Why BPMN Goes Wrong in Practice

Have you ever spent hours refining a BPMN diagram—only to have stakeholders still confused, IT misinterpret the flow, or automation fail at runtime? You’re not alone. In real projects, even well-intentioned diagrams often fall apart due to hidden flaws in approach or design. This section cuts through the noise to answer a simple but critical question: why do BPMN diagrams fail in practice?

Over 20 years of auditing process models across industries, I’ve seen countless diagrams that look correct but are fundamentally flawed. The issue isn’t the tool, nor the user’s intention—it’s often a lack of clarity in purpose, inconsistent notation, or a failure to consider the audience. This section helps you recognize these patterns early so you don’t waste time on revisions or face costly rework.

By the end of this section, you’ll have a clear mental model for what makes a BPMN diagram good—or bad—and a practical framework to evaluate your own models with confidence.

What This Section Covers

Explore the real reasons behind BPMN modeling challenges and how they impact teams, systems, and outcomes. Each chapter builds on the last to help you think critically before drawing a single shape.

• Why BPMN Diagrams Go Wrong in Real Projects – Discover the most common causes of poor BPMN models: unclear goals, mixed audiences, lack of training, and copying bad examples. Learn how these lead to confusion, rework, and misaligned expectations.
• A Mental Model for “Good” vs “Bad” BPMN – Understand the core criteria for good BPMN: clarity, correctness, consistency, and purpose. Use this lens to self-assess any diagram and decide when it’s “good enough” for its audience.
• The Cost of Bad BPMN for Teams and Automation – See how flawed models create real damage: misunderstood requirements, failed automation, audit risks, and wasted effort. Learn why fixing poor BPMN early is far cheaper than fixing failed implementations.
• Typical Anti-Patterns in BPMN Adoption – Identify harmful habits like treating BPMN as a fancy flowchart, jumping into tools too soon, or building one massive diagram. We’ll preview how to break these patterns with better practices.

By the End You Should Be Able To…

• Identify the root causes of BPMN problems in organizations
• Distinguish between good and bad BPMN diagrams using objective criteria
• Evaluate your own models against a consistent, reusable assessment framework
• Understand how bad BPMN models affect business-IT alignment and automation success
• Recognize and avoid common BPMN anti-patterns that undermine credibility
• Approach BPMN modeling with intention, clarity, and purpose—not just aesthetics

If you’re serious about building BPMN models that work—not just look good—this section is your foundation. The insights here will prepare you to tackle every challenge in the rest of the book with confidence, knowing that your diagrams will be clear, accurate, and aligned with real-world needs.