Best practice: Boost your process information level using attributes

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When looking at a process diagram, there is often not enough information provided. However, modelling all information would lead to overly complex diagrams. To keep your diagrams clean, while also providing more information to the users, you can make use of attributes in the SAP Signavio Process Manager.

Attribute Types 

You can define attributes for an entire process at diagram level, or at element level (e.g., for tasks or events).  
 
In addition to the main attributes, and more attributes, which are already included to meet the OMG BPM specification, you can also define custom attributes.  

Attribute types	Comment
Main attributes	Set by default (e.g., process name)
More attributes	Set by default (e.g., author)
Custom attributes	Set by the workspace admin (e.g., process objective, process owner, process maturity)

Attribute Groups

You can also arrange your attributes in different groups. This form of attribute management enables you to gain a better readability and overview of all your attributes. Especially, if you use many attributes, it makes sense to divide them into different categories (= attribute groups). Please, refer to our SAP Signavio documentation article „Attribute Management“ to learn more about the definition of attribute groups.

Attribute Creation

You can edit attributes in the attribute panel on the right side of the Editor (comp. Figure 1: Attribute Panel). 

• To set attributes for the whole process (= diagram level), click any empty space on the canvas and open the attributes panel. 

• To set attributes for one element (=element level), select the element and open the attributes panel. 

Figure 1: Attribute Panel (Source: Screenshot from SAP Signavio Editor)

 

The first section of the attribute panel contains custom attributes, which need to be defined by your workspace administrator and are individually adopted to your company’s needs. Please, refer to the SAP Signavio documentation “Add and manage custom attributes” to learn more about the set-up of custom attributes.

Best Practices

Tipps & tricks

1. When you create an attribute, choose the data type that suits you best. Remember you cannot go back to change the data type later.


2. Select the data type Dictionary Link to connect information from the Dictionary to your processes.


3. Link to intranet pages or other websites to connect additional information to your process. You can do this by creating attributes with the data type “Document/URL”.

Recommended attributes on diagram level

The following attributes are commonly used in practice to describe diagrams in more detail:

Attribute name	Data type	Comment
Process owner	Text Dropdown list Dictionary link	Assign either fixed names or responsibilities saved in the dictionary.
(Next) review date	Date	Set a specific review date for your process. Use the search function within the editor to filter for specific time periods to see which processes should be reevaluated.
Process status	Dropdown list	Allows you the filtering of process models according to a specific status. Typical statuses are “in progress” / “in review” / “approved” / “rejected”.
Customer contact?	Checkbox	Allows you to filter for all processes where customer interaction takes place.

Recommended attributes on element level

Element attributes are mostly set for tasks. Many companies implement the following attributes for tasks:

Attribute name	Data type	Comment
Linked documents	Dictionary link Document/URL	Link either to existing documents within the dictionary or to your own document management system.
Responsibility allocation via RACI attributes	Dictionary link	Allocate responsibilities to roles/positions saved in the dictionary. Find more information in the SAP Signavio documentation article "Define custom attributes for RACI".
Risks/controls	Dictionary link	Link to existing risks and controls within the dictionary.

 

If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to use the commenting function and the SAP Signavio Customer Success team will take care of them. Leave a like if this blog post was a helpful companion on attributes for you.