Appendix A_ Glossary of BPMN Terms

Process

A flow of Activities that perform work. In BPMN, a Process is depicted with a set of Flow Objects (Activities, Events, Gateways), which are connected by Sequence Flow.

Participant

A business entity (e.g., a company, company division, or a customer) or a business role (e.g., a buyer or a seller) that controls or is responsible for a business process as part of a Collaboration between the Participants (Pools) in a Process.

Pools are graphical representations of Participants. They partition a Process from other Pools/Participants. A Pool is not required to contain a Process. The Pool should be named for the Participant it represents or the Process it contains.

Lanes represent resources such as internal roles (e.g., Manager, Associate), or organizations (e.g., shipping, finance).

Activity

This is work that an organization performs. Activities include Tasks and Sub-Processes (defined below). There is not an "Activity" shape, there is a "Task" shape.

Shows the order that Activities are performed by the Process.

• They cannot cross Sub-Process boundaries
• They cannot cross Pool boundaries

Shows communication between Participants (Pools, e.g. from the Process to a customer) and are recommended, though optional. Message flows cannot connect objects that are within the same Pool.

Connects text artifacts to other diagram objects. If Association flow (with an arrowhead), connects Artifacts together with Activities.

Denotes where work is performed by the process.
If desired, after adding a Generic Task to the diagram, use the Diagramming Properties dialog to specify a Task type (e.g. Automated).

Task type: Denotes a task performed by a human with the aid of software.

Denotes a task that is performed without a human.

Denotes a process that is represented as a single activity, that has more detail that is not visible in the diagram. Clicking the plus sign opens the additional detail (opens a separate diagram, vs. expanding in the same diagram).
Collapsed Sub-Processes cannot contain Pools and other repository diagrams should not link to the content in a Collapsed Sub-Process. We recommend you use a Call Activity Collapsed Sub-Process instead, linked to another diagram.

Denotes a Sub-Process where the Sub-Process tasks are shown directly inside the activity; the equivalent of an expanded sub-process.
Sub-Processes can have Ad-Hoc, Transaction, Compensable, and Repeat Type properties set. See the BPMN specification for details.

An activity that represents a call to a globally-reusable Process. The shape may link to another diagram within the repository using the Diagramming Properties dialog.

Controls where the token (or case) flows next; only 1 path on inputs or outputs is used (an 'OR' condition):

Divergence: Represents a decision where the flow can take only one of the paths. The default behavior in the built-in shape library is a Yes/No decision.
Convergence: Multiple sequence flows can also enter an Exclusive Gateway; a token on any line will trigger the Gateway. If there is only one sequence flow exiting the shape then uncheck "Decision" in the shape Diagramming Properties dialog.

Controls where the token (or case) flows next; all paths on inputs or outputs is used (an 'AND' condition):

Divergence: Used to create parallel process flow.
Convergence: When multiple sequence flows enter a Parallel Gateway, the flow is synchronized and does not continue until a token from each of the flows have entered the Gateway.

Controls where the token (or case) flows next; one or more paths are used; commonly a more complex ‘decision’ or synchronization of parallel paths in the process (an ‘AND/OR’ condition):

Divergence: Used to take one or more paths; may take a single path, or may create parallel process flow.
Convergence: When multiple sequence flows enter an Inclusive Gateway, the flow is synchronized and does not continue until a token from each of the flows that can receive a token from any parallel flow from the same originating token have entered the Gateway.

Controls where the token (or case) flows next; will delay the 'decision' until a downstream Event is triggered. Like an Exclusive Gateway, only 1 path on inputs or outputs is used (an 'OR' condition):

Divergence: Represents a decision where the flow can take only one of the paths. The token will flow to the first available (triggered) Event that has a sequence flow line from the Gateway to the Event.
Convergence: Multiple sequence flows can also enter an Event-Based Gateway; a token on any line may trigger the Gateway. 

By default, this Event is added to the diagram without a specific behavior. In the BPMN terminology, this shape is equivalent to the "None" Event.

Denotes the beginning of a process. It's good practice to begin and finish a flow with Start and End Events. To be BPMN compliant, if a Start shape is used then an End shape must also be used.

The dimension (start / intermediate / end) of an Event is automatically chosen by the diagram based on the lines drawn to or from it.

Denotes the end of a process. It is automatically drawn with a thick border.

The dimension (start / intermediate / end) of an Event is automatically chosen by the diagram based on the lines drawn to or from it.

Denotes waiting time in a process flow. Tokens (cases) will collect waiting for the designated time or duration.

The dimension (start / intermediate / end) of an Event is automatically chosen by the diagram based on the lines drawn to or from it.

Within a flow, this shape denotes an event that sends a message to another Participant (Pool). At the end of a flow, the shape denotes where the process sends a message to another process.

The dimension (start / intermediate / end) of an Event is automatically chosen by the diagram based on the lines drawn to or from it.

Can start a process when a message is received from another Participant (e.g. via message from another Pool). Within a flow, as an Intermediate Event, the shape denotes where the process waits to receive a message.

The dimension (start / intermediate / end) of an Event is automatically chosen by the diagram based on the lines drawn to or from it.

This event immediately ends all parallel flows through the process and any sub-process. Because this terminates all processing this event should be used sparingly. Typically, the End Event is used to end a process flow under normal conditions.

The dimension (start / intermediate / end) of an Event is automatically chosen by the diagram based on the lines drawn to or from it.

Provides additional information about the process flow.

An iGrafx object, a comment added to a specific location on a diagram. Annotations can be used for making remarks; e.g., during a review or approval cycle.