Understanding Data Objects and Data Stores

In the context of BPMN, “data” means the information we use, modify, or produce during a business process. BPMN provides two elements to represent this data: data objects and data stores, neither of which represents tangible objects but instead the information itself.

• Data objects symbolize individual, transient, and process-specific information, such as an invoice or a job application. Data objects are represented as a piece of paper with a turned-down corner.
• Data stores, however, depict persistent collections of information available for use across multiple processes. Examples include inventory records or employee profiles. Data stores are represented as cylinders.
• Labels can be augmented with parentheticals to indicate the state or type, such as “Invoice (unpaid)” or “Employee records (retired).”

It’s important to remember that BPMN data elements only describe the information used or produced by a process, not the mechanisms for capturing, transmitting, or storing that information. Those details are best left to systems architecture diagrams or data flow diagrams.