IT Chapter 2 - Ariana - BPMN Example PDF

**IT Chapter 2 - Ariana - BPMN Example** Welcome to our second video of chapter two. In this video, we\'ll take a closer look at how we can model a business process. The tool we\'ll use for the process is called the Business Process Model and Notation Modeling, or BPMN for short. With it, business...

**IT Chapter 2 - Ariana - BPMN Example** Welcome to our second video of chapter two. In this video, we\'ll take a closer look at how we can model a business process. The tool we\'ll use for the process is called the Business Process Model and Notation Modeling, or BPMN for short. With it, business processes can be represented graphically as a sort of flowchart. Let\'s assume we\'re a university, and we\'d like to map out a business process called Check Application Documents. Just as a disclaimer, I don\'t know how this business process actually works at our university. I simply made up the steps of this process because it will be easier to understand this way. Step one, we create two pools. In BPMN, one pool always represents one participant of the business process. What\'s important here is that the participants have to be clearly separated from each other in organizational terms. This is important because often, several departments of a company participate in the same business process. But we don\'t want to insert a separate pool for each department. That\'s simply because they are parts of the same organizational structure, the company. Conversely, external customers or external suppliers often participate in a business process. These are completely separate organizational units, and therefore, will create a separate pool for each of them. In our case, for the Check Application Documents process, we will create two pools. The first pool represents the applicant. The second pool represents the university. As you can see, I deliberately made the applicant\'s pool smaller. This is called a collapsed pool. This is what you want to do if you do not want to analyze this process from this participant\'s point of view. Here, we want to analyze the process from the perspective of the university. That is why the pool of the university is much larger. As you surely know, every Olympic swimming pool has several separate swimming lanes, and our pool is no different. If there are several participants in the process within a pool, then each area of responsibility gets its own lane. But instead of calling it just a lane, we\'ll call it a swim lane. Now, let\'s check who exactly at our university is involved in the process called Check Application Documents. First of all, there\'s the entire Department for Digital Marketing. Next, the head of this department also plays a special role here, and this is why she gets her own swim lane. And finally, the Human Resources Department is also involved in the process. And so we create a total of three swim lanes. Each process is initiated with a start event. As you can imagine, the start event is simply the event that triggers the rest of the process. In BPMN, start events are represented by a circle. What would be, from the point of view of the university, the starting point for the application process? It is the reception of an application from someone who is applying for a place at the university. The application always arrives at the Department of Digital Marketing, which is why we mark the starting event here in this swim lane. The circle is in the applicant\'s pool because that is who submits the application and thus triggers the process. Dotted arrows and envelopes show that this is a communication process between two different pools. From the start, get used to starting all events first with a noun, such as application, and then a verb in the past tense, such as received. This is the standard procedure that experts use. So a start event is now present, and this triggers a series of activities. An activity is always a task that is performed by one or more people, but also by an IT system, for example. In BPMN, every activity is visualized as a rounded rectangle. Activities are generally connected to other elements by an arrow that shows the sequence flow. The first thing the Department of Digital Marketing must do is to check the formalities of the application. Specifically, it checks that the applicant has uploaded all the documents and the data required by the department. There are also naming rules here. Get into the habit of first creating a verb in the imperative, followed by a noun. We therefore call this activity check formalities. Now there are, of course, only two possibilities. Either all requested documents were delivered, or they were not. Depending on which of these scenarios occurs, the Digital Marketing Department will have to proceed differently. We show this with a gateway. A gateway is always a decision point. Depending on the decision of the process participant, the further course of the process can go in a different direction. The gateway we will use in this case is an XOR gate, and it looks like this. It indicates that the process participant may choose exactly one of the options. So either all required documents are available, or all required documents are not available. Both at once is not possible. That would be illogical. If the applicant is like all of you, then she has already sent all the necessary documents in the initial application. Then this arrow here leads us to, what? Another XOR gate again. Does this mean that there will be another either or decision to be made? No. We also use gateway symbols to indicate that the different branches have now come together again. So gateways mark both the beginning and the end of a branch. But what if everything was not submitted correctly in the beginning? What if documents are still missing? Then the Department of Digital Marketing must request them by email. The communication between the pools is once again represented by a dotted arrow. This is an example of a message flow. Now the applicant sends us something, hopefully the outstanding documents. We show this with this dotted arrow. Then our next activity is, we check if everything fits now. This is once again an either or situation, so we need a new XOR gate. If all documents have actually been submitted, then the process will continue. But if there are still documents missing, then with this arrow, the process will take us backwards and we will request the missing documents again. We play through this loop over and over until all documents are available. Then we continue here. The Department of Digital Marketing sends the applicant a confirmation that all necessary documents have been received. The dotted arrow shows again that communication has taken place between two pools. And now three things happen at the same time. The department sends the applicant an information brochure about the course of studies. At the same time, the personnel department of the university examines whether the applicant fulfills all legal conditions for a participation. And the head of the department uses the application documents to check whether the applicant is suitable for the program. Here, we also use a gateway. But this time, the gateway is not an exclusive XOR gateway, which is only either or, but an AND gate. And that means that not only one of the following branches must be passed, but all. This is what we show. The approach of the department and that of the human resources should now be clear. The department sends out an information brochure and the human resource department checks the legal requirements. This AND gate then marks the end of the two branches. The head of the institute who checks the applicant\'s qualifications has a little more leeway in her approach. In any case, she will check the application documents. Then, however, she has a few more checking options at her disposal. She can consult with colleagues, contact an applicant\'s references, or look at an applicant\'s LinkedIn profile. She can do one of these things, several, or even all three. So we are again faced with a decision and create a gateway. This time, it is an OR gate. With an OR gate, there is much more leeway than with an XOR gate and the AND gate. With the OR gate, at least one option must be selected, but several options, or even all of the options, can be executed. The department head can decide this from instance to instance, so it always depends upon the situation. Good. All three process participants carry out their tasks and this AND gate is also where the branch of the department head comes to an end. And now, at the end, there is again an either-or possibility. At the end, there is again an either-or possibility. After extensive examination, the Department of Digital Marketing will either conclude that the applicant will be invited for a personal interview. So once again, we need an XOR gate with two branches that look like this. And so we come to the end of this business process, which we mark with this final event symbol. Again, a circle. This example contains the essential elements of the BPMN notation. Of course, business processes can be much more complex than what we have done here, but this example should have given you an understanding of the general way BPMN notation is used in process modeling. See you in the next chapter.