The role of Governance in BPMN Modeling

BPMN as a standard does define modeling elements and their relationships. Furthermore it defines execution semantics, as far as this is applicable.

In itself this is not sufficient to achieve a consistent model quality in designing BPMN models. More is needed. The missing element is a governance process.

What is a governance process in this context?

What you need to design high quality (BPMN) models is experience. It is always possible to solve a certain modeling problem is different ways. Which is the best way for which kind of modeling problem? Unter which circumstances is which solution better? Is a certain solution consistently applied across a large set of models, if the underlying modeling problem is the same? What are the modeling rules, what are the patterns?

Theoretically it is possible, that a single person has all the experience needed. But still then this single persons approach differs from an approach of another single person. Also it is not clear if this single person is always available. Furthermore we are humans and we err.

So the elements of a governance process, that produces consistently high quality in modeling are these:

1. A defined number of modeling experts with different background, which collaborate over a long period of time with some, but little fluctuation.
2. A defined review process with enought time to study a model for all reviewers (experts) and the possibility to accept or reject a model.
3. The possibility to raise issues, discuss pros and cons and find solutions.
4. A list of quality criteria, patterns and modeling guidelines which each model needs to fulfill. This grows over time by common action of the experts.

Each expert that takes part in such a governance expert council will learn from each new model review and the common expertise will rise. The quality level of models can be held consistently high. Futhermore is the feedback of such an governance expert council to the standard – in this case BPMN – invaluable, because they are those who find out even the subtle weaknesses of the standard over time. Each modeler, that commits to the governance process learns more than any theoretical class can ever teach him.