In which specific situations and according to which criteria are BPMN, Coloured Petri Nets and UML Use Case each most appropriate for effectively modelling business processes?

Details

Supervisors

Agrell, Per Joakim

Faculty

Louvain School of Management

Degree label

Master [120] : ingénieur de gestion, à finalité spécialisée

Abstract

Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) is widely used for business process modelling because of its intuitive graphical notation and its ability to bridge the gap between business users and technical developers. This Master’s thesis presents a critical examination of BPMN and compares it with Use Case diagrams and Colored Petri Nets. The study begins with an in-depth analysis of BPMN, highlighting its strengths as a standardised and comprehensive approach to business process visualisation. Next, Unified Modeling Language (UML) Use Case diagrams are examined for their effectiveness in capturing functional requirements and their simplicity in representing user interactions. Petri Nets are then analysed for their robustness in modelling processes and their mathematical rigour in validating processes. The comparative analysis reveals that while BPMN excels at providing a detailed, standardised description of business processes, UML Use Case offers a simpler approach to capturing user requirements, and Colored Petri Nets are a powerful tool for modelling complex and concurrent systems. The results suggest that the choice of modelling technique should be guided by the complexity of the processes, the audience for the modelling and the level of detail required. This thesis contributes to the ongoing discussion on business process modelling by providing a complete evaluation of BPMN, UML Use Case and Colored Petri Nets, offering insight into their respective advantages and limitations. The comparative analyses are intended to guide practitioners in choosing the most appropriate modelling technique for their specific business process needs.