Model 9 - Activity Sub-Processes

Goals of this lesson

  • Usage of subprocess activities

  • Considering the differences between configuring models and subprocess models for simulation purposes

How-to

Model 9 mainly consists of two activities, of which the first one is a Subprocess Activity. Subprocess activities are special because they contain another simple BPMN model, which will be executed in the activity’s life-cycle.

9
Figure 1. Model 9 - Activity Subprocess / IYOPRO-Link

Approach

  • Click the first activity (which should be a subprocess activity)

    • If the activity is not a subprocess activity, then select Subprocess from the Element Type drop-down-box under the General Properties

  • Now click the Set button next to the Subprocess property under Subprocess Properties

    • Note: This option is only available in the Modeling Property Set

    • IYOPRO’s File Browser shows up and you can select the model, which functions as the subprocess

  • There is still one thing to understand

    • Subprocess activities do not contain any duration properties

  • You have to make sure that your Subprocess model is simulation-ready configured

    • Important: The start events of Subprocess models must not have an inter-arrival time assigned

    • But all the other (allowed) elements like gateways and activities still need to be configured

    • You may also use variables, which are known to the subprocess activity in which the model is being executed

      • e. g. for decision making at gateways

9a
Figure 2. Model 9a -The subprocess for Model 9 / IYOPRO-Link

Report

See below for the run configuration, which we set up to receive the report statistics from below.

Please refer to the section Experiment Results for more information on the report specific data.

Run configuration

  • Stochastic Seed: 12345

  • Simulation start date: 1/1/2014 12:00:00 a.m.

  • Simulation stop time: 240

  • Simulation stop time unit: Hours

Report statistics

  • The report’s process cycle times (Figure 3) contain two processing times

    • The one for the main process

    • The one for the subprocess (which is being executed in the first task)

  • Note that the statistics from "Task 1" (Figure 4 - activity run-times) and those from the subprocess (lead time) are equal

    • Since the subprocess is executed within the activity, this must be the case

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Figure 3. The processing times
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Figure 4. The report’s activity details