CMMN Example - Claims File Case

Business scenarios can be highly dynamic in that the workflow involved and the outcomes depend a lot on ad-hoc decisions and business events. The OMG Case Management Model and Notation (CMMN) is a declarative modeling language that provides an agile and dynamic way to address the situations that may happen within a context, known as a case.

By drawing a CMMN diagram, you can visualize the events that may happen in the context of a case, the tasks involved, the milestones, etc. Now, let's take a first glance of CMMN using the example by going through the following 8 steps:

  1. There are three milestones based on three stages in the example:
    Stages Milestones
    • Identify Responsibilities
    • Attach Base Information
    • Process Claims
    • Responsibilities identified
    • Base Information Attached
    • Claim Processed
  2. There is a entry sentry attached to each of the three milestones
  3. The Identify Responsibilities stage contains one process called identify Responsibilities which is "required" to complete or terminate before their containing Stage (in this case, Identified Responsibility Stage) can complete (! sign).
  4. The Responsibility Identified Milestone can optionally perform the human task (blocking and discretionary) - Change Responsibilities which may need to be repeated (# sign).
  5. Once completed the Responsibilities Identified Milestone, the second stage - Attach base information can be started.
  6. Each of the Case (Claim File), Attach Base Information Stage and Process Claim stage has a planning table Decorator attached to it which means that each of these container elements contains one or more discretionary element in it.
  7. Process task contained inside the Identify Responsibilities Stage and the Case File directly, they are: the Identify Responsibility Process and Create Letter Process.
  8. Two human event listeners are used to complete the Claim File Case by directly go to the exit or through the last Milestone - Claim Processed.
CMMN Example

CMM Notation Guide

Case Plan Model Graphical Notation (Discretionary task on right)

Discretionary Human Task

  • The complete behavior model of a Case is captured in a Case Plan Model.
  • A Case Plan Model is depicted using a "Folder" shape that consists of a rectangle with an upper left smaller rectangle attached to it.
  • The name of the Case can be enclosed into the upper left rectangle.
Case Plan Model

Stage

  • Stages are Plan Fragments that can be tracked.
  • Stages maybe considered "episodes" of a Case. They can be regarded as sub-cases (cf. sub-processes in BPMN)
  • A Stage is depicted by a rectangle shape with angled corners and a marker in the form of a "+" sign in a small box at its bottom center.
  • When the Stage is expanded it is depicted by a rectangle shape with angled corners and a marker in the form of a "-" sign in a small box at its bottom center.
Stage

Task

  • A Task is a unit of work. There are three types of Tasks.
  • A Task is depicted by a rectangle shape with rounded corners.
  • A discretionary Task is depicted by a rectangle shape with dashed lines and rounded corners.
Task

Non-blocking Human Task

It is depicted by a rectangle with rounded corners and a "Hand" symbol in the upper left corner.

Non-blocking Human Task

Blocking Human Task

It is depicted by a rectangle with rounded corners and a "User" symbol in the upper left corner.

blocking Human Task

Case Task

A Case Task is depicted by rectangle shape with rounded corners with a "Folder" symbol in the upper left corner and they can be used to call another Case

Case Task

Milestone

  • A Milestone is a Plan Item Definition that represents an achievable target, defined to enable evaluation of progress of the Case.
  • No work is directly associated with a Milestone, but completion of set of tasks or the availability of key deliverables (information in the Case File) typically leads to achieving a Milestone.
  • A Milestone is depicted by a rectangle shape with half-rounded ends.
  • A Milestone may have zero or more entry criteria, which define, when a milestone is reached
Milestone

Event Listener

  • An event is something that "happens" during the course of a Case. CMMN predefines many events, and their causes:
    • Anything that can happen to information in the Case File.
    • Anything that can happen to Stages, Tasks and Milestones.
  • Event Listeners are used to model events that do not happen to plan items.
  • An Event Listener is depicted by a double line circle shape
  • Event Listeners are specialized to
  • An Event Listener is depicted by a double line circle shape with an open center so that markers can be placed within it to indicate variations of an Event Listener.
  • The circle MUST be drawn with a double line.
Event Listener

Case File Item

A Case File Item is depicted by a "Document" shape that consists of a rectangle with a broken upper right corner.

Case File Item

Process Task

A Process Task is depicted by a rectangle shape with rounded corners with a "Chevron" symbol in the upper left corner and they can be used in the Case to call a Business Process

Process Task

Decision Task

  • A Decision Task may be discretionary (i.e., used as Discretionary Item contained in a Planning Table).
  • A discretionary Decision Task is depicted by a dash lined rectangle with rounded corners with a Decision Table symbol in the upper left corner.
Decision Task

Plan Fragment

  • A Plan Fragment is a container of Plan Items and the Sentries
  • A Plan Fragment is depicted by a rectangle shape with dashed lines and softly rounded corners and a marker in the form of a "+" sign in a small box at its bottom center
  • When the Plan Fragment is expanded it has a marker in the form of a "-" sign in a small box at its bottom center.
  • When a Plan Fragment is expanded, elements contained in it become visible
Plan Fragment

Planning Tables

  • Users (Case workers) are said to "plan" (at run-time), when they select Discretionary Items
  • A Planning Table defines the scope of planning.
  • Planning Tables can be assigned to a Stage or a Human Task.
  • Stages: The Planning Table can be used to plan instances of Tasks and Stages into that Stage instance.
  • Human Tasks: The Planning Table can be used to plan instances of Tasks and Stages into the Stage that contains the Human Task.
  • A Planning Table is depicted by a "Table" shape.
  • A Planning Table can have several Table Items (i.e. Discretionary Items). Planning Table and Table Items can have applicability rules.
Planning Tables

Sentry

  • Plan Items may have associated Sentries.
  • When a Sentry is used as an entry criterion it is depicted by a shallow "Diamond" shape.
N/A

Sentry for Entry

When a Sentry is used as an exit criterion it is depicted by a solid "Diamond" shape.

Sentry for Entry

Sentry for Exit

When a Sentry is used as an exit criterion it is depicted by a solid "Diamond" shape.

Sentry for Exit

Manual Activation Decorator

  • Under which conditions will Tasks and Stages, once enabled, start manually or automatically
Activiation Decorator

Required Decorator

  • Under which conditions will Tasks, Stages and Milestones be "required" to complete or terminate before their containing Stage can complete.
Required Decorator

Repetition Decorator

  • Under which conditions will Tasks, Stages and Milestones need to be repeated.
Repeatition Decorator

Links

  • Certain dependencies between elements that are shown inside expanded Stages or Plan Fragments are depicted using links.
  • The shape of the connector object is a dash-dot-dot line.
  • The connector MUST not have arrowheads.
Links

Turn every software project into a successful one.

We use cookies to offer you a better experience. By visiting our website, you agree to the use of cookies as described in our Cookie Policy.

OK