spiff-arena/docs/appendices/bpmn_terminology.md

# BPMN Terminology



## Activity

Refers to the work carried out by an individual or an organization within a process. Activities can be classified into three categories: Task, Subprocess, and Call Activity. These activities can be either atomic or non-atomic. Atomic activities are indivisible and represent single tasks, while non-atomic activities involve multiple steps or subprocesses that work together to achieve a larger objective.

## Boundary Event

Refers to an event that can be triggered while an activity is in progress. Boundary events are utilized for error and exception handling purposes.

## BPMN Model

A visual depiction of a business process that is designed to be both human-readable and machine-readable, typically represented in XML format.

## Business Process

A sequence of interconnected activities conducted by individuals and systems, following a defined order, with the aim of delivering a service or product, or accomplishing a specific business objective. These processes involve the receipt, processing, and transfer of information and resources to generate desired outputs.

## Diagram

The visual platform where business processes are represented and mapped out.

## Call Activity

Refers to the act of a parent or higher-level process invoking a pre-defined or reusable child process, which is represented in another process diagram. This invocation allows for the utilization of the child process multiple times, enhancing reusability within the overall model.

## Collapsed Subprocess

A Subprocess that conceals the underlying process it includes.

## Connecting Element

Lines that establish connections between Flow Elements within a process, creating a Flow. There are four distinct types of connecting elements: Sequence Flows, Message Flows, Associations, and Data Associations.

## Elements

The fundamental components used to construct processes. These elements encompass Flow Elements, Connecting Elements, Data Elements, Artifacts, and Swimlanes.

## End Event

Marks the conclusion of a process. An End Event can result in a Message, Error, or Signal outcome.

## Error

Denotes a significant issue encountered during the execution of an Activity or process, indicating a failure or malfunction in the processing.

## Event

An occurrence within a process that influences the Flow and typically involves a trigger and/or a result. Events can be categorized into four types: Start, Intermediate, End, and Boundary.

## Event-Based Gateway

Marks a specific point within the process where alternative paths are initiated based on the occurrence of an Event.

## Exception

An Event within the process that deviates from the normal flow of execution. Exceptions can be triggered by Time, Error, or Message Events.

## Exclusive Gateway

Denotes a juncture within the process where multiple alternative paths are available, but only one path can be chosen. The decision regarding the chosen path is determined by a condition.

## Expanded Subprocess

A Subprocess that shows the process it contains.

## Gateway

A component that governs the available paths within a process. Gateways can merge or diverge paths, or introduce additional paths based on conditions or Events. There are four types of Gateways: Exclusive, Parallel, and Event-Based.

## Intermediate Event

An event that occurs within the middle of a process, neither at the start nor the end. It can be connected to other tasks through connectors or placed on the border of a task. It evaluates conditions and circumstances, triggering events and enabling the initiation of alternative paths within the process.

## Join

Refers to the process of merging two or more parallel Sequence Flows into a single path using a Parallel Gateway.

## Lane

Subdivisions within a Pool that are utilized to assign activities to specific roles, systems, or departments.

## Merge

The process in which two or more parallel Sequence Flow paths converge into a single path, achieved either through multiple incoming Sequence Flows or by utilizing an Exclusive Gateway. This merging of paths is also commonly referred to as an "OR-Join".

## Message

Signifies the content of a communication exchanged between two Participants. The message is transmitted through a Message Flow.

## Non-atomic Activity

Refers to an Activity that can be further decomposed into more detailed steps or subtasks. A Subprocess is an example of a non-atomic Activity. It is also commonly referred to as a "compound" Activity.

## Parallel Gateway

Indicates a specific point within the process where the Flow divides or merges into multiple parallel paths.

## Parent Process

A process that contains a Subprocess.

## Participant

Refers to a business entity, which can be an organization, department, unit, or role involved in a process.

## Pool

Represents a Participant in a process.

## Sequence Flow

Specifies the sequence and behavior of the Flow Elements within a process.

## Signal

An Event that is transmitted to all individuals or entities participating in a process.

## Start Event

Indicates where a process starts.

## Subprocess

A self-contained and compound Activity incorporated within a process, capable of being further decomposed into smaller units of work.

## Swimlane

A visual representation that separates processes based on the Participants responsible for performing them. Swimlanes are comprised of Pools and Lanes.

## Task

An action performed by a person, an application or both.

## Text Annotation

Provides additional information about the elements in a diagram.

## Trigger

A mechanism that detects and identifies a particular condition or circumstance within a Start Event or Intermediate Event, subsequently initiating a corresponding response.