Process Modeling: what it is, the levels and BPMN 2.0 in 5 elements

You cannot improve what you cannot see. Modeling a process means making it visible — in a diagram and in text — so you understand how the work really happens before you change it. In this guide, based on the BPM CBOK, you will see what modeling is, the levels of a model, BPMN 2.0 in five elements, the PCF reference model and how to use AI to model faster.

1. What does it mean to model a process?

Modeling a process means representing it in order to understand, communicate and analyze how the work happens. According to the BPM CBOK, the model is a simplified representation of reality: detailed enough to be useful, simple enough to be understood.

The golden rule: model the process as it is today (the AS-IS) first, and only then design how it ought to be (the TO-BE). Whoever designs the ideal without seeing the real just automates the mess.

2. The levels of a model

A process can be looked at from far away or from up close. The CBOK works with levels of decomposition, from the broadest to the most detailed:

• Value chain — the end-to-end sequence of primary processes.
• Process — a piece of work with a beginning and an end (e.g. Expense reimbursement).
• Subprocess — a larger component that groups several activities (“Audit and validation of receipts”).
• Activity — a step (“Check the receipts”).
• Task — the finest action (“Validate the amount on a receipt”).

Start modeling at the level of activities (5 to 15 boxes): too much detail too early stalls you; too little does not help you analyze.

Activity ≠ subprocess — the most common mistake. “Approve the payment” is an activity: one step, nameable with a verb + noun. A subprocess is bigger: it groups several activities with a purpose of its own. Rule of thumb: if it fits into one verb, it is an activity; if it opens up into several steps, it is a subprocess.

3. BPMN 2.0 in 5 elements

There are several notations (flowchart, EPC, swimlanes), but we use BPMN 2.0 because it is the market standard (OMG), it is rich and it is read by tools. You do not need to memorize the whole notation — with five elements you can model 90% of processes:

• Event (circle) — the start and end of the process.
• Activity / Task (rounded rectangle) — a step, always verb + noun.
• Gateway (diamond) — a decision or a parallel path (the “if… then…”).
• Sequence flow (arrow) — the order of the activities.
• Lane (pool/lane) — who performs each activity.

Every activity starts with a verb in the infinitive (“Fill in the request”, “Approve the reimbursement”). If you cannot name it that way, it is probably a subprocess (break it up) or a state (not an activity).

4. Reference models: the PCF (APQC)

You do not need to invent your list of processes from scratch. The PCF (Process Classification Framework, from APQC) is a taxonomy of processes, with a generic version and versions by industry (Education, Retail…). Use it as a checklist — “do I have this process? what is it called here?” — and as a base for benchmarking against your sector. For supply chains, there is SCOR.

5. BPMS: where processes “live”

A BPMS (Business Process Management Suite) models, executes, monitors and stores processes in a central repository. You do not need an expensive BPMS to start — you need the method. But the concept is worth knowing: it is where a mature process evolves to (automation, rules, monitoring).

6. How to model with AI, step by step (→ bpmn.io)

In the BPM Together — powered by AI course you do not draw the diagram from scratch: the AI proposes the draft and you decide. And you open no .py file — the AI’s answer comes in through the board. Here is how it works in practice:

1. Pick step 2 in the menu (double-click Iniciar.bat and press 2). It hands you the prompt ready, on screen and on your clipboard.
2. Paste the prompt into your AI (Ctrl+V) — the one you already use in your browser. Before sending it, replace the passage between «...» with your process.
3. Describe your process in two parts, where the prompt says to: STEPS (one line per step, id, actor, action — A1… for tasks and G1… for decisions) and FLOW (the arrows, with [Yes]/[No] on the gateways and the rework marked). This is where you say how the work happens today. The more real, the better.
4. The AI returns the draft as an ACTIVITIES list — each step with a name, owner, inputs, outputs and type (task or gateway), in flow order. It builds that from your description; it does not “guess” your process.
5. Review it and paste the whole answer into the “0. Inbox” card on your board. Remove what does not exist, adjust names, add the step that was missing (“on Fridays the approval is different” — only you know that). Reviewing is part of the method.
6. Pick step 2 again. It reads the board, creates one card per activity in ProjectAdm and generates the diagram in _saida/as-is.bpmn.
7. Open the diagram in bpmn.io: go to demo.bpmn.io (free, in the browser, nothing to install and no login) → Open file → select as-is.bpmn. Adjust the layout, export it as an image (PNG/SVG) and keep it in the course folder (the light dictionary — owner, inputs, outputs — goes in the fields of the process card in ProjectAdm).

The same rhythm repeats in every lesson — the AI proposes, you decide. The AI does not know your process; it proposes a plausible draft from what you described, and you are the one who validates it.

7. Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between BPM and BPMN?

BPM is the management discipline; BPMN is the notation (the visual language) used to draw the processes.

Do I need Bizagi to model?

No. Here we use bpmn.io (free, in the browser), with the draft generated by the AI. Any tool that follows BPMN 2.0 will do.

How many boxes should a good model have?

Start with 5 to 15 activities. If you go much beyond that, you probably dropped to task level too early.

What are AS-IS and TO-BE?

AS-IS is the process as it is today; TO-BE is how it ought to be after the redesign (Lesson 4). Always model the AS-IS first.

Conclusion and next steps

Now you know how to model: represent the AS-IS with the five BPMN elements, use the PCF so nothing is forgotten, and record the details (owner, inputs, outputs, rules) in the fields of the card in your process map. The next step is to analyze that model to find the bottlenecks — the subject of Lesson 3. Answer the quiz below to consolidate what you learned; it counts towards your BPM Together Certificate.

References

ABPMP. BPM CBOK — Guide to the Business Process Management Common Body of Knowledge, version 4.0. · APQC. Process Classification Framework (PCF). · OMG. Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) 2.0.

Content based on the BPM CBOK 4.0 (ABPMP) and on the practical experience of Escritório de Projetos. This is an independent practitioner’s guide: it is not an official ABPMP publication and has not been endorsed by the association.