How are BPMN 2.0 diagrams transferred to ARIS?

During data transfer between ARIS and the SAP® system, the mandatory hierarchical structure is created as defined in the default method configuration of the project or branch. The method configuration determines how database items are displayed in ARIS after they have been downloaded from SAP® projects and branches or after SAP® synchronization. The ARIS administrator can customize the default method configuration for projects and branches. This makes it possible to use different element types, for example, BPMNTM diagrams.

Hierarchy

The hierarchical structure of SAP® Solution Manager elements is structured in ARIS by means of the defined assignment structure. Structural elements are represented by SAP functions. The hierarchical structure is handled by functions with distinct SAP function type attributes, database subgroups, and models with related SAP model type attributes. The default symbol used for functions depends on the model type selected for the assignment. The SAP function type attribute of a function must match the SAP model type attribute of the assigned model. This model must only contain function occurrences of the next lower SAP function type. You can assign several models of the same type, such as EPC or Function allocation diagram, to a function. If you use BPMN diagrams, only one assigned BPMN diagram is allowed. The SAP model type attribute must be specified only for the one model relevant to synchronization, and the assignment structure must be consistent.

In SAP® Solution Manager 7.1, the process structure below the project node is fixed on a 3-level hierarchy: Scenarios > Business Processes > Process Steps.

To objects
of the
SAP function type:

models are assigned of the
SAP model type:

These models contain objects of the
SAP function type:

Project

Project

Scenario

Scenario

Scenario

Process

Process

Process

Process step

As this structure is mandatory for SAP synchronization, in ARIS new SAP functions can be created using a wizard. This allows you to create all assignments automatically (see different procedures for SAP Solution Manager 7.1 or SAP Solution Manager 7.2).

With SAP® Solution Manager 7.2, this structure below the branch node is still mandatory. By placing elements in an arbitrary nested folder structure, there can be as many levels as required. In ARIS SAP folders are handled by subgroups, functions with the Folder SAP function type attribute value, and models with the Folder SAP model type attribute value. You can use folders to structure scenarios as well as the Process Step Library (PSL) and the Interface Library. Below the Business process structure, folders can only have scenarios or folders as subordinate elements. Superior elements can either be a folder or a root node. The same rules apply for the PSL. But since scenarios or processes are not available in the PSL, Process steps folders can only have process step originals as subordinate elements.

In ARIS, folders are handled like all other SAP structure elements branch, scenario, process and process step. For folder items, you can use the new Folder, Process steps folder, Executables folder, and Interface folder SAP function types and SAP model types.

Hierarchy

SAP model type/
SAP function type

Subordinate

Superior

Branch

Project

Folder

Process steps folder (PSL)

Executable folder

Interface folder

-

Folder

Folder

Folder

Scenario

Branch or folder

Scenario

Scenario

Process

Folder

Process

Process

Process step

PSL Occurrence*

Scenario

Process step

Process step

-

Process

Process steps folder (PSL)

Process steps folder

Process step original (PSL)

 

Process steps folder (PSL)

 

Process step original (PSL)

Process steps folder

-

Process steps folder (PSL)

Executable folder

Executables folder

Executable folder

Executable folder

Interface folder

Interface folder

Interface folder

none**

Interface folder

*In contrast to SAP, in ARIS you can use occurrences of process step originals as subordinate elements of processes.

**In contrast to SAP, interfaces in ARIS are not mapped as structural elements, but as assignments. This example shows how this SAP solution is mapped in ARIS.

SAP Solution (Example)

The Development branch of the DEMO_ARIS Branch solution was downloaded to the SAP database subgroup. The top structure always starts with a root function of the Project SAP function type. This root function, as well as the subgroup containing the branch's content, always has the same name as the SAP project or branch.

Root object

The subgroup stores the content in hierarchical levels.

Branch content

It contains the Business Process, Process Step Library, Roles, and System landscape subgroups.

If you customize the method configuration for using BPMN in the project configuration, the hierarchical structure of projects is represented as follows:

Assignments will be included if the SAP ID, SAP function types, and SAP model types match between object definitions and assignments that have already been synchronized.

Assignments are also included if no SAP ID exists (that is, object definitions have not yet been synchronized), and if SAP function types and SAP model types match between object definitions and assignments. All assignments without an SAP function type or SAP ID will not be included.

BPMN lane assignment

Pools and lanes are available exclusively in BPMN collaboration diagrams. The assignment is effective only towards ARIS during synchronization.

In order to uniquely identify pools, they are always assigned to the superior SAP® structural element and named after it. If several pools are used in one BPMN collaboration diagram, lanes or SAP® elements created during synchronization can therefore always be associated with the relevant pool.

Lanes are automatically placed in the pool that is associated with the hierarchically superior SAP® structural element. The lanes and the objects to be inserted are named based on the lane assignment defined in the method configuration.

The following allocations are possible:

Hierarchy level

Lanes

Project/Branch

End user role – Organizational unit, End user role – Position, End user role – Job, Default lane, None.

The default setting is:

Default lane.

Scenario

End user role – Organizational unit, End user role – Position, End user role – Job, Logical component, Default lane, None.

The default setting is:

End user role – Organizational unit.

Process

End user role – Organizational unit, End user role – Position, End user role – Job, Logical component, Default lane, None.

The default setting is:

Logical component

If a lane assignment in the SAP® system is not unique because several organizational units are assigned to one scenario or a process contains process steps with different logical components, for example, these objects are automatically placed in the default lane. By selecting Default lane, the link assignment of the lane also refers to the superior structural element. The lane is always named after the object with which it is linked.

The Logical component lane is created at the process level if the logical component of a process is unique. This is the case if all process steps are assigned to the same logical component. If the lane assignment is not unique, the Default lane setting is used automatically.

The same BPMN symbols are used in process and collaboration diagrams. This includes all symbols for placeable BPMN tasks and subprocesses, as well as the symbols derived from these. Symbols for call activities are not available, as these are used for shortcuts and shadow objects only. Non-placeable objects are not offered, as these cannot be used together with the function wizard.

Synchronization of BPMN elements

If synchronization is started for a lane that represents an organizational unit, the relevant roles are included automatically. If an SAP function is created in the assigned lane, it stays positioned there even if the lane assignment changes in the SAP® system.

Shortcuts and SAP shadow functions

You can use SAP shadow functions multiple times in projects without violating the consistency rules for SAP® synchronization. Shortcuts are only available if you use SAP Solution Manager 7.1.

In the BPMN environment, however, there are no occurrence copies with which these objects are mapped by default. Therefore, SAP functions of the Call activity symbol type are used for shortcuts and SAP shadow functions in models of the types BPMN collaboration diagram and BPMN process diagram.

A shortcut represents a call activity of a global task for whose SAP function type attribute the hierarchy-dependent value Project or Branch, Scenario, Process, or Process step is specified. The global task must be a valid master object from this project. A SAP shadow function is also represented by a call activity, but the SAP function type attribute is not specified. You have the option of creating these SAP functions with assistance, which specifies all mandatory attributes and assignments automatically.

In models of the BPMN collaboration diagram and BPMN process diagram types BPMN symbols must not be changed. So it is impossible to base a differentiation between synchronization-relevant objects and non-relevant objects in models on the symbol. However, you can identify the objects using a model template in which you show attribute symbols for synchronization-relevant objects, for example.

Selecting models of the Enterprise BPMN collaboration diagram and Enterprise BPMN process diagram types enables you to use SAP shadow functions. In these diagrams, synchronization-relevant items can be visually differentiated from those that are non-relevant to SAP synchronization.

Subprocess

Subprocess are used, for example, to link multiple processes in E2E process. If you use an SAP function of the Subprocess symbol type, you must maintain the project hierarchy provided to ensure that data is synchronized without errors.

The SAP® project structure is represented in ARIS by assignments. In contrast, assignments of subprocesses in the BPMN environment have another meaning. Depending on the project level, synchronization-relevant subprocesses must therefore not be collapsed.

Subprocesses are used in the Scenario and Process hierarchy levels exclusively as elements that form the hierarchy. They must not be used for detailing scenarios or processes for SAP functions with the Scenario or Process SAP function types.

For example, if you place subprocesses at the process level and collapse them, no objects must be placed in the subprocess itself. Only SAP functions of the Process step SAP function type are allowed at this level. If you inserted a subprocess in the process model and placed objects of the Process SAP function type, process steps and processes would be used in parallel in the assignment. In that case, it would be impossible to synchronize the data.

From the Process step level downwards, you can use subprocesses for detailing, as the project hierarchy is not relevant to SAP® synchronization from this level.

The order of the objects cannot be edited in the subprocess. Please edit the order of the objects in the superior model.

Reimport

When a ARIS model is transferred from ARIS to SAP Solution Manager, for SAP Solution Manager the original ARIS model is converted to a BPMN process diagram. If such a diagram is transferred back to ARIS, a new Enterprise BPMN collaboration diagram is created in ARIS. The new diagram has the same name as the original ARIS model. If you want to modify the diagram, you must change the original ARIS model. If you modify the corresponding BPMN collaboration diagram, changes are ignored during data transfer to SAP Solution Manager.