In my book DMN Method and Style I find some fault with both The Decision Model (TDM) and the Lending example in the DMN 1.1 spec for delegating definition of a multi-step business decision to a BPMN process model instead of to where it rightfully belongs, a DMN decision model. To me, determining something like Is the loan approved or declined? is a single business decision, whether implemented as a single decision service or split into multiple steps.
Yesterday I tried to explain BPMN to those who don't know what it is. OK, they are probably saying, if BPMN is so great, why do I hear these complaints about it? Yes, that's a good question. First, you need to understand exactly who is complaining. If it's a legacy tool vendor wedded to their proprietary ("much better!") notation, well that speaks for itself. Ditto if it's a gray-haired process improvement consultant whose idea of a modern tool is a whiteboard that prints.
itp commerce has just released a new BPMN Method and Style wizard that automatically creates well-structured BPMN from a simple interview. In my BPMN training, the "Method" is the hardest part because it asks students to describe the process top-down and abstractly, as opposed to the bottom-up "what came next?" format of the SME fact-finding. It's especially hard when you're first learning the shapes and symbols, and have all those label-matching style rules to keep in mind, as well.
In a recent post I discussed the utility of allowing the calledElement attribute of a BPMN Call Activity to be an expression that evaluates to a QName (in BPMN's special usage, a prefixed id) rather than a literal QName value. Tom Debevoise asked what that might look like in the XML and I offered something off the top of my head. But on further reflection, I don't think that would work.
I've set up a special Early Bird discount for my BPMessentials BPMN Method and Style Live-Online class April 22-24. The price is $730 - same as the web/on-demand class - and represents a 36% discount from the regular $1145 price. But you need to act fast: the special price expires on March 28. Click here to register. As always, the class includes a 60-day license to the BPMN tool and post-class certification.
I've worked out the details on the new BPMN Master Class, and here they are: The class will take place live-online on two successive Mondays, June 2 and June 9, from 11am to 4pm ET (5pm to 10pm CET). The first day will present the material, with some in-class exercises, and discuss the homework assignment. Yes, homework! It must be emailed to me prior to the class on June 9, at which time selected solutions will be presented by students and discussed by the class.
My BPMessentials BPMN Method and Style class shows you how to translate process logic from text-based information into BPMN diagrams that are clear, complete, and consistently structured. But how do you get that text-based information in the first place? And what is your purpose for doing so? In most cases, the intent is some form of business process improvement project. And just like the BPMN modeling, that project also needs a methodology.
Learn how to create "good BPMN" that conveys your meaning clearly, correctly, and consistently from the diagram alone. You get that in my BPMessentials BPMN Method and Style training, which includes post-class certification. The next class is Feb 18-20 from 8am-1pm ET / 2pm-7pm CET each day. We will be using the Signavio Process Editor in class and for post-class certification. Signavio is cloud-based, so there is nothing to install. Click here to register for the class, or click here to register for my free January 30 webcast with Signavio's Gero Decker on maximizing the return from your BPM investment with a well-prepared team.
Are your BPM efforts worth all the time and money you’ve put into them? They are if your project teams have been well prepared in advance. Otherwise, probably not. They’re not if you’re still using paper-based flowcharts or a proprietary diagramming notation to capture and maintain the process logic. They’re not, even if you’re using BPMN, the modeling language standard... but your team isn’t using it correctly. And even if you are using BPMN correctly, but the process logic is not clear from the printed diagram, they still are not.
I just found out about the great discounts available for my 2-day BPMN Method and Style training in Chicago October 16-17. Most 2-day BPMN training goes for $1895 and up. Yes that's pricey. But BPM.com, host of my live class at their iBPMS Expo, has some really attractive pricing. If it's just you, the price is $1395 until September 22. Here is the link to sign up. But if two register together, you get a 10% discount.