Message

Intro

In BPMN, a Message is an object that represents the contents of a communication between two participants. It moves along a message flow and can drive event-based routing.

Key points:

• Captures the data and intent of inter‑participant communication.
• Supports event‑based gateways for reactive behavior.
• Common use cases across EA/BPM/Data/App/Tech include service integrations, partner notifications, and async handoffs.
• Pitfall: modeling messages as sequence flows within the same pool.

Examples:

• Supplier sends a confirmation message to procurement.
• CRM posts a customer update to the ERP via a message.
• Payment gateway returns authorization details to an order process.

In practice:

Use message flows between pools and define message content to support routing and compliance.

Related terms: Message Flow; Event; Event Based Gateway

FAQs:

Q: Can messages occur within a single pool?
A: No; within a pool, use sequence flows, not message flows.

Q: Do messages carry data?
A: Yes; they include content used for routing or processing.

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