No Workflows without BPMN 2.0 Modeling Elements
SAP Signavio Process Governance has been developed as a no-code solution to create workflows and importing existing ones based on BPMN 2.0 modeling notation. These workflows are basically processes, executed in a workflow management system.
In order to create workflows, we need to first understand Business Process Modeling language (BPMN). Let's have a closer look at the typical BPMN elements used to create workflows.
What is Required to Create a Workflow?
The images below show Activities, Events, and Gateways. The Events and Gateways are elements from the BPMN 2.0 modeling notation.
Tasks are the core of every process. Within workflows, tasks need to be assigned to actual users or a group of users in order to get executed. Workflows can also trigger other workflows, defined in subprocesses.
Gateways are essential to control the execution flow. Which tasks need to get triggered together? Which branch gets executed based on which condition? Such questions are important in workflows and ensure the right tasks are assigned to people and get performed.
Events are not necessarily required to start or end a workflow, but they are recommended to follow a good modeling style and mark the start 'event' which triggers namely the first task. In return, it's also recommended using an end event describing the goal of the workflow.
Let's Look at an Example
The example below shows the process of booking a business trip. Notice the symbols used for Activities, Events and Gateways and how they are used to model a process.
