I'll Tag It!!

Hi Guys,

I’ve been quite a while searching for some popular websites or communities where I can learn process model for my study. Learning of something is a lot faster when you have people in the same interests together sharing our stuff. Coping with widely accepted standardized process models such bpmn, it would be best to get skilled by joining such communities in complement of self learning.

So finally I manage to find some useful websites where I can learn better and instantly without having the software downloaded and run in your local laptop. Yes, they are on web and for free (everyone’s need I guess) with some registration to sign up. But they are woth trying. Some of them are hosted by bpmn community for academical and training purpose, and some are run by commercial providers but giving the software for free. There, have fun play around making models and gain more skill in process models with an easy drag and drop feature right in your web browser.

The list obviously does not cover the whole resources though, in fact it’s only a few. But, as world wide web is a place with unlimited resources, I would be more than happy if you would also share for all of us. To me as beginner, these sites give me enough basics, and more importantly facilitate my need for upgrading my process modeling skill. It is neither on alphabetically order nor of importance consideration. I just write them down as per my own intuitive feeling. Oh yeah, another thing, as I use my computing needs with mac, there might be some resources which can only run in Mac OS, but maybe can also run in Windows.

1. BPMN Community. Run by researchers at Business Process Technology Group of Hasso Plattner Institut, University of Potsdam, the BPMN-Community is an open and free platform for the exchange around the Business Process Modeling Notation. Registration is required. There, you will meet another member, and if I we’re lucky, we can contact and make correspondence with expert about some particular modeling issue. You can also create tutorial and some reference for other member. The latest version of BPMN (2.0), is provided.

2. Oryx Project. I am not sure, but it appears that this site is also managed by HPI. So when you select edit model menu in BPMN-Community environment, you will be directed to here. But by knowing the URI, you can immediately go to the editor. Doesn’t matter which way is better. The important stuff about it is, that you can access and modify huge collection of bpmn models stored there. You can, of course, create your own model. Like BPMN Community, you need to have id. Besides BPMN version which spans 1.0 to 2.0, it also give you many collection of other diagrams.

3. Oryx Project for BPMN 2.0. It is the specialized version for bpmn 2.0. The whole environment is the same.

4. Iyopro. This is actually a compony with freeware. It is great for those who want to feel a more “Window” atmosphere, because the software is design to be deployed as if you operate in Window. The artifacts provided are the latest version of BPMN 2.0. Membership is required.

5. yED Graph Editor. It actually a software with download approach. But in the website, they provide option to launch the software. As I’m not really aware of Java, the launch edition is actually operating with java web start technology. So you are not really working in a website look. Beside that, the graph editor is not exclusively for bpmn. And another disadvantage (relative to the other previous tools above) is that it uses bpmn 1.0, not the latest. But, for novice like me, I feel sufficed with yED. The only thing you have to manage is a little bit patience, as java web start will operate at your machine before it launch the editor.

That is all what I got. Feel free to broadcast further, and of course I would also be happy if you would share with me.