Editing Business process modeling (section)

=== Process interfaces ===
Process interfaces are defined in order to
* Show the relationships between the sub-processes after the decomposition of business processes or
* Determine '''what''' the business processes or their sub-processes must 'pass on' to each other.
As a rule, this '''what''' and its structure is determined by the requirements in the subsequent process.

Process interfaces represent the exit from the current business process/sub-process and the entry into the subsequent business process/sub-process.

[[File:Process-flow-with-interface-to-service-process.png|thumb|A process flow with interface to a service process in EPC syntax (top) and BPMN syntax (bottom)]]
Process interfaces are therefore description elements for linking processes section by section. A process interface can
* Represent a business process model/sub-process model without the business process model referenced by it already being defined.
* Represent a business process model/sub-process model that is referenced from two/multiple superordinate or neighboring business process models.
* Represent two/multiple variants of the same business process model/sub-process model.
Process interfaces are agreed between the participants of superordinate/subordinate or neighboring business process models. They are defined and linked once and used as often as required in [[business process model|process model]]s.

Interfaces can be defined by:
* Transfer of responsibility/accountability from one business unit to another,
* Transfer of data from one IT-system to another,
* Original input (information / [[material]]s at the beginning of the business process),
* Transfer of intermediate results between sub-processes (output at the predecessor and input at the successor are usually identical) or
* Final output (the actual result / goal of the business process).

In real terms, the transferred inputs/outputs are often data or information, but any other business objects are also conceivable (material, products in their final or semi-finished state, documents such as a delivery bill). They are provided via suitable transport media (e.g. data storage in the case of data).