expanded subprocesses and lanes used for roles

[cm]

I have yet to see a truly satisfactory answer to several questions
posed about using lanes to denote roles in an expanded subprocess.
Quoting the spec might seem to be a reasonable way to answer such
inquiries, but it does not help solve modeling problems.

In my case, I am depicting several sequenced collapsed subprocesses
in
a pool which represents a department (there are no lanes depicted on
the top-level diagram). Next, I want to show an expanded subprocess
for each collapsed subprocess on a separate page/diagram. However, I
want to use lanes to depict roles in the expanded subprocess showing
which activities in the subprocess are associated with that specific
role (lane).


However, since, in my case, the subprocess is not reusable, according
to the 1.2 spec, it cannot contain pools or lanes. Okay then, how do
I
denote different roles inside the subprocess?


Can I include a pool with the same name (i.e., department) on another
page/diagram which now contains lanes for the roles involved in the
subprocess and then "lay" the expanded subprocess on top of the
lanes?


I am not asking a tool question here. I am just modeling a process.
However, I am trying to conform, if possible, to the spec.


If the solution implied by my question is not allowed, how do you
model an expanded subprocess with activities performed by different
roles in the enviornment you are modeling?


Thanks,
Carl

[Antoine Toulme]

Simply put: you can't.

BPMN 2.0 has a process encapsulation mechanism to make it possible.

Antoine

> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "BPMN Users Group" group.
> To post to this group, send email to bpmn-use...@googlegroups.com.
> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to bpmn-users-gro...@googlegroups.com.
> For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/bpmn-users-group?hl=en.
>

[cm]

Antoine,

> Simply put: you can't.
>
> BPMN 2.0 has a process encapsulation mechanism to make it possible.
>

I am not familiar with BPMN 2.0. It would be most helpful if you could
provide a reference to the section of the spec in which this mechanism
is described.

> Antoine
>

Thanks,
Carl

[Antoine Toulme]

Look for collapsed subprocesses and their associated semantics in there.

Antoine

[cm]

> Look for collapsed subprocesses and their associated semantics in there.

Well, I looked at sub-processes briefly; it will take me some time to
parse some of the semantics. If you are familiar with this area, could
you please briefly describe how someone would go about using lanes to
relate roles to activities in an expanded sub-process?

[Antoine Toulme]

I mentioned collapsed subprocesses, because they are used in a very different way from expanded subprocesses.

Did you look at collapsed subprocesses ?

Antoine

[cm]

Perhaps I am not communicating clearly. I need to show the details of
a subprocess. This is what an expanded subprocess allows me to do,
right. I need to know how I can use lanes in conjunction with an
expanded subprocess. Can I include them within the boundary of an
expanded subprocess? Or can a subprocess span multiple lanes (i.e.,
the boundary of a subprocess is contained within a set of lanes)? How
will looking at collapsed subprocesses help me answer these questions?
If you cannot answer my question, perhaps someone else might be
willing to(?).

[Graham Crosmarie]

From the last schema available on the OMG website (http://www.omg.org/
spec/BPMN/2.0/Beta2/ Semantics.xsd) :

<xsd:element name="subProcess" type="tSubProcess"
substitutionGroup="flowElement"/>

<xsd:complexType name="tSubProcess">

<xsd:complexContent>

<xsd:extension base="tActivity">

<xsd:sequence>

<xsd:element ref="laneSet" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded"/>

<xsd:element ref="flowElement" minOccurs="0"
maxOccurs="unbounded"/>

<xsd:element ref="artifact" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded"/>

</xsd:sequence>

<xsd:attribute name="triggeredByEvent" type="xsd:boolean"
default="false"/>

</xsd:extension>

</xsd:complexContent>

</xsd:complexType>


The line <xsd:element ref="laneSet" minOccurs="0"
maxOccurs="unbounded"/> means that a subprocess can contain a laneSet
ie lanes.
But I have never seen a graphical representation of such a subprocess
and did not found anything in the specifications about this
representation either.

hope it helps,
Graham

[cm]

Graham,
That does help. Thanks! It at least lets me know that it is
"legal" to show lanes in a subprocess. But, as you mentioned, it does
not give guidance on how to draw something like this. I did find an
interesting example that was related on Bruce Silver's site. He showed
a top-level diagram with a subprocess (http://www.brsilver.com/wp-
content/uploads/test2MS-top.png) and then a child diagram showing the
details of the subprocess (http://www.brsilver.com/wp-content/uploads/
test2MS-child1.png). This illustration was used in the midst of an
otherwise unrelated discussion (http://www.brsilver.com/2010/08/23/
bpmn-2-0-from-visio-2010-premium/); however, the discussion took place
within the context of BPMN 2.0. The interesting thing is that the
child diagram did not show an expanded subprocess, though it did
relate activities of the subprocess with lanes. This will work for me
until I can get better acquainted with more of the nuances of BPMN.

Thanks again,
Carl

[Michele Chinosi]

Hi.
Have you tried a quick search on web communities?
Like http://en.bpmn-community.org/ or http://www.businessprocessincubator.com/ ? You can find some explanatory examples or common patterns perhaps hopefully helping you with your problem.
Therefore, maybe the attached article could be interesting for your question.

Michele

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "BPMN Users Group" group.
To post to this group, send email to bpmn-use...@googlegroups.com.
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to bpmn-users-gro...@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/bpmn-users-group?hl=en.

--
Dr Michele Chinosi, Ph.D.
European Commission DG Joint Research Centre
Spatial Data Infrastructures Unit
Institute for Environment and Sustainability
TP 262, I-21027 Ispra (VA), Italy
Work:+39 0332 78 5325
Fax:+39 0332 78 6325
Cell:+39 347 0030613
Skype: michelechinosi
SDI Unit: http://sdi.jrc.ec.europa.eu
My Page: http://ies.jrc.ec.europa.eu/michele-chinosi

gpg fingerprint: DB55 0AC5 69B9 0569 DF4E 8252 0B18 4545 1C9D 0A86

The views expressed are purely those of the writer and may not in any circumstances be regarded as stating an official position of the European Commission.

[cm]

Hi Michele,
I was not aware of the Web communities that you mentioned. I
thought that all one needed was Google groups :-). I will investigate
them further. Also, the article does have relevance for some of the
issues that I am dealing with--particularly showing interaction
between individual roles involved in related parallel activities
(e.g., a meeting, an analysis activity, etc.). I will read it further
during my long (for the US) holiday weekend :-).

Thanks again,
Carl