Welcome

The BPMN Forum is a web community dedicated to the Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN), an industry standard graphic notation for representing business process workflows. Here you can find information related to BPMN modeling tools, specifications, training, publications, and mailing lists.

Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) is a graphic notation for representing business process workflows. BPMN shows the beginning-to-end flow of a business process, such as an online Order-Entry system. The primary diagram of BPMN is a Business Process Diagram (BPD), which is based on flowcharting techniques customized for business processes. BPMN is frequently paired with the Business Process Executable Language (BPEL) for executable implementations. (To learn more about BPEL, click here.) The BPMN industry standard is maintained by the OMG.

The most current version of the BPMN specification is version 1.1 and is available for download by clicking here. See for yourself why this business-specific modeling language is smaller and better suited for business analysis and process workflow than the Unified Modeling Language™ (UML™) standard for software-intensive systems. Note that BPMN Business Process Diagrams are sometimes implemented by UML tools as a profile (customization) of UML Activity diagrams.

You are encouraged to explore the following major areas of our web:

• BPMN FAQ — Answers to Frequently Asked Questions related to BPMN.
• Specifications - Download the latest BPMN specifications.
• Tools - Selected BPMN modeling tools.
• Training - Selected BPMN training resources.
• Publications - Selected BPMN books, papers, articles, and blogs.
• News - News related to BPMN and visual modeling.

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If you want to have your BPMN tool, training service, book, paper or blog included in our web, please submit it to the BPMN Forum for review by clicking here. For more information about BPMN please read our Frequently Asked Questions page and subscribe to the BPMN Forum discussion group.

News

October 31, 2008 - Dial 'M' for Marketecture: Microsoft Elaborates Upon Oslo 'M' Modeling Language at PDC 2008.
Microsoft elaborated upon its Oslo modeling strategy during its annual Professional Developers Conference (PDC) held in Los Angeles this week. It appears that the core technologies associated with the Oslo modeling strategy include a text-based Domain Specific Language (DSL) code-named 'M', a design "surface" named Quadrant, and a repository for semantic models that it is currently unnamed. (Why not 'R'?) Given Microsoft's announcement last month that is joining the OMG, it is less than clear how text-based 'M' will help the OMG with its motley mix of semantically inconsistent and non-interoperable visual modeling languages, which include UML, OMG SysML, and BPMN. Will 'M" make the OMG's alphabet soup of modeling languages taste better or worse? For a NY Times article about Oslo modeling languages click here. To check out Microsoft's Oslo Developer Center directly click here.

October 15, 2008 – OMG Board of Directors Votes to Adopt UML 2.2 and OMG SysML 1.1 Revisions.
The Object Management Group (OMG) Board of Directors met in Orlando, Florida during the week of 22-26 September 2008 to approve nine new and and revised specifications. Among the revised specifications they voted to adopt were UML 2.2 and OMG SysML 1.1. You can download convenience documents for the UML 2.2 and OMG SysML 1.1 revisions using links found on the Specification pages of the UML Forum and SysML Forum, respectively. For the full OMG press release click here.

September 10, 2008 - UML Beats DSLs to Model-Driven Development Punch?: Microsoft Joins OMG.
Microsoft today outlined its approach for incorporating modeling into mainstream computing and announced that it is joining the Object Management Group (OMG),  the standards body responsible for defining the UML and BPMN modeling languages. "We're building modeling in as a core part of the platform," said Bob Muglia, senior vice president, Server and Tools Business at Microsoft. Does this mean that Microsoft is abandoning its Domain Specific Language (DSL) modeling strategy in favor of a General Purpose Language (GPL) modeling standard, or is this just Muddle Driven Marketecture hype? For the text of Microsoft's press release click here. For a video of Bob Muglia discussing Microsoft's approach to modeling click here.