BPMN stands for Business Process Modeling Notation. BPMN is very similar to the concept of flowcharting that has been around since the 1980s. Like flowcharting BPMN modeling has the aim of allowing a person to map a workflow in such a way that it can be understood easily by other interested parties. BPMN is a language, and like any language the purpose is to facilitate communication. BPMN is designed to facilitate communication and understanding of business processes.
The “N” part of BPMN stands for “notation.” The graphical notation consists of designated symbols that represent actions, flows, or process behaviors. Visual symbols have been a part of the standard since the OMG released the first version of the BPMN specification in May 2004. BPMN is not software, and it’s not “owned” by a business, but was developed by the OMG (Object Management Group) as a notation standard that can be understood by business analysts, technical developers, and project managers.