Map business processes easily, on any device, with SmartDraw. SmartDraw has an extensive collection of BPMN symbols with powerful, contextual controls that let you build your process flows quickly and easily.
See how easy it is to create a BPMN diagram using SmartDraw's built in BPMN tools and templates. You start by picking one of the BPMN templates included.
Drag and drop BPMN symbols to the work area. Once you already have a shape on the page, click any of the yellow dots at the perimeter of the shape to start drawing a line and add a shape from the menu that pops up. This menu is pre-populated with the most common symbols for BPMN. Each BPMN symbol will also trigger a set of contextual controls to make representing even a complex process easier.
A BPMN diagram is made up of 4 major components: activities, tasks, events, and gateways. There are also data object controls, choreagraphy controls, and pools.
Each element can have additional notation to denote its type, trigger, or marker.
SmartDraw's BPMN symbol library contains all the building elements you'll need to make a BPMN diagram. Additionally, SmartDraw has powerful contextual controls to make adding types, triggers, and markers easy.
SmartDraw's BPMN templates have sophisticated contextual controls based on the shape selected to let you quickly set markers and types.
For example, for tasks, you'll be able to set the activity type, task type, and add as many markers as you need.
You can add any number of markers to a selected task to note its behavior in the process.
With an event shape selected, you can quickly change the type of event represented. There are three main types of events: start, intermediate and end. You can also represent the difference between interrupting and non-interrupting events and catching vs throwing events.
You can also easily set event triggers as needed.
Instead of wasting time looking for the right symbol or worrying about having to replace a symbol when all you need to change is the type or marker, these new controls now let you build and edit your BPMN diagram more easily.
Specify the gateway type using a drop-down.
See all the BPMN tools and how they work.
You and your team can work on the same BPMN diagram by saving it in a shared folder or by using your favorite file sharing apps like Dropbox®, Google Drive™, Box® or OneDrive®. You can also share files with non SmartDraw users by simply emailing them a link. Or share your process flow in a variety of common graphics formats such as a PDF or PNG.
Add comments to start a discussion or offer feedback to a teammate as necessary.
SmartDraw works with the tools you already know and love. Once your process is ready, you can insert it easily into a report or presentation—basically any Microsoft Office® or Google Workspace™ application—in a few clicks. SmartDraw also connects to Atlassian's Confluence and Jira.
BPMN is a visual way to represent the steps in a business process using specific standard notation.
BPMN is used to analyze applications and enterprise workflows. This notation lets you visualize complex technical concepts in a way that they are accessible by every business user.
SmartDraw adds over 300,000 new users per month and is trusted choice for diagramming at universities, government agencies, and over 75% of the Fortune 500.
Discover why SmartDraw is the best BPM flowchart software.
©1994-2023 SmartDraw, LLC
