BPMN Method & Style with BPMN Implementer's Guide

by Bruce Silver

BPMN 2.0 is the industry standard diagramming language for business process models. The meaning of the business process diagram is the same, regardless of the tool used to create it. But creating models that are correct, complete, and clear demands more than a dictionary of BPMN shapes and symbols. It also requires a methodology for translating process logic consistently into the diagram. And it requires a measure of modeling style as well, conventions that ensure that the process logic is unambiguous from the diagram by itself. In short, "good BPMN" requires a disciplined approach called "method and style."In this book, Bruce Silver explains which BPMN elements process modelers need to understand, in two levels, including exactly where and how to use each element. Level 1 (the Descriptive modeling subclass of BPMN 2.0) is a palette of shapes and symbols largely carried over from traditional flowcharting. Level 2 (the Analytic subclass) expands the palette to be able to describe event-triggered behavior, critical to modeling exception handling.The book explains the real meaning of BPMN's most basic concepts - like activity, process, and end state - essential to using the language correctly, and provides a step-by-step methodology for going from a blank page to a complete end-to-end BPMN model, developed from the top down in a hierarchical structure. From the top-level diagram you can see on a single page exactly how the process starts, its possible end states, what the instance represents, and communications with the Customer, service providers, and other processes. From there you can drill down to see the details of any part of the process. Thie popular first edition of this book was published in 2009 based on the draft BPMN 2.0 specification. This second edition is based on the final BPMN 2.0 specification. Although the diagram elements have changed little since the first edition, both the methodology and style sections have been completely rewritten.The second half of the book, the BPMN Implementer's Guide, is completely new. It puts the focus on the XML serialization of the diagram, for both non-executable and executable process models. It details the BPMN 2.0 metamodel and XML Schema, and describes the BPMN-I Profile, a set of serialization rules that facilitate interchange of BPMN models in the Analytic subclass between tools. It also explains how BPMN 2.0 describes execution-related details, such as process data and data mapping, services, messages, and human task assignment, illustrated with an example executable process created in Bonita Open Solution. It concludes with guidelines for implementers on how to align executable design with business-oriented top-down process modeling.The book is lavishly illustrated with over 100 BPMN diagrams, and the BPMN Implementer's Guide section contains many XML examples as well.Bruce Silver is the leading provider of BPMN training and certification. He has been providing BPMN training since early 2007 and is regarded as an authority in the field.

Genres: Nonfiction, Business, Software

397 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 12, 2012

Reviews

[Slávek Rydval · Rating 5 out of 5]

Výtečná učebnice BPMN, která je podložena mnohaletou praxí a hlavně evidentními zkušenostmi. Autor postupně představuje prvky, které se používají nejčastěji. Jestliže BPMN standard rozděluje modelování procesů na úrovně popisné, analytické a exekuční, pak autor postupuje podobně, ale prvky si do skupin vybírá sám dle zkušeností (s úrovněmi standardu to tak plus mínus sedí, ale ne úplně). To, co mě se hodně líbilo (ale běžného čtenáře může mást), jsou odkazy na způsob zápisu v XML souborech. Pokud čtenář netuší, co je to MOF, tak tyto poznámky nebude chápat, ale může je s klidným srdcem ignorovat. Pro všechny jsou naopak nesktuečně přínostná pravidla, která sice neříkají standard, ale jsou souhrnem best practices. Kdokoliv si s náležitou péčí knihu přečte, dostane více než základy BPMN. Doporučuji.

[Sergey Machulskis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice book if you want to something more than just an overview of BPMN concepts. It shows everything it has but without overloading your brain, making it easy to remember when to use what.

It's called Method and Style for a reason. The book explains how to create a complex BPMN diagram from scratch (that's the Method). It also explains how to create a valid diagram both in terms of spec and readability (that's the Style).

-1 star for being slightly outdated.

[Marco · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book for those of us who *need* to know at least some parts of the BPMN2 specification like the back of our hand. If you're only doing things with BPMN2 via a designer/"drawing" program, this isn't really for you -- unless you want to understand some of the inner workings of the standard. Although I will say that he provides a fairly clear layman's introduction to some of the nuances, so maybe it is for you.

One of the reasons that I am really glad to have read large parts of this book is that the BPMN2 specification (as of January 2013) is not all that precise. There are a few parts of the specification that seem to contradict each other and far more things that are actually not mentioned in the specification, leaving both implementers and users to guess at what the best way to interpret the BPMN2 specification would be.

Mr. Silver, having been on some of the specification committees himself, occasionally drops golden nuggets of information concerning the latter: missing information or parts of the specification that are unfortunately too vague. For that reason alone, the book is worth 4 stars. I would have given it 5 stars if it was slightly more comprehensive -- but my needs in this area as a BPMN2 engine implementer are different than most users.

All in all, a worthwhile companion for those of us who need to know more about the BPMN2 specification.

(I haven't really "read" the whole book, but I've read enough to give an opinion. I expect to continue "reading" it for another 2 or 3 years. )

[Kristofer Carlson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a useful introduction to BPMN. Perhaps the most useful part of it comes with the understanding that BPMN 2.0 is not just another collection of flowchart symbology, but rather that each symbol is just a representation of underlying code. Thus it is not enough to use BPMN symbology, but that the underlying code has to validate. (This is why using Visio to create BPMN diagrams isn't such a good idea; it is too easy to use Visio symbols that look the same, creating diagrams that won't validate and cannot be imported into an SDK or piece of middleware.

[Shawn Fairweather · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of useful information here for those of us that need to brush up on our BPMN compliance requirements for architecture frameworks and process mapping. I would have appreciated a thorough glossary with definitions included in a concise location as to the symbolism used and their meanings but as far as the rest of the book goes, highly informative but a little spread out.

[Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Appreciate the rigor that Silver applies to his methodology, he does a great job of explaining his approach and BPMN in general. Because of this, I may try to attend his training course.

However, unless you're writing a technical integration or tool implementation, nearly the entire second half of the book is unnecessary.

[Amp Tanawat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clear explanation and good examples.

[Nikolay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book with structured information, clear examples and detailed explanations.

[Mitzi Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book if you're in this industry.