Comprehensive Guide to BPMN: A Case Study on Nobel Prize Nomination and Selection Process

Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) is a graphical representation used for specifying business processes in a workflow. BPMN provides a standardized way to model business processes, making it easier to understand, analyze, and improve these processes. This guide will use the Nobel Prize nomination and selection process as a case study to explain the key concepts of BPMN.

Problem Scenario

The Nobel Prize nomination and selection process is complex and involves multiple stakeholders, including nominators, the Nobel Committee, and external experts. The process begins with the invitation of nominators and culminates in the announcement of the Nobel Prize laureates. The key challenges include managing the nomination forms, assessing candidates, and ensuring a fair and transparent selection process.

Key Concepts of BPMN

1. Pools and Lanes

Pools: Represent major participants in a business process. In our case study, there are three pools: “Nobel Prize Nomination,” “Nobel Prize Committee,” and “External Expert.”
Lanes: Sub-divisions within a pool that represent different roles or departments. In the “Nobel Prize Nomination” pool, lanes include “Nobel Committee” and “Nominators.”

2. Events

Start Event: Represented by a circle, it indicates the beginning of a process. In our case study, the start event is the Nobel Committee sending nomination forms to invited nominators.
End Event: Represented by a circle with a bold outline, it indicates the end of a process. In our case study, the end event is the announcement of the Nobel Prize laureates.
Intermediate Events: Represented by a circle with a double outline, they indicate something that happens between the start and end events. In our case study, intermediate events include the completion of tasks such as nominating candidates and assessing candidate work.

3. Activities

Tasks: Represented by rounded rectangles, they indicate a single unit of work. In our case study, tasks include “Send Nomination Form,” “Identify Nominee(s),” “Send Nominee Form(s),” “Assess Candidate Work,” “Send Candidates Report,” “Discuss Candidates (Meeting 1),” “Select Laureates (Meeting 2),” and “Announce Nobel Prize Laureates.”
Sub-Processes: Represented by a rectangle with a plus sign, they indicate a process that can be broken down into smaller tasks. In our case study, there are no explicit sub-processes, but the tasks can be considered as part of a larger sub-process.

4. Gateways

Gateways: Represented by a diamond shape, they control the flow of the process based on conditions. In our case study, gateways include “Determine Need for External Expert?” and “Select First 5 Preliminary Candidates.”

5. Flow Objects

Sequence Flow: Represented by solid arrows, they indicate the order of activities. In our case study, the sequence flow shows the order of tasks and events, such as the Nobel Committee sending nomination forms, nominators identifying and sending nominee forms, and the Nobel Committee assessing candidate work.
Message Flow: Represented by dashed arrows, they indicate the flow of messages between pools. In our case study, the message flow shows the communication between the Nobel Committee, nominators, and external experts, such as sending and receiving nomination forms, candidate reports, and recommendations.

Case Study Analysis

Nobel Prize Nomination Pool

Start Event: The Nobel Committee sends 3000 invitational/confidential nomination forms to invited nominators.
Task: “Send Nomination Form” – The Nobel Committee sends nomination forms to invited nominators.
Task: “Identify Nominee(s)” – Nominators identify one or more nominees.
Task: “Send Nominee Form(s)” – Nominators send the nominee forms to the Nobel Committee.
Intermediate Event: The nomination forms are sent.

Nobel Prize Committee Pool

Start Event: The Nobel Committee receives the completed nomination forms.
Task: “Screen & Select Preliminary Candidates” – The Nobel Committee screens and selects preliminary candidates.
Gateway: “Determine Need for External Expert?” – The Nobel Committee determines if expert assistance is required.
- If yes, the process flows to the “External Expert” pool.
- If no, the process continues with the Nobel Committee selecting the first five preliminary candidates.
Task: “Select First 5 Preliminary Candidates” – The Nobel Committee selects the first five preliminary candidates.
Task: “Select Candidates from Assessment Report” – The Nobel Committee selects candidates based on the assessment report.
Task: “Make Recommendations Report” – The Nobel Committee makes a recommendations report.
Task: “Send Report with Recommendations” – The Nobel Committee sends the report with recommendations to the Nobel Prize Committee.
Task: “Hold Final Prize Committee Meeting” – The Nobel Prize Committee holds a final meeting to discuss the recommendations.
End Event: The process ends with the announcement of the Nobel Prize laureates.

External Expert Pool

Start Event: The external expert is requested to assess the work of the preliminary candidates.
Task: “Assess Candidate Work” – The external expert assesses the work of the preliminary candidates.
Task: “Send Candidates Report” – The external expert sends a candidates report to the Nobel Committee.
Intermediate Event: The assessment is completed.

Message Flow

The Nobel Committee sends nomination forms to invited nominators.
Nominators send nominee forms to the Nobel Committee.
The Nobel Committee sends a request for expert assistance to the external expert.
The external expert sends a candidates report to the Nobel Committee.
The Nobel Committee sends a report with recommendations to the Nobel Prize Committee.

Conclusion

BPMN is a powerful tool for modeling business processes. By using the key concepts of pools, lanes, events, activities, gateways, and flow objects, you can create clear and concise diagrams that represent complex business processes. The case study of the Nobel Prize nomination and selection process illustrates how BPMN can be used to model a real-world scenario, making it easier to understand, analyze, and improve the process. This comprehensive guide provides a detailed explanation of BPMN concepts using a practical example, helping you to apply these concepts to your own business processes.

Introduction to BPMN