- Overview
- Process modeling
- BPMN
- Process implementation
- Process operations
- Process monitoring
- Process optimization
- Reference information
Maestro user guide
Collaboration and communication
BPMN supports modeling collaboration between participants using pools, lanes, and message flows. These elements visually separate responsibilities, clarify ownership, and represent communication across systems or organizational boundaries.
This section explains how to use collaboration elements for modeling purposes in Maestro. Execution semantics are not applied to inter-pool interactions.
A pool represents a participant in the process. This can be an organization, system, team, or external entity.
- Use a single pool to model processes in Maestro.
- Additional pools may be used for modeling only, to indicate interactions with external participants.
- Pools do not share data or execution context.
Use case: Displaying interaction between an internal approval process and an external customer or system.
Lanes subdivide a pool into roles, departments, or logical groupings. They do not affect the behavior of the process.
- Use lanes to assign tasks visually to participants (e.g., HR vs. Finance).
- All lanes share the same process context (variables, flow).
- Lanes are layout-only elements; they do not represent callable units.
Use case: Separating tasks performed by Employee vs. Manager in the same approval process.
Message flows indicate communication between pools. They are used to model asynchronous interactions, such as API calls, emails, or external triggers.
- Only allowed between separate pools.
- Cannot be drawn between elements in the same pool.
- Do not imply execution — they are used to document interactions only.
Use case: Showing a message sent from an internal system to an external CRM.
- Use pools to isolate external actors or systems, not for internal structuring.
- Use one executable pool only. Any additional pools are non-executable.
- Label all message flows clearly with the intent (e.g., “Send Confirmation Email”).
- Avoid overusing pools — prefer lanes within a single pool for internal structure.
- Message flows should never cross inside a single pool — use sequence flows instead
| Element | Purpose | Execution in Maestro |
|---|---|---|
| Pool | Represents a participant | |
| Lane | Visual responsibility grouping |
For more details about the BPMN elements supported in Maestro, see BPMN support.
