In the world of Business Process Management (BPM), understanding the distinction between how an organization interacts with the outside world versus how it operates internally is crucial. This tutorial explores the concept of the Private Process (often referred to as an Orchestration), using a real-world insurance application workflow as a case study.
What is a Private Business Process?
A Private Process represents the internal workflow of a single organization or participant. Unlike a “Public Process” (which describes the choreography between multiple parties), a Private Process details exactly how work gets done within that specific entity. It is the “black box” of the external world—the internal engine that drives the business goal.
Key characteristics include:
- Single Boundary: All activities occur inside one organizational boundary (often represented as a single Pool in BPMN).
- Internal Detail: It reveals the full sequence of tasks, gateways, and events required to complete a goal.
- Focus on Execution: It maps the logical flow of work from start to finish.
Case Study: The Insurance Policy Approval Workflow
Let’s analyze a specific sequence of events depicted in a standard Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) diagram. This workflow illustrates an internal approval chain where an insurance company evaluates a new policy application.
Step-by-Step Process Analysis
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Start: Determine Order is Complete
The process begins with a specific user task (indicated by the person icon). Before any technical evaluation can happen, the system or a clerk must ensure the application is complete. This is a “human-in-the-loop” task. -
Check Record of Applicant
Once the order is deemed complete, the workflow moves to verify the applicant’s history. This task likely involves querying a database or a legacy system to check for fraud or previous claims. -
Determine Premium of Policy
Technical Note: Notice the icon change here. This task is represented by a gear icon (a Service Task). Unlike the previous steps, this does not require human intervention. It represents an automated calculation or a service call to a pricing engine to determine the cost of the policy based on the applicant’s record. -
Approve or Reject Policy
The workflow returns to a human actor (the person icon). Based on the record check and the premium calculation, a decision-maker must approve or reject the application. This is the critical decision point in the business logic. -
Notify Applicant of Approval or Rejection
Finally, the process concludes with an action to communicate the result. The icon here (an envelope or document) suggests a message task or a specific notification activity, ensuring the external party is informed of the internal decision.
Executable vs. Non-Executable Modeling
When designing a Private Process like the one above, you must decide on the level of detail required. This is known as the “Executable vs. Non-Executable” distinction:
- Executable: If this diagram were to be run by a BPMN engine (like Camunda or Activiti), it would need detailed data objects (e.g., “Applicant ID”, “Premium Amount”) and formal expressions (e.g., “If Score > 500 then Approve”).
- Non-Executable: If the diagram is purely for documentation or communication, it serves as a visual map. It shows the logic (the gear icon vs. the person icon) without requiring the complex data definitions needed for software execution.
Message Activities: The Bridge to the Outside
Even though a Private Process is internal, it must communicate with the outside world. In the example above, the final task—Notify Applicant—is a prime example of a Message Activity. Within a private process, interactions with external entities are specifically represented as “Send Message” or “Receive Message” tasks. This distinguishes internal work from external communication.
When to Use a Private Process
Use a Private Process model when you need to:
- Document the internal steps of a specific department (e.g., the Claims Department or HR).
- Automate a workflow where the logic is strictly contained within one organization.
- Visualize the internal checks, standards, and logic (like the premium calculation) that are invisible to the customer.
By understanding the internal engine of the Private Process, organizations can optimize efficiency, reduce errors in human tasks, and seamlessly integrate automated services into their daily operations.
