BPMN 2.0 Study Guide
Explore every element of the OMG BPMN 2.0 specification: events, activities, gateways, data, swimlanes, connecting objects and artifacts. Each element includes a definition, when to use and avoid it, realistic business examples rendered as live diagrams, and a short FAQ. Use search (Cmd/Ctrl + K) to find any element quickly.
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Events
Something that happens during the process: start, intermediate or end. Each event combines a type (message, timer, error…) with a position. See the full matrix of valid combinations.
37 elementsActivities
Work performed in the process: tasks (atomic) and sub-processes (compound), plus the loop, multi-instance and compensation markers.
17 elementsGateways
Control points that split or merge the flow: exclusive (XOR), parallel (AND), inclusive (OR), event-based and complex.
6 elementsData
Elements that represent process information: data objects, inputs/outputs, persistent data stores and collections.
5 elementsSwimlanes
Containers that organize who does what: Pools (participants), Lanes (internal roles) and black-box Pools (external participants).
3 elementsConnecting Objects
The lines that connect elements: sequence flow (internal ordering), message flow (communication between Pools) and association (artifacts).
3 elementsArtifacts
Documentation elements that enrich the diagram without affecting execution: text annotation and group.
2 elements