Relevance of BPMN in business context

BPMN has definite strength in technical process automation. It is achieved through dozens of proprietary and open source implementations of BPMN engines tailored for interoperability with an impressive array of business software from various target domains. This strength is additionally reinforced with high degree of standardization ensuring transparent exchange of BPMN processes among all these applications and technologies. Perhaps, BPMN is one of most commonly used business language in the area of technical automated business processing.

Process transparency creates a unique ecosystem in growing family of tools supporting open BPMN process collaboration and increases its attractiveness for wider business generalization. However, exactly these voluntary expansions create a potential trap of BPMN misuse. In regard of generic business structuring and vision, usage of BPMN might look much less beneficial and relevant. There definitely exist many other dedicated languages for these business contexts. Even in technical execution area one can find many more alternative languages specifically designed for their specialized areas. As any language, BPMN is best to use in areas where it best suites in terms of its vocabulary and expressive capabilities and should be avoided of artificial enforcement into alternative areas where its relevance is dubious.

BPMN is one of widely spread languages for business modeling, which, as any other language, should be used in areas where its palette of objects and rules gives a convenient and efficient description of business practice. Where it is relevant or not, only practitioners, analysts and process owners can decide. If all of them are comfortable using BPMN in their daily communication, then it is the right choice. If substantial amount of users is dissatisfied, it is a good invitation to look for another, more relevant language. It is always important to see real business behind the language and not formal abstracts of the language itself. Business language is suitable when it helps to run the business and irrelevant in all other situations.