Towards Systematic Usage of Labels and Icons in Business Process Models

Surprisingly little research has investigated the factors contributing to the successful practice of process modeling, in particular those contributing to the development of process models that facilitate human understanding. This research discusses the use of text and icons for labeling the graphical constructs in a process model. We discuss the use of two verb classification schemes to propose a systematic approach for describing, and graphically representing, domain semantics in labels used in process model constructs such that human understanding can be improved. We argue that the systematic use of domain labels and corresponding icons will result in process models that are easier and more readily understandable by end users. Our findings contribute to an ongoing stream of research investigating the practice of process modeling and thereby contribute to the body of knowledge about conceptual modeling quality overall.