Collaborative processes

In the WebModeller, you can model collaborative processes by dragging and dropping the BPMN diagrams of other processes (partner processes) into the drawing area of the BPMN diagram of a process (focused process). In the drawing area, the pools containing the BPMN diagrams of the processes form a collaboration diagram. In this collaboration diagram, you use message flows between the pools to illustrate how the processes and the activities in them interact with each other.

Note: The shapes of the focused process cannot be hidden in the diagram.

Note: A partner process can be represented abstractly in the diagram. This means that the partner process is only indicated as an empty pool.

Note: The message flows between pools are only visible in the horizontal diagram layout.

Create collaborative process

Instruction:

  1. Open a BPMN diagram in the WebModeller

  2. Drag and drop another BPMN diagram from the model overview into the drawing area

Results:

  • The pools are displayed with their shapes by default.

  • The process type of the focused process in the diagram properties is automatically set to Collaboration.

Note: To model interactions between the pools, you can connect the shapes as usual or drag & drop a connector between activities and pools by holding down the Shift key.

Set process type manually

In the properties of the diagram, the process type is displayed under BPMN | Process Type. Here you can also set the process type manually:

Note: Manually changing the Process Type property has no effect on the display of the associated BPMN diagram.

Note: If the referenced, open process is changed, the original process is also changed.