Ep. 99 1/2 - BPMN 3(?) - Part 2 Ideas for Improvements

Last week we took a deep(-er) look at what BPMN is today and pointed out the scope, difficulties, and misconceptions in the current specification. But what are ideas for improvements?I am glad that you asked, because this episode is exactly about this (with a slight twist to the business side of things). In this episode of the podcast, we talk about:Today’s topic: What should BPMN 3.0 look like? Spoiler—it's more than just dots and arrows.The hosts unpack the missing hierarchy in BPMN—why we need clear distinctions between high-level, process, and task models. Roland argues for flexibility and “N levels of process”—from value chains down to sub-processes.J-M pushes for decision levels—models as tools for making decisions, not just communication artifacts.Call activities: misused, misunderstood, and overcomplicated. The guys agree—most analysts don’t touch them right.A deep dive into lanes and pools—why they’re conceptually fine but practically messy. (Stop naming your pool after your process, people!)Both want organizational elements as first-class citizens—RACI, org roles, and system links built right into the spec.Execution vs. documentation: the eternal BPMN dilemma. Should the spec drive engines, or help humans? (Hint: both.)J-M dreams of BPMN models training AI agents. Roland gets heartburn just thinking about it.“Lanes need intelligence.” The duo agree that automation, RPA, and AI will force clarity in BPMN sooner rather than later.Roland throws shade at the spec’s quality control—gateways aren’t decisions, folks! Read the fine print.The conversation drifts into data, risks, and controls—areas where BPMN could learn a lot from EPC and real-world practice.We are discussing other objects: “page connectors” (process interfaces), groups, milestones, etc.Closing thoughts: BPMN 3.0 should unify the best of documentation and execution, EPC’s expressiveness, and OMG’s rigor—with a bit more consistency, please.Please reach out to us by either sending an email to [email protected] or signing up for our newsletter and getting informed when we publish new episodes here: https://www.whatsyourbaseline.com/subscribe/.