Business analysis glossary
BPMN (Business Process Model and Notation)
What it is
BPMN is a standard set of symbols for drawing business processes: events, tasks, gateways for decisions, and flows between them, usually grouped into lanes for each participant. It is understood by business and technical people. Because the symbols have defined meanings, a diamond is always a decision and a circle always an event, readers do not have to guess what the author intended.
Why it matters
A common notation means a diagram drawn by one analyst can be read by another team, a developer or an auditor without a long explanation. Many tools can draw it and some can even run it, so the same diagram can move from analysis to automation if the organisation decides to do so.
Example
In a BPMN diagram for Orchard Health Clinics, a start event "appointment requested" leads to a task "check availability", then a gateway "slot free?". Yes leads to "confirm booking"; no leads to "offer alternative times". Every path ends somewhere, so the analyst can check that no scenario has been left without an outcome.