Decomposing Processes

You decompose a process when you want to analyze it in more detail. For example, you could decompose the process "Process order" into the sub-processes "Check availability", "Obtain payment", "Reserve stock items", and so on.

The decomposed process behaves like a specialized package or container. It has its own sub-diagram, which models the control flow or data flow between its sub-processes.

Sub-processes can, themselves, be decomposed into further sub-processes, and so on until you get sufficient detail, or until you have reached the level of atomic tasks.

Decomposed process symbols in a business process diagram carry a plus-sign symbol to indicate that they contain further detail. Alternately, to display the detail available in a sub-diagram, right-click the symbol and select Composite View > Read-only (Sub-Diagram).

In the following example, TopLevelProcess is in composite view mode; the details of its sub-diagram are displayed within its symbol:

You can create several sub-process diagrams within a decomposed process, but this is not recommended because being in a sub-process diagram means being within the context of a process. Unless you want to design some exception cases like error management for example, it would not be consistent to create multiple sub-process diagrams within a decomposed process.

You cannot create a package or any other business process diagram type in a decomposed process, but you can use shortcuts to packages.

• Decomposing an Atomic Process
  You can decompose an atomic process in a business process diagram using its icon, context menu or property sheet.
• Creating a Decomposed Process from a Selection of Symbols
  You can create a decomposed process from a selection of symbols in the diagram using the Tools > Create Composite Process command. This command is only available from a business process diagram in which you have selected valid objects, such as processes, flows, decisions or synchronizations.
• Converting a Business Process Diagram to a Decomposed Process
  You can convert a diagram to a decomposed process using the Convert Diagram to Process wizard in order to describe the context of a complex process. This option is only available once objects have been created in the diagram. By converting a diagram to a decomposed process, you can then use the decomposed process in another business process diagram.
• Removing a Level of Decomposition
  Sometimes, you might decompose a process and then decide that you want, instead, to show the detail of its sub-processes directly.
• Working with Sub-Process Diagrams
  You can add objects to a sub-process diagram in the same way as you add them to a business process diagram. Each process that you add to a sub-process diagram is a part of its parent decomposed process, and is listed beneath it in the Browser.
• Working with Composite Views
  You can change a decomposed process symbol to give a representation of its sub-process diagram. To do so, right-click a decomposed process and select Composite View > Read-only (Sub-Diagram). The decomposed process symbol is expanded. You may need to resize the symbol to see all its content.