Sequence Flow

Intro

Sequence flow shows the order of activities in a BPMN process using solid lines. Each flow has one source and one target; flows can cross lanes but not pools.

Key points:

• Defines control flow within a participant.
• Separates internal logic from cross-boundary messaging.
• Common use cases across EA/BPM/Data/App/Tech include task progression, conditional routing, and parallel splits/joins.
• Pitfall: using sequence flow between pools instead of message flow.

Examples:

• Task A → Task B → Task C within a single pool.
• Conditional sequence flow based on approval outcome.
• Parallel flows that later join via a gateway.

In practice:

Use sequence flows inside pools; use message flows for interactions across participants.

Related terms: Gateway; Pool; Message Flow

FAQs:

Q: Can sequence flow connect events and gateways?
A: Yes; it connects flow elements within a process.

Q: How are sequence flows drawn?
A: Solid lines with directional arrows.

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