Flow Object

Intro

In BPMN, a flow object is a graphical element connected by sequence flow. It matters because events, activities, and gateways define how work starts, progresses, and branches.

Key points:

• Process flow objects: events, activities, gateways.
• Choreography flow objects: events, choreography activities, gateways.
• Common use cases: modeling start/end events, tasks, and decision points.
• Pitfall: misclassifying objects leading to incorrect execution semantics.

Examples:

• Start event triggers the process on message receipt.
• Task performs “Verify identity.”
• Gateway branches based on risk thresholds.

In practice:

Choose the correct object type for intent and keep labels clear to aid execution and reviews.

Related terms: event; activity; gateway

FAQs:

Q: Are data objects flow objects?
A: No; they are artifacts linked to flow but not flow objects.

Q: Do flow objects exist in all BPMN diagrams?
A: Yes, with types varying by process or choreography.

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