From Microsoft Visio to valid BPMN

At Aptero, we have many years of experience working with modelling tools - the next step on from drawing tools like Microsoft Visio. Modelling tools not only allow pictures to be drawn, but through the concept of a model, allow the symbols on the diagrams to have fully descriptive elements behind them. In addition to rich descriptive specifications, these model elements have properties which reflect many different aspects of their nature, and they can also be linked to identify dependencies and hierarchical structure. These links can then be easily navigated within the model.

Through our relationship with MID as their UK and international distributor, we offer Innovator for Business Analysts, a role-based modelling tool for those exploring business processes. In addition to an implementation of the BPMN 2.0 standard notation for business modelling, it also provides data structure modelling, business organisation and resource modelling and a subset of UML. All this on a model repository which allows models to be worked o collaboratively and shared with process users through generated documents, websites or through a read-only version of the tool.

Because so many of our contacts are looking to migrate from Microsoft Visio to Innovator for Business Analysts, we have built a migration engine which can convert Visio diagrams into valid BPMN models. The engine runs as a plugin to Innovator, and as it migrates the diagram, looks for inconsistencies in the Visio diagram (which can occur simply by failing to attach both ends of a connector) and annotates the resulting BPMN model in Innovator to allow the modeller to check and correct any problems.

Where multiple Visio diagrams are imported, the engine recognises any shared sub-process names and therefore builds a model in which you can navigate from a called process on one diagram to the actual definition of that process on another.

If you currently store information alongside Visio diagrams in other files, such as process descriptions in Word documents, we can often import these along with the workflow diagrams to create a single richer source of your business process definitions.

For more information on our experiences in stepping up from Visio® pictures to BPMN models, please contact us. You can download a free personal edition of Innovator for Business Analysts to try out its modelling capabilities for yourself.