In general, the role diagram is used to describe processes in more detail. The focus is put on the organizational units participating in the processes as well as on their roles. Objects and their relationships have the following properties:

A role participates in processes with due consideration of authorizations. The specification of the authorization type in the process (a role is 'involved in the execution') is just as significant as executability itself. During process execution with a specific authorization, the Role - Participation - Process relationship chain (including both Participation - Authorization condition and Participation - Authorization value) is established.

A role can be occupied by persons, positions, or information systems. The role forms the link between the processes and the resources involved in them. It is defined by an aggregation of expectations of the resources involved in the processes.

Executing a process requires skills that the participating role or the allocated resource must have. To be able to define roles in a process-oriented manner, the processes must be assessed and the process requirements of the persons/systems involved be specified. More precisely, requirements of persons or systems constitute the knowledge and capabilities (skills) these persons or systems have. The evaluation of a skill is standardized by an assigned evaluation scale.

Therefore, in the role diagram it is possible to depict processes and specific elementary processes, represent the resources involved, record their skills or required skills, and show their authorizations.

The sample model displays the elementary process' requirements of the role (capabilities and authorizations), as well as the elementary role's requirements of the resource with regard to capabilities and authorizations.

The diagram is assigned to the relevant elementary process and elementary role. By assigning the diagram to the elementary process, the requirements of the underlying process EPC (corresponds to the process reference model) can be viewed. Assigning it to the elementary role shows the elementary role's requirements of the resource with regard to its capabilities and authorizations in the role structure diagram.