Guide to Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) Certification

Business Process Model Notation is popularly known as the acronym BPMN. The concept of process modelling went through a number of iterations. In this article, we are going to discuss BPMN certification and its implementation while considering its methods, examples, elements, and all the other relevant information that you need to know. BPMN is the visual language that bridges the gap between stakeholders’ requirements and the workflow which includes actions, events, activities, artifacts, and connections between the objects. In short, BPMN represents “Who will do What” in a business process. 

So, Why is it used? Well, Business Process Model Notation (BPMN) is frequently the most appropriate modeling notation for business processes. When compared to simple flow charts, it delivers greater rigor and understanding. In comparison to UML Activity diagrams, it is more intelligible (at least to non-techies) and more suitable for process analysis and design. 

But why is the demand for BPMN professionals increasing? For instance, BPMN can help professionals understand exactly what they need to accomplish, as well as how and why they need to do it. Improve process communication and perspective: Furthermore, BPMN helps professionals in facilitating rapid knowledge transfer by making it simple to convert knowledge and expertise into recorded processes that can be learned from everyone, even new employees.

Considering the business process, BPMN professionals can enhance your organization through better awareness of a company’s processes and linkages putting decision-makers in a better position to find opportunities to improve efficiency wherever it may be found, reducing waste and increasing productivity. The firm can benefit from continual process improvement across the board, which can result in increased productivity, more cost-effective resource usage, and a culture of continuous optimization.

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What Is BPMN?

Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) is an accessible framework for displaying business processes and flow diagrams which is a standardized graphical language. BPMN was developed by Business Process Management Initiative and was taken over by Object Management Group later. BPMN 2.0 specification was released with the latest set of symbols and notations in 2011. The concept of process modelling went through a number of iterations,  Event-based process modelling is built on the concepts of events and activities with each element comprising a number of variants and consequences.

BPMN is important because it overcomes the IT operations and business challenges by making IT and its role inside a company more understandable to the general public. Additionally, BPMN software can be used to streamline the process even further.

How Does BPMN Work? 

In essence, business process modelling techniques are very similar to flowcharts, although a little was more complicated in nature. Process stages, department placement, and other aspects of a business’s structure are all represented graphically by these professionals while creating blueprints. Observers can then target specific regions in order to better understand how they interact with one another as well as how they might be made better.

What is the BPMN Method? Who Uses BPMN 

BPMN stands for Business Process Modelling Notation. It is a flowchart Method for modelling the steps of a planned business process from start to finish. It is an important part of Business Process Management because it visually illustrates the sequence of business activities and information flows required to complete a process.

The BPMN method is not only relevant to Business Analysts and the company’s top decision-makers. It can also enhance communication between professionals in various departments, firms, or even industries by using a common language to bring everyone up to speed. Employee morale can be boosted by being able to grasp a company’s aims and having the assurance that they are being pursued as efficiently as feasible.

BPMN Symbols and Notations Elements

Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) is one of the most powerful processes modelling languages. It uses symbols and notations to create visual models for business processes

BPMN 2.0 depicts four element types for business process diagrams:

Flow Objects

  • Events: Receiving a message or escalating an issue are examples of triggers that initiate, modify or complete processes.
  • Activities: People or systems accomplish tasks. Subprocesses, loops, compensations, numerous instances, and so on are examples of these.
Events and Activity Symbols
Flow Objects

Gateways

Decision points that can change the course of events. A single decision, for example, could send a process down Path A or Path B, leading to drastically different outcomes. There are three types of gateways: inclusive, parallel, and exclusive.

Gateways
Gateways

Connecting Objects

  • Sequence flow: The order of activities to be performed
  • Message flow: Messages that flow across pools or organisational boundaries
  • Associates: Artefacts or text within an event, activity, or gateway
Connecting Objects
Connecting Objects

Pools and Swimlanes

  • Pools: A significant participant in a process. Several pools could reflect different departments or businesses, but they’ll all be connected by the same procedure.
  • Swimlanes: Within a single pool, there are several areas. They depict the activities and processes associated with specific roles and individuals. They also establish who is authorised for what aspects of the process.

Artefacts

  • Data object: These will show what kind of data is required for an activity
  • Data group: These will show a logical group of activities but will not change a diagram’s flow
  • Annotation: Further explanation to any part of a diagram (like comments in a document)

BPMN Example

Let’s put together the BPMN symbols and notations to create a simple process flow.

Example process: The Login Process

BPMN Example
BPMN Example

Object Management Group

The Business Process Management Initiative (BPMI) created the Business Process Modelling Notation, which has undergone several changes. That group joined with the Object Management Group (OMG) in 2005, and the initiative was taken over. BPMN 2.0 was released in 2011 by OMG, and the method’s name was changed to Business Process Model and Notation. It established a more detailed standard for business process modelling, employing a more extensive set of symbols and notations in Business Process Diagrams. Since 2014, BPMN has been supplemented by the Decision Model and Notation standard, which is a decision flow chart method that BPMN does not naturally lend itself to.

How To Prepare for BPMN Certification

If you want to prepare for the exam, there are various methods and alternatives where you can gather relevant information and depth understanding of BPMN Certification.  With effective learning of an industry-standard Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN), you will be able to visualize and comprehend their internal business operations in a graphical notation, as well as communicate these procedures in a standard way. 

Here are the preparation areas than will help you to prepare for BPMN Certification:

Resources for BPMN

Object Management Group has been releasing Business Process Model and Notation resources, such as articles, research, and whitepapers, that are focused on the needs of its readers. In this resources section, you’ll find a lot of useful information on BPMN Certification and its resources. 

Materials for Exam Preparation

The BPMN Certification Exam was developed with the help of a large number of reference materials, Examples, including books, papers, articles, specifications, and frameworks. It will help you in understanding each and every area of BPMN.

Study Guide for the Exam

There are various sample exam questions and answers in the study guide, as well as an overview of the exam and a strategy for taking the exam, references and reading resources, and extensive overviews of each coverage area. You can learn more about it in this  BPMN Study Guide 

Learning Paths for BPMN

Other than the above resources there are many mock tests, exam papers, research papers, and different study material available on the internet that will help you in getting a clear understanding of each and every aspect covered in the BPMN Certification

How Can A BPMN Certification Help Your Organization?

Every potential Business can get from the use of BPMN because it has a number of potential advantages. The fundamental core of BPMN is clarity, which encourages customers to define objectives and processes in a way that will allow them to control their companies with a clearer sense of perspective.

Once a company becomes familiar with the concept of the Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN), it can benefit from more transparent communication between various stakeholders and departments.

In particular, BPMN’s capacity to mix technical and non-technical audiences in a single, understandable language is a crucial element of this. Additionally, sub-models can be established to allow actors to examine specific sections and bits of information that are critical to their roles without having to make the entire business’s model transparent to all of its employees.

There are various potential benefits to taking into consideration for BPMN:

IT Operations with Business Strategies

Business strategies should be integrated into IT operations and software development. As important as information technology is to modern enterprises, its intricacies may frequently present issues for those in charge of making decisions. With less understanding than IT managers, individuals may find it difficult to understand how IT fits into the larger picture of business priorities. BPMN overcomes this challenge by making IT and its role inside a company more understandable to the general public. Additionally, BPMN software can be used to streamline the process even further.

Enhancement of Efficiency

Better awareness of a company’s processes and linkages puts decision-makers in a better position to find opportunities to improve efficiency wherever it may be found, reducing waste and increasing productivity. The firm can benefit from continual process improvement across the board, which can result in increased productivity, more cost-effective resource usage, and a culture of continuous optimization.

Adapt Changing in Business Conditions

Businesses are always confronted with new difficulties, such as developments in technology or new activities by competitors. The clarity provided by BPMN can make it easier for firms to adjust to these difficulties, allowing them to remove costly guesswork in the process. In short, a BPMN diagram not only illustrates where a business is failing, but it also assists users in understanding how to improve their operations.

BPMN Vocabulary and Documentation

It can help team members understand exactly what they need to accomplish, as well as how and why they need to do it. Improve process communication and perspective: Furthermore, it helps facilitate rapid knowledge transfer by making it simple to convert knowledge and expertise into recorded processes that can be learned from by everyone, even new employees.

Experience The Benefits of a Fluid Process

BPMN is fluid, it can be regularly modified to incorporate new technologies, frameworks, and business processes.

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Conclusion

A business process mapping method is known as ‘Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN)’ is used in this case. In other words, establishing a visual representation of complex business procedures or process flows is essential. This is intended to provide significant stakeholders with the clarity and perspective they require in order to make informed decisions in the future.

The essence of Business Process Modelling 2.0 is the establishment of the location of individual processes and departments, as well as their linkages to one another, on a network diagram. This type of process is often easier to understand than narrative writing, and it allows users to describe relationships that would otherwise require the expertise of experts to understand. The correct BPMN tool could possibly make a significant difference in the planning efficiency of your firm.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Who is BPMN targeted at?

BPMN is targeted at Consumers, suppliers, and service providers who need to communicate business processes in a consistent way.

Is BPMN used by companies today to model their business processes?

Business process management (BPM) enables businesses to connect business functions with customer needs while also assisting executives in determining how to deploy, monitor, and measure corporate resources. BPM can improve efficiency and production, lower costs, and reduce errors and risk, all while improving results.

How relevant is a BPMN certification for improving business consultants?

BPMN is a modelling language that is easily understood by all business stakeholders because it is a common modelling language. This comprises the business analysts who design and refine processes, the technical developers who implement them, and the business users who monitor and manage the processes in their respective organizations.

What is the difference between BPEL, BPMN, and BPM?

Business Process Management (BPM):
Business process management (BPM) is a discipline that involves examining a business process, modelling how it works in multiple scenarios, implementing improvements, monitoring the improved process, and continuously enhancing it.
Business Process Management Notations (BPMN)
BPMN is a graphical representation of business processes that have become industry standards. When modeling the process, the notations that are employed are in accordance with BPMN (there are others like EPC, etc.). As a result, Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) is a standard notation that BPM consultants use to represent business processes. BPMN has several versions, the most recent of which being BPMN 2.0, which is the industry standard.
Business Process Execution Language (BPEL)
Business process execution language (BPEL) is used by programmers to define how a business process involving web services will be conducted. Remote services, process execution orchestration, and the management of events and exceptions are all examples of how BPEL messages are employed. Business Process Management Notation (BPML) is a term that is frequently used to refer to business process management. BPMN is used by analysts to visualize business processes, and developers then translate the visualizations into BPEL for execution in a number of businesses.

What is BPMN and what is the job market for BPMN like now? Is it worth learning?

BPMN is a business process that fulfills all of the aforementioned preconditions for effective modelling. Considering the job market, BPMN is now the best choice for business process modelling. 

What is the list of Business Process Management Certifications?

The are many certifications that you can consider:
Certified Business Process Professional (CBPP)
OMG CERTIFIED EXPERT IN BPM™ 2 (OCEB™ 2) 
Business Process Management Certification from BPM

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