How to Draw a BPMN Diagram in Visio (Beginner Friendly)
Learn the four BPMN shapes every business analyst needs (start event, task, gateway, end event) and draw a real expense claim process in Visio, step by step.
Step by step
Intro
- BPMN in Visio. BPMN looks scary, but you only need four shapes to draw most business processes. In this video, I'll draw an expense claim process in Visio using BPMN, step by step.
- The BPMN Shapes stencil. I've opened a blank drawing with the BPMN Shapes stencil. Events, tasks, gateways and flows are all here on the left.
Start event and task
- Shape 1 - Start event. Every process starts with a start event, the thin circle. It's the trigger. Here, an employee submits a claim.
- Shape 2 - Task. Next, a task. It's the rounded rectangle, and it means one piece of work. Name it with a verb and a noun.
- Sequence flow. Connect them with a sequence flow. That's the solid arrow, and it shows the order things happen in.
Gateway
- Shape 3 - Gateway. Now a decision. In BPMN, that's a gateway, the diamond. The process splits here depending on the answer. Connect the task to the gateway.
The Yes path
- The Yes path. If the receipts are valid, finance approves the payment. Add another task on the main line.
- Label the flow. Connect it, and label the flow yes. Every flow leaving a gateway needs a label.
- Shape 4 - End event. Finish the happy path with an end event. That's the circle with the thick border. And connect it.
The No path
- The No path. If the receipts are not valid, the claim goes back to the employee. Put that task below the gateway.
- Label the flow. Connect it, and label this flow no.
- Every path ends. This path needs its own end event too. A process can have more than one ending. Connect it, and the process is complete.
- Done. Click away to see the whole diagram.
The 4 BPMN shapes
- The 4 BPMN shapes. So, four shapes. Start event, task, gateway, and end event. Learn those, and you can map most processes in BPMN. Subscribe for more Visio tips for business analysts.
