BPMN (Business Process Model and Notation) is a standardized graphical notation for modelling business processes. It is used to visually represent processes and workflows within a company or organization. BPMN makes it possible to document complex processes in a clear and understandable way so that both business professionals and IT experts and other stakeholders can understand them.
BPMN uses a variety of symbols to represent different aspects of a process. The most important ones include:
Events are states or situations that influence the course of a process. They are represented by circles and can be of different types:
These represent tasks or work steps that are carried out during the process. They are represented by rounded rectangles.
Gateways define decisions or branches in a process. They control how the process continues based on certain conditions. They are represented by diamonds and include
These show the order in which the activities and events take place. They are represented by arrows:
These offer a way to represent different participants or organizational units:
BPMN is an extremely helpful tool for modeling and analyzing business processes. It enables a clear and comprehensible representation of complex processes, promotes communication between different departments and supports the optimization of business processes. Thanks to its standardized notation, BPMN ensures that everyone involved – from specialist departments to IT teams – develops a uniform understanding of the process, which leads to better collaboration and more precise implementation of projects. In addition, BPMN provides a foundation for workflow automation as it facilitates seamless integration with Business Process Management Systems (BPMS) and other software solutions. The visual modelling of processes not only promotes the identification of inefficiencies and weaknesses, but also enables continuous improvement through regular adjustments and optimizations based on the insights gained. In an increasingly digitalized and dynamic business world, BPMN is therefore an indispensable tool for making companies more agile and competitive.
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