Process Patterns in BizAGI

1. Process Patterns in BizAGI

2. Overview • Types of events • Types of gateways • Design patterns • list

3. Events • Fire as a result of something happening • A message is received • A period of time elapses • An exceptional conditional arises • We typically perform an action in response to an event

4. Event Types • Message – Arrives from a participant • Timer – Process starts at a period in time • Rule (conditional)– Triggers when a rule becomes true

5. Event Types (2) • Link – Connect the end event of one process to the start of another process • Multiple – Multiple ways of triggering the process • Exception – An error • End events

6. Message Events • Messages are typically sent by one participant and received by another • Send sales order information that is received by accounting to check credit • The event can be thrown or caught • Sending a message means throwing a message • Receiving a message means catching a message • See MessageThrowCatch in EventSamples

7. Message Throw Catch Example

8. Timer Events • The event fires a specific time or cycle • Only applicable to start or intermediate events • In BizAgi, use the Element properties to set the timer to a date or cycle • Examples • Time delay to approve credit • Wait for payment date • Start payroll process every two weeks • See Timer in EventSamples

9. Conditional Events • Events that fire when an external condition becomes true or false • Process A/P checks on Mondays • We could also implement this as a timer • Inventory below threshold – generate order request • Only applicable to start or intermediate events • See Conditional in EventSamples

10. Gateways 1 • Gateways are used to depict decisions or merges • Types • Exclusive (XOR) • Only one output (alternative) flow is allowed • Gateways diverge or converge • Inclusive (OR) • A default output flow must be specified • Parallel for / join (AND)

11. Gateways (2) • Event-based gateways • These are (Exclusive) gateways that rely on external messages

12. Gateway – XOR Example • Exclusive XOR Decision • See ExclusiveGatewayin EventSamples

13. Gateway - OR • Inclusive OR decision

14. Gateway – Example 3 • Parallel Forking – All sequence flows drawn out of the gateway are taken

15. Processes and Tasks • A process is a network of steps • A process can be marked as having a sub-process • To mark an activity has having a sub process, right-click the activity and click Transform to subprocess

16. Sub Processes – Illustration (1)

17. Data Objects • First, we are not talking about a database or physical data • We are talking about information about a process • Data objects are attached to a sequence or message flow with a dashed line

18. Data Objects (Illustration)

19. Text Annotation • Contains descriptive text about a process • A line connects the annotation to the activity

20. Workflow Patterns (Introduction) • In this second section of the lecture, we talk about simple and complex workflow patterns • Much of this is derived from the AIFB paper (Modeling Workflow Patterns) in this lecture

21. Sequence Pattern • Tasks are executed in sequence (one after another)

22. Parallel Split • This is a logical AND gateway • The parallel branches are executed concurrently

23. Parallel Split (Example)

24. Synchronization • Two or more different branches get merged into a single branch • All merged branches must be completed before the process can continue (Implied) • Synchronization can occur because of a parallel split

25. Synchronization (Illustration)

26. Exclusive Choice • Here, we are making a decision with mutually exclusive outcomes • (Only one outcome is possible)

27. Exclusive Choice (Example)

28. Simple Merge • A point in a process where two or more branches are merged into a single branch • The initial branches are created via some type of choice

29. Simple Merge (Example)