Keith Swenson argued BPMN 2.0 became a programming language, not a business tool. Here is how all 12 common BPMN patterns, from sequences and parallel splits to tiered approvals, map to modern workflow tools that normal people can use on any device.
BPMN, UML, flowcharts, and data flow diagrams each serve different business process modeling needs. This guide compares nine techniques from Henry Gantt's original charts to modern Colored Petri Nets.
Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN), developed by Stephen White at the Business Process Management Initiative, uses standardized symbols so that any employee, manager, or consultant can read a process map. Its 4 element types (flows, connections, swimlanes, artifacts) capture entire workflows, though adoption proves harder than learning the symbols.