There is a well known joke about the two most difficult problems in computer science, it goes something like this:
What are the two most difficult problems in computer science? Naming things, cache invalidation and off-by-one errors.
There are no official naming conventions for BPMN, but organisations typically rely on a controlled vocabulary and best-practice guidelines. A standardised glossary prevents ambiguity, eliminates technical jargon where possible, and keeps process diagrams understandable to all stakeholders across the business.
Universal Naming Principles
- Avoid element types: Do not include the element type in the label (e.g., name a task Generate Invoice, not Generate Invoice Task).
- No articles/pronouns: Drop unnecessary words like "the," "a," or "all" to keep labels concise.
- Avoid abbreviations: Spell out terms unless they are strictly defined as part of the organisation's enterprise-wide controlled vocabulary.
Element-Specific Conventions Applying consistent grammar structures to different BPMN elements is the foundation of any modeling convention:
- Processes & Pools: Use an object and a nominalised verb to define the purpose of the whole process (e.g., Order Fulfillment, Invoice Processing). Give the pool the same name as the process it contains.
- Tasks & Subprocesses: Use an active Verb + Noun phrase (e.g., Submit Application, Approve Request). For subprocesses, use a nominalised verb (e.g., Reviewing Application).
- Events: Name events based on the state of an object.
- Start Events: Describe the trigger (e.g., Customer Order Received).
- End Events: Describe the final state or outcome (e.g., Order Shipped).
- Gateways: Label outgoing sequence flows with the conditions that follow them (e.g., Approved or Rejected). Alternatively, phrase the gateway as a question (e.g., Is order valid?) and label paths as Yes or No.
Establishing a Controlled Vocabulary For enterprise-level modeling, you should enforce a centralised data dictionary or controlled vocabulary:
- Glossary of terms: Standardise the nouns and objects used in your processes. For instance, require that everyone uses the word Employee instead of Staff, Worker, or Team Member.
- Standardised verbs: Limit the vocabulary to a set of approved business verbs (e.g., Approve, Create, Update, Notify, Delete, Archive).
- Domain definitions: Define technical acronyms and specific business rules in a shared repository so every modeller references the exact same terms.
See: Get started with human task orchestration
- Camunda docs: Creating readable process models
- Camunda docs: Naming BPMN elements
- Camunda docs: Naming technically relevant IDs
- Camunda docs: Modeling beyond the happy path
- Camunda docs: Modeling with situation patterns
- Camunda docs: Building flexibility into BPMN models