IBM BPM, V8.0.1, All platforms > Get started with IBM BPM > Business process management overview
Overview of process modeling
A process is the major unit of logic in IBM BPM. It is the container for all components of a process definition, including...
- services
- activities and gateways
- timer, message, and exception events
- sequence lines
- rules
- variables
When you model a process, you are creating a reusable Business Process Definition (BPD).
Process components enable you to...
- define the process workflow for end users
- create logic inside a process
- integrate with other applications and data sources
Reuse items in Process Designer
Process Designer enables process developers to reuse existing items both within and across process applications.
For example, if you know several services already exist that include Coaches and other shared items that you and other developers need, you can access and reuse those items by including them in a toolkit. Then, from your process application, you can add a dependency to the toolkit in which the shared items reside. This enables you to pick one of the existing services when choosing the implementation for an activity. The items in the toolkit can also be used by other developers working in different process applications.
Use the Designer in IBM Process Designer
The Designer interface provides the tools that you need to model your processes in IBM BPM.