Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN)

IBM Process Mining helps you analyze your existing processes using the standard BPMN 2.0 business process model. IBM Process Mining uses the actual data from the log files to generate the BPMN model for your business processes. 'Figure 1. BPMN Model' shows the image of a BPMN process model generated by IBM Process Mining for an online ordering and delivery process.

BPMN Model
Figure 1. BPMN Model

Tip: For more information about BPMN 2.0 standards, click here.

To know more about the options and tasks in the BPMN tab, see the following topics:

Creating a simulation

In the BPMN tab of IBM Process Mining, you can create a new simulation or a new version of an existing simulation from the BPMN process model.

New simulation

To create a new simulation of the BPMN model, do the following steps (see 'Video 1. Creating a new simulation'):

  1. Go to the BPMN tab after selecting a process in the Processes dashboard.
  2. Click the Create simulation button.
  3. On the Create simulation dialog, select the New simulation option in the Add to field.
  4. Enter a title for the new simulation in the Simulation title field.
  5. Enter a description in the Description field if any (optional).
  6. Click the Create simulation button to go to the Simulation tab in the BPA page.
  7. To configure and complete the creation of a new simulation on the BPA page, follow the instructions given in the Simulation topic.

Creating a new simulation {: class-responsive}
Video 1. Creating a new simulation

Tip: To exit the Create simulation dialog without creating the simulation, you click the Cancel button.

Existing simulation

To create a new version of an existing simulation of the BPMN model, do the following steps (see 'Video 2. Creating a new version of an existing simulation'):

  1. Go to the BPMN tab after selecting a process in the Processes dashboard.
  2. Click the Create simulation button.
  3. On the Create simulation dialog, select the Existing simulation option in the Add to field.
  4. Select the simulation title from the list of existing simulations in the Simulation title field.
  5. Enter a version name for the new version of the existing simulation in the Version name field.
  6. Enter a description in the Description field if any (optional).
  7. Click the Create simulation button.
  8. To configure and complete the creation of an existing simulation on the BPA page, follow the instructions given in the Simulation topic.

Creating a new version of an existing simulation {: class-responsive}
Video 2. Creating a new version of an existing simulation

Tip: To exit the Create simulation dialog without creating the simulation, you click the Cancel button.

Decision rules in BPMN

In the BPMN tab, you can discover and analyze the decisions taken and the decision rules at each node of activities in your business process. The following topics give you more information about the tasks you need to perform to discover and analyze the decision rules in your business process:

Executing the rules discovery process

To execute the rules discovery, do the following steps (see 'Video 3. Executing the rules discovery'):

  1. Go to the BPMN tab after selecting a process in the Processes dashboard.
  2. Click the Dropdown button on the right side of the Menu bar.
  3. Click the Discovery decision rules option to execute the rules discovery process. The rules discovery process ends when the Discovery rules window disappears.

Executing Rules Discovery
Video 3. Executing the rules discovery

Viewing the rules overview

To view the overview of the decision rules, you follow the the steps given below:

  1. Go to the BPMN tab after selecting a process in the Processes dashboard.
  2. Click the Dropdown button on the right side of the Menu bar.
  3. Click the View rules overview option to view the Rules overview table. For more information about the columns in the Rules overview table, see 'Table 1. Columns in the Rules overview table'.
  4. To go back to the BPMN tab click the Close button.
Columns Description
Activity List of activities for which a decision rule is applied
Next activities List of activities that followed a decision
Matching cases Number of cases that match the activities in a decision process and follow the same decision rule
Inbound exception Number of cases that does not match the decision rule, but reaches the same destination
Outbound exception Number of cases that match the decision rule, but reaches a different destination

Table 1. Columns in the Rules overview table

Rules Overview
Figure 2. Rules overview table

To view the gateway information, the transition information, and the rule breakdown of each activity, do the following steps:

  1. Click the Menu button (Menu button) against an activity in the Rules overview table.
  2. On the Menu you see the following options:
    • View gateway information
      The View gateway information window helps you to view the complete gateway information of an activity that follows a decision rule (see 'Figure 3. Decision rules gateway information'). If the Elaborate button is enabled, you click it to view the increased number of decision complexities at the gateway of each activity. Conversely, if the Reduce button is enabled, you click it to view the reduced number of decision complexities at the gateway of each activity. Gateway information
      Figure 3. Decision rules gateway information
    • View transition information
      The View transition information window helps you to view the details of the transition from an activity to the next activity following a decision rule (see 'Figure 4. Decision rules transition information'). Transition Information
      Figure 4. Decision rules transition information
    • View rule breakdown
      The View rule breakdown window helps you to view the details of the rules per the inbound and outbond process flows of an activity (see 'Figure 5. Decision rules breakdown') Rules Breakdown
      Figure 5. Decision rules breakdown

Viewing the rules history

To view history of the decision rules, do the following steps:

  1. Go to the BPMN tab after selecting a process in the Processes dashboard.
  2. Click the Dropdown button on the right side of the Menu bar.
  3. Click the View rules history option to see the View rules history window.
  4. On the View rule history window, you can see the logs of the decision rules per the dates on which the decision activities were committed.
  5. Click the Expand button against a date to view the details of the rules history on that date.
  6. To go back to the BPMN tab click the Close button.

Rules History
Figure 6. View rule history window

Editing rules configuration

The Edit rules configuration window helps you choose the decision information you want to see in the Rules overview table and the Rules history window. Do the following steps to edit the rules configuration:

  1. Go to the BPMN tab after selecting a process in the Processes dashboard.
  2. Click the Dropdown button on the right side of the Menu bar.
  3. Click the Edit rules configuration option to see the Edit rules configuration window.
  4. On the Edit rules configuration window, you use the Select relevant data section to select information that you need to consider for the decision rules discovery. You can select resource, role, and data from the list of mapped custom fields. Tip: To get precise and insightful rules discovery, you can select data that is relevant for the decision rules in your business process.
  5. In the Advanced Configuration section, you can skip all the self loops of activities in the decision process by switching the Skip self loops toggle to Off.
  6. Click the Save button to save the configuration changes.

Edit rules configuration
Figure 7. Edit rule configuration window

Tip: To exit the Edit rules configuration window without making any configuration changes, click the Cancel button.

Editing the BPMN process model

In the BPMN tab, you can edit a copy of the BPMN model in the BPA page by doing the following steps:

  1. Go to the BPMN tab after selecting a process in the Processes dashboard.
  2. Click the Dropdown button.
  3. Click the Edit a copy in BPA option.

To learn more about the model editor in the BPA page, see Model Editor.

Publishing the BPMN process model in the BPA tab

In the BPMN tab, you can publish the BPMN model in the BPA page by doing the following steps:

  1. Go to the BPMN tab after selecting a process in the Processes dashboard.
  2. Click the Dropdown button.
  3. Click the Publish to BPA option.

To learn more about the BPA page, see Business Process Analysis.