Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN)

Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) is a standard for business process modeling that provides a graphical/visual notation for outlining business processes in a Business Process Diagram (BPD).  The standard uses flowcharts to define process, and the technique is very similar to activity diagrams from other modeling languages.   The primary objective of BPMN is to support an overall business process management initiative within an organization, for both technical users and business users, and provide a standard that is intuitive to business users, yet is able to represent complex process mapping. The BPMN specification also provides a mapping between the graphics of the notation and the underlying code or execution language.

The primary goal of BPMN is to provide a recognized and standard notation that is readily understood by all business stakeholders. These include the business analysts who create and refine the processes, the technical developers responsible for implementing the process, and the business managers who monitor and manage them.

Since 2014, BPMN has been complemented by a new standard for building decision models, the Decision Model and Notation standard.