Business Process Management (BPM) Glossary

This glossary shows you the terms used by Bonitasoft in our Bonita software suite, including process design, modeling, and deployment, found in Bonita documentation and elsewhere.

Abstract task (BPMN): A placeholder task with no specific type defined. It can be changed to any other task type and then configured for process execution. It is useful for defining a process at an abstract level.
Activity (BPMN): General term in BPMN 2.0; represents the work to be done in a business process and can be performed by a user online, manually offline, or automatically.
Administrator: In Bonita BPM Portal, a profile that gives a user rights to view and manage apps, organizations, users and tasks.
Advanced SAP wizard: A wizard that allows users to define a connector to query an SAP platform with a graphical interface
And gateway (BPMN): A gateway at which all inputs must arrive before a process can continue. If there are multiple outputs, all will fire simultaneously. See Parallel gateway.
Annotated text (BPMN): Text added to a process to provide extra information. It is not executable and adds no functionality to the process.
App (Application): In Bonita BPM Portal, the Apps view contains process-based applications, developed with Bonita BPM, in production mode.
Application Developer: The Bonita BPM user who develops web forms, connectors, data management, etc to create a process application. the Bonita BPM end user who designs process models. In Bonita BPM Studio, the Application Developer view shows all advanced developer features.
Application server: Framework dedicated to the efficient execution of procedures (programs, routines, scripts) for supporting applied applications.
Asynchronous execution (BPMN): A sequence in a process where activities may proceed in parallel and the sucessful execution of one activity does not depend on the completion of another.
Automatic activity (BPMN): An activity processed and launched by Bonita BPM Engine without the need for human intervention. See Automatic task.
Automatic task (BPMN): An activity processed and launched by Bonita BPM Engine without the need for human intervention. See Automatic activity.

Bonita BPM: V6.X product name. Was previously Bonita Open Solution (v5.X)
Bonita BPM Engine: The process execution engine of Bonita BPM.
Bonita BPM Portal: The web or mobile-based portal of Bonita BPM where end users can manage process applications or work on tasks in Bonita BPM-built process applications.
Bonita BPM Studio: The graphical tool of Bonita BPM; used to graphically model processes. Also contains tools and functionalities to compete process applications.
Bonita BPM Subscription [Teamwork / Efficiency / Performance] Edition: A subscription service that adds professional support to Bonita BPM along with additional features to facilitate collaboration, accelerate productivity, and secure BPM deployments.
Bonita Execution Engine: The process execution (runtime) engine of Bonita Open Solution V5.X.
Bonita Open Solution: An integrated business process management solution comprising Bonita Studio, Bonita User Experience, and Bonita Execution Engine. Refers to release version 5.X.
Bonita Studio: The graphical tool of Bonita Open Solution release version 5.X.
Bonita User Experience (Bonita User XP): The web-based portal of Bonita Open Solution release version 5.X.
BPMN: Standard for process modeling and execution developed by the Object Management Group.
BPMN Process Diagram: A downloadable, pre-built diagram of a business-based process that can be imported into Bonita BPM Studio. Available for download from Bonitasoft's Process Library.
Business Activity Monitoring (BAM): The aggregation, analysis, and presentation of real-time information about activities inside Bonita BPM process applications.
Business Analyst: The Bonita BPM end user who designs process models. In Bonita BPM Studio, the Business Analyst view filters out advanced developer features to unclutter the interfaces.
Business application generation: To turn a process model into a production-ready application.
Business data search: Capability to find data contained in archived or running process instances. See Process data search
Business process Management (BPM): A defined set of business activities or steps required to achieve a business objective. Also refers to the technology used to create process applications and support continuous improvement.

Call activity (BPMN): A process design element that represents a sub-process in process design.
Catch (BPMN): The receiving end of a throw-catch or send-receive set of events, eg a link,a message, an error, etc.
Choreography (BPMN): An ordered sequence of message exchanges between two or more processes; formalizes coordination of their interactions.
CMIS / Content Management Interoperability Services: The open standard that allows different content management systems to inter-operate over the Internet.
Collaboration and collaborative modelling: Capability to share process files on a shared repository.
Collapsed subprocess (BPMN): A subprocess that hides its flow details.
Community Example: A downloadable, pre-built example of a business-based process that can be imported into Bonita BPM Studio and run with a Bonita BPM Community edition. Available for download from Bonitasoft's Process Library.
Compensation flow (BPMN): A flow that defines the set of activities that are performed while the transaction is being rolled back to compensate for activities that were performed during the normal flow of a process.
Condition (BPMN): An expression (generally in Groovy script) to define the behavior of a transition exiting a gateway. Conditions determine which path the flow should take.
Conditional field display: A form field whose display depends on information in or from another field.
Contiguous (BPMN): If a task must be done all in one go during its execution - if the step itself must be performed with no interruption for the whole of its duration, it can be marked as contiguous.
Correlation (BPMN): A means to synchronize process flows using messages.
Customer Portal: Bonitasoft customer access for subscription edition licenses, process templates, support information, etc.
Customizable look & feel: Capability to customize the appearance of web applications generated with Bonita BPM.

Data management: The way data is accepted, stored, and treated
Data refactoring: Capability to rename an existing process variable which resolves variable dependencies and updates everything with the new process variable name.
Default flow (BPMN): The flow the process takes when all other flows out of a gateway have transition conditions that evaluate to false.
Document management: A system for uploading, storing and managing digital documents, images, and other files.
Documentation generation: Capability to create documents in various formats that contain all information about a process model.

End event (BPMN): An event that terminates the flow of the process. See event
End user, user: An individual who works with a deployed process in a web or mobile portal or in standalone web forms.
Entry pageflow: The pageflow used to create and manage interactive forms. See Pageflow.
Error event (BPMN): An event that carries information about an exception that diverts the normal process flow to an exception flow.
Error management: The capability to find and correct errors in a production process, for example, connector and task replay functions.
Event (BPMN): Events represent behavior in the process design, specifically: start, end, message, signal, error. Represented by a circle.
Event subprocess (BPMN): A subprocess that is defined inside the parent process pool.
Exception (BPMN): An event that occurs during the performance of a process that causes a diversion from the normal flow.
Exception flow (BPMN): A sequence flow that originates from an intermediate event attached to the boundary of an activity, taken only when the activity is interrupted by an exception.
Exceptions processing (BPMN): To adjust and repair transactions that could not be completed.
Exclusive gateway (BPMN): A gateway at which one input must arrive. If true, it will pass through the gate. If there are multiple outputs, only one will activate, depending on defined condition. See XOR gateway.

Flow (BPMN): The overall progression of how a process or process segments perform.
Flow object (BPMN): A graphical object that can be connected to or from a sequence flow.
Form Builder: The design tool in Bonita BPM Studio used to create and customize forms which are deployed via Bonita BPM Portal, a standalone Web based application, or Bonita BPM mobile application.

Gateway (BPMN): Branch point in the process flow represented as a diamond shape. A gateway controls the process flow.

Human activity (BPMN): A human activity requires intervention by a human (actor).
Human task (BPMN): See human activity

Inclusive gateway (BPMN): A gateway which waits for all incoming inputs. All valid inputs must be received before the process flow can continue.
Instance (BPMN): A single case of a process.
(to) instantiate (BPMN): To start a process.
instantiation (BPMN): The start of a process instance.
Instantiator (BPMN): Code that specifies initialization values for variables for each instance of a multi-instantiated task.
Intermediate event (BPMN): An event that occurs after a process has been started, but does not start or terminate a process. See Event.

Java Virtual Machine (JVM): A platform-independent virtual machine that converts Java bytecode into machine language and executes it.
JEE (Java Enterprise Edition): Oracle's enterprise Java computing platform. The platform provides an API and runtime environment for Bonita BPM.
JRE (Java Runtime Environment): Provides the libraries, Java Virtual Machine, and other components to run applets and applications written in Java.

Key Performance Indicator (KPI): A business metric used to evaluate factors that are crucial to the success of an organization. KPIs in Bonita BPM refer to data to be collected on a process to create reports for for Business Activity Monitoring (BAM).

Lane (BPMN): A subdivision of a pool to organize and categorize activities within a pool. A lane generally represents a functional or organizational group. See also Swimlane.
LDAP synchronizer: A service to synchronize Bonita BPM and LDAP directory users and groups, updating from LDAP to Bonita BPM.
Link events (BPMN): Allow the process designer to graphically cut up a long and/or complex process sequence, and continue the flow between elements that are not next to each other on the whiteboard.
Looping (BPMN): Looping allows the process to execute a task or a call activity (subprocess) repeatedly, either until a condition (defined as an expression) has been met, or until a specified number of loops has completed.

Message (BPMN): Messages are used in a process to carry information from one process (pool) to another. See Message event.
Message event (BPMN): Message events are used in a process to carry information from one process (pool) to another. See Message.
Message flow (BPMN): A flow that represents the transmission of a message between pools.
Migration tool: A tool that automates the migration from maintenance and minor versions, from Bonita BPM 6.0.2 or later, to later versions.
Modeling: To draw a process diagram and develop a process application.
Monitor JVM: Shows the resources used in real time by your Java Virtual Machine
Monitoring: To collect process data and display it in reports.
Multi-instantiation (BPMN): Multi instantiation instantiates (initiates) the same task or set of tasks multiple times in parallel. The number of instances (and possibly also the specific actors who will perform each instance), are determined in the process design.The number of iterations of a multi-instantiated task are known in advance and the iterations are performed in parallel.
Multi-page form: A form with multiple pages.
Multi-tenancy: One platform serves multiple independent companies/entities (tenants). Each tenant is isolated and contains its own users, processes, reports, look & feels,etc.

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OEM: Was Original Equipment Manufacturer, but is now used to mean a product that can embed another product. Avoid using OEM in marketing materials.
Optimization: To test various configurations of a process model to improve flow, activity order, activity types, etc.
Outgoing transitions: When a simulation is run, the multiple iterations may take different paths to completion, simulating various possibilities for a process case.

Parallel gateway (BPMN): A gateway at which all inputs must arrive before a process can continue. If there are multiple outputs, all will fire simultaneously. See AND gateway.
Parent process (BPMN): A process that holds a subprocess within its boundaries, either as a call activity or as an event subprocess.
Pool (BPMN): A graphical representation of a stand-alone process that contains all elements and resources needed to deploy a complete process.
Post-deployment configuration: Capability to re-configure or change parameters in a process in production.
Process (BPMN): A sequence of tasks performed manually or automatically in order to achieve a desired outcome.
Process application: After a business process is modeled and connected in Bonita BPM, it can be deployed for real-world use in a process-based application. A user can open the application and start a process, or start/complete an activity in the process.
Process diagram (BPMN): A graphical representation of one or more processes.
Process instance: An instance of a process in production which includes data, real actions, and specific decisions taken as the process advances.
Process Library: Contains models, examples, templates, and other downloadable resources compatible with Bonita BPM.
Process model: A graphic representation of a process that includes code necessary to deploy the model as a process application.
Process Template: A pre-built, optimized business solution, modeled using BPM best practices to accelerate a project and reduce the time to implement. Available for download from Bonitasoft's Customer Portal.
Process-based application: An application that was created around a business process rather than a platform.

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Receive task (BPMN): A task that is initated when it receives a message.
Reporting: A means of showing information about a process application or about a set of process instances.
Request key: Needed to get a Bonita BPM subscription license. When Bonita BPM Studio is launched from a Subscription Edition for the first time, a pop up window with the request key will be displayed. This key is used to request the license from Bonitasoft's Customer Portal.

Salesforce.com wizard: A wizard that allows users to define a connector to query the Salesforce.com platform.
SAP wizard: A wizard that allows users to define a connector to query the SAP platform.
Script task (BPMN): An automatic task with a script that executes when the activity is reached in the process.
Send message event (BPMN): An event that sends a message when the event is reached in the process.
Send task (BPMN): A task that sends a message when initiated; essentially the same as a send message event.
Sequence flow (BPMN): Shows in which order the activities in a process flow will be performed. See Transition.
Service task (BPMN): Activity processed and launched by Bonita BPM Engine without the need for human intervention; see automatic task.
Services, Bonitasoft: Bonitasoft consulting and training services.
Signal (BPMN): Signals broadcast or receive information from anywhere, either within a process or across different processes.Unlike messages, they do not carry data.
Snap to grid: The function that "magnetizes" the whiteboard grid in Bonita BPM Studio so an element on the whiteboard will attach itself to the nearest grid line.
Social BPM: The use of social tools and techniques in business process improvement and in process applications.
SQL wizard: A wizard that allows users to define a connector to query an SQL database
Start event (BPMN): Start events instantiate a process.
Sub-process, subprocess (BPMN): A process that is included within another process and can be called by a higher level process when it reaches a call activity. Its behavior is the same as it would be if the subprocess were represented in-line. However, it can be modified or replaced without changing the parent process.
Subscription Example: A downloadable, pre-built example of a business-based process that can be imported into Bonita BPM Studio and run with a Bonita BPM Subscription edition. Available for download from Bonitasoft's Process Library.
Support: Bonitasoft Technical Support
Swimlane (BPMN): A subdivision of a pool to organize and categorize activities within a pool. A swimlane generally represents a functional or organizational group. See also Lane.
Synchronous process (BPMN): Activities which proceed in series; each task waits until the task preceeding it has completed before it can execute.
Name: definintion

Throwing (BPMN): Sending a message or a signal that will be received by another activity or process.
Timer events (BPMN): Timer events are used to start a process or activity on a predetermined schedule, delay a process or activity for a predetermined amount of time / until a specific date and time, or countdown during an activity until a predetermined deadline is reached
Training: Bonitasoft Training service
Transaction (BPMN): A subprocess that represents a set of coordinated activities carried out by independent, loosely-coupled systems in accordance with a contractually defined business relationship.
Trigger (BPMN): An event that instantiates (starts) a case of a business process.

User Profile: Bonita BPM Studio allows a user to set the type of profile that will filter the software functions. Default User Profiles include Business Analyst and Application Developer. Custome User Profiles can be defined using Subscription Editons.

Web services wizard: A wizard that allows users to define XML requests.
Workflow: The movement of information or material from one activity to another.

XOR Gateway: A gateway at which one input must arrive. If true, it will pass through the gate. If there are multiple outputs, only one will activate, depending on defined condition. See Exclusive gateway.

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