of shape and drag it out.
- Release the mouse button and select Sequence Flow > Sub-Process from the Resource Catalog.
- Enter Collect Opinion as the name of the sub-process and press Enter to confirm.
Forming a deeper process layer
Task and sub-process are both activities in BPMN. Sub-process defers in that it lets you define finer level of process detail by mean of sub-process diagram. Let's try.
- Click on the plus button in sub-process Collect Opinion and then select New Business Process Diagram from the popup menu.
A new business process diagram is created and opened. There is a pair of start and end event. They are there for you to connect the process flow modeled in the parent diagram and the flow to be modeled in this diagram. - Let's create three tasks Receive E-mail, Give General Reply and Forward to Responsible Person in between the start and event event as shown below.
- Now, go back to the upper level by clicking on the shortcut in breadcrumb.
- You may optionally present the sub-process content as a preview in the sub-process shape. Click on the plus button in the sub-process Collect Opinion and then select Expand Sub-Process Preview from the popup menu.
You can see the preview like the image below. If the preview is too small or too big for you, resize the sub-process shape. The preview will be updated automatically to fit the size of the sub-process shape.
Forming a sub-process diagram with tasks
We many group several flow objects in a business process diagram as a sub-process. Let's try.
- Draw a new business process diagram with a start and end event, and four tasks Announce Proposal, Receive Email and Forward to Responsible Person, like this:
- Select the tasks.
- Right-click on the selection and select Form Separate Diagram Sub-Process from the popup menu.
A new sub-process diagram is formed, with the three tasks moved to there:
If you have selected Form Same Diagram Sub-Process, a new sub-process shape will be created, containing the three tasks in-place, without creating any new business process diagram.