Add or manage BPM
Unlock complete end-to-end process visibility by creating and managing Business Process Models (BPMs) in Nodinite. This guide shows you how to visualize business workflows with swimlane diagrams, organize by organizational domains, monitor services in real-time, and empower teams with actionable process intelligence.
✅ Create visual BPM diagrams with the intuitive Designer
✅ Organize processes with Domain swimlanes (departments/teams)
✅ Add Services and Resources for real-time monitoring
✅ Track milestone-based logging across process steps
✅ Enable Remote Actions for instant service management
✅ Deliver end-to-end visibility from business to technical teams
This guide teaches how to add or manage a Business Process Model (BPM).
Tutorial overview
Use the following table as your to-do list for managing Business Process Models. Stay organized and ensure every BPM is complete, well-structured, and operationally valuable.
Step 1: Add or Manage BPM
Click the Add/New button to create a new Business Process Model from the BPM Overview page in the Repository menu.
Click the 'Add BPM' button to create a new Business Process Model.
Step 2: Name and Describe the BPM
Give your BPM a clear, descriptive name that reflects the business process it represents. The name appears in BPM lists, Log Views, and throughout Nodinite.
Enter the BPM name and optional description.
Mandatory fields
- Name: Every BPM must have a unique, descriptive name. Examples: "Order-to-Cash," "Procure-to-Pay," "Quote-to-Order," "Customer Onboarding"
Optional fields
- Description – Provide a clear summary of the business process, its purpose, and scope. This helps users understand what the BPM covers and when to use it.
- Web Site – Add a link to external documentation, wiki pages, or business process documentation for additional context.
Step 3: Create Domain Swimlanes
Domains represent organizational boundaries (departments, business units, teams) and appear as horizontal swimlanes in your BPM diagram. Each Domain groups related services and shows organizational accountability.
Add Domains as horizontal swimlanes to represent organizational structure.
How to add Domains
- In the BPM Designer, click Add Domain
- Select an existing Domain from the dropdown or create a new one
- Repeat to add multiple Domains (e.g., Sales, Finance, Logistics, IT)
- Reorder Domains by dragging rows up or down
Domain examples
- Sales Domain – Order entry, CRM, customer contact services
- Finance Domain – Credit checks, invoicing, payment processing
- Logistics Domain – Warehouse management, shipping, inventory
- Customer Service Domain – Support tickets, notifications, feedback
- IT Operations Domain – Monitoring, infrastructure, databases
Tip
Reuse Domains across multiple BPMs for consistency. Define "Sales Domain" once and use it in all relevant processes—ensuring organizational alignment across your entire process landscape.
Step 4: Define Process Steps
Process steps represent the columns in your BPM diagram—the sequential milestones your business process moves through from start to finish.
Add process steps as columns to build the workflow sequence.
How to add steps
- Click Add Step to create a new column
- Name the step clearly (e.g., "Receive Order," "Validate Payment," "Ship Product")
- Add as many steps as needed to represent the complete process flow
- Reorder steps by dragging columns left or right
Step naming best practices
- Use business terminology – Not technical service names ("Process Order" not "OrderAPI.ProcessMessage")
- Focus on outcomes – What business milestone does this step achieve?
- Keep names short – 2-4 words is ideal for visual clarity
- Be consistent – Use similar naming patterns across all BPMs
Note
The intersection of a Domain (row) and a Step (column) creates a cell where you can add one or more Services.
Step 5: Add Services to Cells
Services are the integration capabilities that execute within each process step and domain. Adding Services to BPM cells connects your visual process diagram to real operational components.
Click a cell to add Services at the intersection of a Domain and Step.
How to add Services to cells
- Click on a cell (intersection of Domain row and Step column)
- Click Add Service in the cell editor
- Select one or more Services from the dropdown
- Each Service in the cell will display its current operational state
- Optionally rename the Service display name using artifact renaming for clarity in the BPM view
Service selection strategy
- Single responsibility – Each Service should have a clear purpose within the process step
- Domain alignment – Place Services in the Domain (department) that owns or operates them
- Real monitoring – Only add Services that are actively monitored and have Resources associated
Tip
You can add the same Service to multiple cells if it participates in different process steps or domains. The BPM provides a business view—how you organize services is independent of technical implementation.
Step 6: Monitor Resources and Enable Remote Actions
Each Service in a BPM cell is connected to one or more Resources—the actual monitored components (APIs, queues, databases, file shares) that execute the business logic.
View resource status and execute remote actions directly from the BPM.
Real-time operational visibility
Once Services are added to cells, the BPM automatically displays:
- Resource status – Green (healthy), yellow (warning), red (error), gray (no data)
- Recent events – Count of log events for each service
- Last activity – When the service last processed a transaction
- Alerts – Active monitoring alerts for the service
Remote Actions
If Resources support Remote Actions, users can execute operational commands directly from the BPM:
- Start/Stop Services – Control service execution
- Restart Services – Recover from failures
- Clear Queues – Manage message backlogs
- Execute Custom Actions – Run predefined operational scripts
Important
Remote Actions require proper Access Management permissions. Ensure users have appropriate roles before granting operational control.
Step 7: Enrich with Custom Metadata
As part of the Repository Model, you can add Custom Metadata to your BPM for enhanced governance, documentation, and business context.
Add Custom Metadata to capture business-critical information about the BPM.
Custom Metadata enables you to:
- Capture ownership – Assign BPM owners, process architects, or responsible teams
- Document SLAs – Record service-level agreements, uptime targets, and performance KPIs
- Track compliance – Add regulatory requirements, audit notes, or certification details
- Link documentation – Reference runbooks, training materials, or business process specifications
- Version control – Track BPM changes, approval status, or review dates
Tip
Use Custom Metadata instead of Custom Fields for better flexibility, advanced querying, and integration with reporting.
Using BPMs Operationally
Once created, your BPMs become powerful operational tools accessible throughout Nodinite:
BPM Designer View
The BPM Designer provides the interactive swimlane diagram with:
- Domain swimlanes showing organizational structure
- Process steps showing workflow sequence
- Services in cells with real-time status
- Click-through to detailed Resource monitoring
- Remote Actions for immediate operational control
Grouped Log Views
Associate your BPM with Log Views to enable milestone-based logging:
- Events are grouped by process step and domain
- Visual Gantt-style timeline shows process progression
- Color-coded status indicators (green/yellow/red) show step health
- Click any step to drill into detailed log events
- Follow business transactions end-to-end across systems
Example: BPM shown in a grouped Log View with milestone-based process tracking.
Integration Landscape
View your BPM in the Integration Landscape to see how it relates to:
- Integrations – High-level business workflows
- Systems – Source and target systems
- Services – Integration capabilities
- Endpoints – Connection points and interfaces
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to define BPMs before deploying services?
No! Nodinite supports late binding—you can create BPMs after services are already running. Use historical log data to model processes retroactively, then refine the BPM as you gain insights.
Can I create multiple BPMs using the same Services?
Yes! Nodinite uniquely allows multiple BPM views over the same log data. Create different BPMs for different audiences:
- Executive BPM – High-level business milestones
- Operations BPM – Detailed technical steps
- Audit BPM – Compliance-focused process view
Same underlying data, different business perspectives.
How do I track business transactions across BPM steps?
Use Search Fields to extract business identifiers (order numbers, invoice IDs, customer IDs) from log events. Configure Search Field Expressions for each Message Type. Nodinite automatically correlates events across BPM steps using these identifiers.
Can I change a BPM after it's created?
Absolutely! Nodinite supports schema-free changes:
- Add or remove Domains and Steps at any time
- Reorganize Services between cells
- Rename steps and domains for clarity
- Historical log data remains accessible and can be reindexed with the new BPM structure
What happens if a Service appears in multiple cells?
This is normal and supported! A Service might participate in different process steps or be shared across domains. The BPM provides a business-centric view—you're showing where the Service is used in the process, not technical implementation details.
How do I delete a BPM?
From the BPM Overview, use the Actions menu to delete a BPM. Deleted BPMs can be restored later by enabling "Show deleted BPMs" and selecting Restore from the Actions menu. Deleting a BPM does not affect underlying Services, Resources, or log data.
Next Step
BPM Overview
Add or manage Domain
Log Views
Related Topics
Domains
Services
Resources
Custom Metadata
Remote Actions
Monitor Views
Integration Landscape
Integrations