Communicating The Specification

Current State

The only communication tool documentation of BPMN is the technical specification. This is complicated reading for the business user.

The Outcome

A BPMN Primer should be developed targeted at the business audience, explaining the notation independently of the model interchange concerns. The Primer should be an extensive business explanation of the specification.

 

BPMN Model Tool Consistency

Current State

Current tools implement different portions of the BPMN specification and do so differently. Also, it is impractical to exchange models between tools.

The Outcome

User is able to select any tool and be able to model core BPMN elements, and then exchange the model with other tools.

Magic

Conformance definition and identification of a core set of BPMN elements.

 

BPMN 7.0

Current State

BPMN is a great start

BPMN is immature, but offers the ability for some common understanding and interpretation (high level) of a business process. But the same model could execute differently on different systems—so the semantics associated with the model are not 100% determined.

The Outcome

All of the information necessary to exchange models between Visio, Savvion, Scitor, etc., can be seamlessly interchanged. Teams can produce small models and easily consolidate into one BPMN model—across products, across companies.

The same model could run the same way on different systems. BPDM may address the interchange, and we hope that BPMN 2.0 will close some of the loop-holes.

  

Standard BPMN

Current State

There is too much focus on execution by vendors. We need more attention to compliance on BPMN across tools and effective interchange.

The Outcome

Models move between products without loss of information.

  

BPMNN-BPDM & UI

Current State

Currently you can model systems using BPMN and store same using BPDM. But I can only describe system actions, not user interfaces.

The Outcome

Suddenly, I am able to specify business modes, processes and presentation of data in a single consistent format (tool).

Magic

Ability to specify UI layout before each Activity.

 

BPMN Conformance

Current State

BPMN is a much agreed-to standard, but little attention is paid to conformance. Vendors all implement parts of the spec which do not interoperate. This limits interoperability and thus conformance.

The Outcome

All vendors magically have fully compliant tools that support exactly the same constructs. Full interoperability has been achieve between all runtimes.

The core BPMN is commonly implemented across vendors (PIM) resulting in better interoperability, increased usage and wider adoption.

 

Super Model

Current State

We have many different standards that do very similar things … with different users and use cases. E.g. BPM Developer to XPDL, Software Developer to BPEL. At the moment there is no super model that enablers them to collaborate without changing to a single model and giving up my preferred model … ?

The Outcome

We have a “super-model” that enables me to define a solution as a collection of collaborating models that my precise requirements without the need to get into transformation and round-tripping.

 

BPMN Participation in an MDA Project

Current State

A BA works with the business and produces a business process diagram in Visio. The BA hands it over to an application developer who interprets the workflow diagram into a UML activity diagram, then sequence and class diagrams. Finally the developer adds enough detail to generate code via MDA. But the code might not satisfy the original BA Visio Model.

The Outcome

The BA produces a business process model using BPMN on the same tool. The developer will use in the MDA flow. The Developer applies a transform, which produces UML Activities, candidate classes and objects and all BPMN elements can find their way into the UML model as appropriate. Code is generated via MDA. Code fulfils the needs of the defined process.

 

Granularity of BPMN Usage

Current State

BPMN is still slow to be accepted by end-user organizations, although it is being incorporated into most BPM/BPA tools. This is due to two problems—organizations don’t understand the benefits of notational standards; learning the entire set of BPMN elements is intimidating.

Magical Outcome

Magic is likely educational in nature. The result is the wider usage of BPMN for process modeling but with a smaller set of the elements (e.g. the basic shapes) if the process isn’t intended to be executed. General understanding of what and how to use the fully detailed BPMN for “visual coding” versus less detail for modeling only.