There is a need for process models to be executable. The suggested approach is to maintain a loose but recognizable relationship between the finest levels of processes modeled by business stakeholders and the highest level of the automated processes or workflows.

Figure 33: How to get from process models (L3) to executable processes (L4) through well-defined collaboration

Note that processes at level 4 are on the same hierarchical layer in the process hierarchy as level 3, but provide additional technical details needed to make the process automated.

As discussed earlier, BPM Suite 12c allow us to gradually move from an abstract viewer to a more concrete view. The key mechanism is providing an activity type called extract activity, which leaves the decision on how this activity is implemented, for example, either by a human task or an SOA service to a later stage.