Process Modeling Skill | Agent Skills

Process Modeling

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

Process Modeling tasks - Working on process modeling using bpmn notation and flowchart patterns. creates process diagrams with activities, gateways, events, swimlanes, and decision points for workflow documentation
Planning or design - Need guidance on Process Modeling approaches
Best practices - Want to follow established patterns and standards

Overview

Create and document business processes using BPMN (Business Process Model and Notation) and flowchart notation. Visualize activities, decisions, events, and participant interactions for process understanding and improvement.

What is Process Modeling?

Process modeling creates visual representations of how work flows through an organization. It documents:

Activities: What work is performed
Sequence: Order of activities
Decisions: Choice points and conditions
Participants: Who performs each step
Events: What triggers and ends the process

BPMN Core Elements

Activities (Rectangles)

| Type | Symbol | Description | |------|--------|-------------| | Task | Rectangle | Atomic work unit | | Sub-Process | Rectangle with + | Contains child process | | Call Activity | Rectangle with thick border | Invokes reusable process |

Task Types:

| Type | Description | |------|-------------| | User Task | Human interaction required | | Service Task | Automated system action | | Script Task | Script/code execution | | Business Rule Task | Decision table evaluation | | Send Task | Message sent | | Receive Task | Message received | | Manual Task | Physical work without system |

Events (Circles)

| Position | Symbol | Description | |----------|--------|-------------| | Start | Thin circle | Process trigger | | Intermediate | Double circle | Mid-process event | | End | Thick circle | Process termination |

Event Types:

| Type | Trigger | |------|---------| | None | Unspecified start/end | | Message | Message received/sent | | Timer | Time-based trigger | | Error | Error condition | | Signal | Broadcast signal | | Terminate | Process termination |

Gateways (Diamonds)

| Type | Symbol | Description | |------|--------|-------------| | Exclusive (XOR) | Diamond with X | One path based on condition | | Parallel (AND) | Diamond with + | All paths execute | | Inclusive (OR) | Diamond with O | One or more paths | | Event-Based | Diamond with circle | Wait for events |

Connectors

| Type | Symbol | Description | |------|--------|-------------| | Sequence Flow | Solid arrow | Order of activities | | Message Flow | Dashed arrow | Messages between pools | | Association | Dotted line | Artifacts to elements |

Swimlanes

| Type | Description | |------|-------------| | Pool | Represents a participant (organization/system) | | Lane | Subdivisions within a pool (roles/departments) |

Workflow

Phase 1: Define Scope

Step 1: Identify Process Boundaries

## Process Definition

**Process Name:** [Name]
**Purpose:** [Why this process exists]
**Scope:**
  - **Starts When:** [Trigger event]
  - **Ends When:** [Completion criteria]
  - **Includes:** [In-scope activities]
  - **Excludes:** [Out-of-scope activities]

**Participants:**
| Pool | Lanes (Roles) |
|------|---------------|
| [Org/System] | [Role 1], [Role 2] |

Step 2: Choose Model Type

| Type | When to Use | |------|-------------| | As-Is | Documenting current state | | To-Be | Designing future state | | High-Level | Overview, communication | | Detailed | Implementation, automation |

Phase 2: Model the Process

Step 1: Identify Main Path (Happy Path)

Start event (trigger)
Main sequence of activities
End event (completion)

Step 2: Add Decision Points

For each decision:

Type of gateway (XOR/AND/OR)
Conditions for each path
Reconvergence point

Step 3: Add Exception Paths

Error handling
Timeout scenarios
Escalation paths

Step 4: Add Participants

Assign activities to lanes
Model inter-participant communication
Add message flows between pools

Phase 3: Validate and Document

Step 1: Validate Completeness

| Check | Question | |-------|----------| | All paths connected | Do all activities have incoming and outgoing flows? | | No dead ends | Do all paths reach an end event? | | Gateways balanced | Are split gateways matched with joins? | | Roles assigned | Is every activity in a lane? | | Triggers defined | Does every start event have a clear trigger? |

Step 2: Add Documentation

## Process: [Name]

### Overview

[Brief description of process purpose and flow]

### Triggers

| Event | Description | Frequency |
|-------|-------------|-----------|
| [Trigger] | [What causes it] | [How often] |

### Activities

| # | Activity | Role | System | Duration |
|---|----------|------|--------|----------|
| 1 | [Activity name] | [Role] | [System] | [Time] |

### Decision Points

| # | Decision | Conditions | Paths |
|---|----------|------------|-------|
| 1 | [Decision] | [Criteria] | [Path A], [Path B] |

### Exceptions

| Exception | Handling |
|-----------|----------|
| [Error] | [How handled] |

Output Formats

Mermaid Flowchart (BPMN-Style)

flowchart TD
    Start((Start))
    Task1[Receive Order]
    Gateway1{Valid Order?}
    Task2[Process Payment]
    Task3[Reject Order]
    Task4[Ship Product]
    End1((Complete))
    End2((Rejected))

    Start --> Task1
    Task1 --> Gateway1
    Gateway1 -->|Yes| Task2
    Gateway1 -->|No| Task3
    Task2 --> Task4
    Task4 --> End1
    Task3 --> End2

Swimlane Diagram

flowchart TD
    subgraph Customer
        A[Place Order]
        G[Receive Product]
    end

    subgraph Sales
        B[Review Order]
        C{Approved?}
    end

    subgraph Warehouse
        D[Pick Items]
        E[Pack Order]
        F[Ship Order]
    end

    A --> B
    B --> C
    C -->|Yes| D
    C -->|No| A
    D --> E
    E --> F
    F --> G

Narrative Summary

## Process: Order Fulfillment

**Version:** 1.0
**Date:** [ISO Date]
**Owner:** [Name]

### Summary

This process handles customer orders from receipt to delivery.

### Flow Description

1. **Start**: Customer places order (online or phone)
2. **Review Order**: Sales validates order details
3. **Decision**: Is order valid?
   - Yes: Proceed to fulfillment
   - No: Return to customer for correction
4. **Pick Items**: Warehouse locates products
5. **Pack Order**: Items packaged for shipping
6. **Ship Order**: Handed to carrier
7. **End**: Customer receives product

### Metrics

| Metric | Current | Target |
|--------|---------|--------|
| Cycle Time | 3 days | 2 days |
| Error Rate | 5% | 1% |
| Automation | 40% | 70% |

### Improvement Opportunities

1. Automate order validation
2. Parallel picking for multi-item orders
3. Real-time tracking integration

Structured Data (YAML)

process_model:
  name: "Order Fulfillment"
  version: "1.0"
  date: "2025-01-15"
  type: "as_is"  # or "to_be"
  owner: "Operations"

  boundaries:
    trigger: "Customer places order"
    end_state: "Customer receives product"
    scope:
      includes:
        - "Order receipt"
        - "Payment processing"
        - "Fulfillment"
        - "Shipping"
      excludes:
        - "Returns"
        - "Customer support"

  participants:
    - pool: "Company"
      lanes:
        - name: "Sales"
          activities: ["Review Order"]
        - name: "Warehouse"
          activities: ["Pick Items", "Pack Order", "Ship Order"]
    - pool: "Customer"
      lanes:
        - name: "Buyer"
          activities: ["Place Order", "Receive Product"]

  elements:
    events:
      - id: "start_1"
        type: "start"
        name: "Order Received"
        trigger: "message"

      - id: "end_1"
        type: "end"
        name: "Order Complete"

    activities:
      - id: "task_1"
        type: "user_task"
        name: "Review Order"
        lane: "Sales"
        duration: "15 minutes"

      - id: "task_2"
        type: "service_task"
        name: "Process Payment"
        lane: "Sales"
        system: "Payment Gateway"

    gateways:
      - id: "gw_1"
        type: "exclusive"
        name: "Order Valid?"
        conditions:
          - path: "task_2"
            condition: "Order validated"
          - path: "task_reject"
            condition: "Validation failed"

  sequence_flows:
    - from: "start_1"
      to: "task_1"
    - from: "task_1"
      to: "gw_1"
    - from: "gw_1"
      to: "task_2"
      condition: "valid"

  metrics:
    cycle_time:
      current: "3 days"
      target: "2 days"
    automation_rate:
      current: 40
      target: 70

Common Process Patterns

Sequential Process

Activities in strict order, one after another.

flowchart LR
    A[Step 1] --> B[Step 2] --> C[Step 3] --> D[Step 4]

Parallel Split and Join

Activities that can occur simultaneously.

flowchart TD
    A[Start] --> B{Parallel Split}
    B --> C[Task A]
    B --> D[Task B]
    B --> E[Task C]
    C --> F{Join}
    D --> F
    E --> F
    F --> G[End]

Exclusive Decision

Only one path taken based on condition.

flowchart TD
    A[Review] --> B{Decision}
    B -->|Approve| C[Process]
    B -->|Reject| D[Notify]
    C --> E[End]
    D --> E

Loop/Iteration

Repeat activities until condition met.

flowchart TD
    A[Start] --> B[Process]
    B --> C{Complete?}
    C -->|No| B
    C -->|Yes| D[End]

Exception Handling

Handle errors and exceptions.

flowchart TD
    A[Process] --> B{Success?}
    B -->|Yes| C[Continue]
    B -->|Error| D[Handle Error]
    D --> E{Recoverable?}
    E -->|Yes| A
    E -->|No| F[Escalate]

Best Practices

| Practice | Description | |----------|-------------| | Start simple | Begin with happy path, add complexity | | One start, one end | Per pool, ideally | | Name activities | Use verb-noun format (e.g., "Review Order") | | Label gateways | Show the decision question | | Label conditions | Describe each outgoing path | | Balance gateways | Split and join with matching types | | Avoid crossing lines | Rearrange for clarity | | Document exceptions | Show error handling paths |

Integration

Upstream

stakeholder-analysis - Process participants
domain-storytelling - Current process discovery
capability-mapping - Capability context

Downstream

value-stream-mapping - Value flow analysis
Requirements - Process requirements
System design - Automation opportunities

Related Skills

value-stream-mapping - Lean perspective on process flow
data-modeling - Data entities in processes
journey-mapping - Customer experience perspective
capability-mapping - Process-capability alignment

Version History

v1.0.0 (2025-12-26): Initial release

Agent Skills: Process Modeling

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