Chapter 2 Getting Started with Business Process Modeling

Creating a BPM

You can create a BPM from scratch or using existing elements such as:

Opening a V6 Process Analyst Model. See chapter Working with Data Flow Diagrams
Reverse engineering a process language. See chapter Generating and Reverse Engineering Process Languages
Importing SIMUL 8 file. See chapter Simulating a Business Process Model

To create a new BPM:

Select one of the following radio buttons:
- New model – Creates a new, standard, model.
- New model from template – Creates a model from a model template. A model template is a set of model options, display preferences, extension, or objects saved in a model located in the template folder. You use model templates when you need to reuse preferences and options in several models.
  
  For more information about model templates, see "Model templates" in the Models chapter of the Core Features Guide .

Type a model name in the Model name box. The code of the model, which may be used for code generation, is derived from this name according to the model naming conventions.

Select a process language from the Process language list.

Process languages are defined in dedicated XML files (with a .XPL extension), which are provided as part of your PowerDesigner installation in the "\Resource Files\Process Languages" directory, and contain all the syntax and specifications for each target language.

For more information about process language properties, see "Resource File Reference" in the Resource Files and the Public Metamodel chapter of the Customizing and Extending PowerDesigner manual.

Select one of the following radio buttons:
- Share the process language definition – use the original process language file in the "Resource Files\Process Languages" directory. Any changes made to the process language are shared by all linked BPM.
- Copy the process language definition in model – make a copy of the original process language file in the "Resource Files\Process Languages" directory. The current process language is independent from the original process language, so modifications made to the process language in the Process Languages directory are not available to the BPM. The copied process language is saved with the BPM and cannot be used without it.
  
  For more information about process language properties and customizing a process language, see "Resource File Reference" and "Working with the Resource Editor" in the Resource Files and the Public Metamodel chapter of the Customizing and Extending PowerDesigner manual.

Select the type of the first diagram in the First Diagram list. The first type of diagram selected remains in memory, and is the default for the next time when you create a new BPM.

You can create as many diagrams as you need in the same BPM. They are sorted alphabetically in the Browser, except the diagram specified here, which is always the first in the list. You can choose between:
- Process Hierarchy Diagram – identifies the high-level functions, review the whole process of a business project and focus on redundant or missing functions.
- Business Process Diagram – defines the choreography of processes and their orchestration. You must also select this diagram type if you want to create any types of diagrams different from the process hierarchy diagram. For more information about the different types of diagrams, see Introducing Business Process Modeling.

<optional> If you want to attach one or more extended model definitions to complement the selected process language, click the Extended Model Definitions tab, and select the extended model definitions of your choice.

For more information about attaching extended model definition to a model, see "Extended Model Definitions" in the Resource Files and the Public Metamodel chapter of the Customizing and Extending PowerDesigner manual.

Click OK to create the new BPM in the current Workspace.

Demo example
Several examples of BPMs are available in the Examples directory.