Hi all! I have a question that has been bugging me for quite some time and I'm surprised there isn't any clear answer to this, so I hope you all can help me out.
In a project I'm working on currently, there are End-to-End processes mapped on VACDs (Level 3), and BPMN 2.0 processes on Level 4, linked to Level 3 by assignments. Furthermore, I have 'linked' the flow of the Level 4 BPMN 2.0 processes by using an occurrence copy of the end event of an upstream process to be the start event of a downstream process.
I am aware that an individual Level 4 BPMN 2.0 process can be simulated/executed (although I haven't tried it myself yet), but what if I want to do so across the entire end-to-end?
Do I:
- Run a simulation/execution on the Level 3 VACD? Would it work?
- Change my Level 3 VACD to a Level 3 BPMN model, and use subprocesses to link to the Level 4 BPMNs?
- Create a gigantic BPMN model that combines all my Level 4 BPMNs?
- Have no choice but to run the simulation/execution on the individual Level 4 BPMNs separately? (but then how am I going to 'feed' the output result from an upstream process to be the input for a downstream process?)
Would really appreciate the help!
Currently VACDs/EPCs and BPMN process models cannot be used at the same time in simulation. But hierarchical BPMN models with sub-processes are supported. So in your case I'd try going with the level 3 BPMN model that links the level 4 BPMN models as assigned sub-processes (option 2).
I agree with Ralf. If modeled correctly i.e. your end events of preceding model are equal to the start events of you next model you could use ARIS to combine the models and run simulations on the one "combined" BPMN 2.0 model and include all sub-process models in the simulation. BPMN 2.0 models can only be simulated in 9.x.
Thank you,
Eric
Note that chaining BPMN processes with occurrence copies of events only works with signal events in simulation.
Also, while this way of modeling is commonly used for EPCs, it is IMHO quite un-BPMN-y. The BPMN spec does not say something about cutting processes into pieces and spreading the parts across several diagrams. Even the link events are supposed to be used in a single diagram.