Uncontrolled Flow

Intro

Uncontrolled flow proceeds without dependencies or conditions. In BPMN, it is a sequence flow without a condition indicator or intervening gateway.

Key points:

• Represents straightforward task progression.
• Avoids unnecessary gateway complexity.
• Common use cases across EA/BPM/Data/App/Tech include simple handoffs and linear activities.
• Pitfall: omitting needed conditions and error paths.

Examples:

• Submit request → log request.
• Validate form → store record.
• Create shipment → notify customer.

In practice:

Use uncontrolled flow for clear, unconditional steps; add gateways only when logic requires them.

Related terms: Sequence Flow; Gateway; Normal Flow

FAQs:

Q: Can uncontrolled flow cross pools?
A: No; use message flows across pools.

Q: When to add a gateway?
A: When routing depends on conditions or synchronization.

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