A BPMN Extension to Model Inter-Organizational Processes in Industry 4.0

Business processes are increasingly digitized and decentralized in companies adopting Industry 4.0. This paper proposes and evaluates a Business Process Modeling and Notation (BPMN) Extension to deal with this challenge. The proposal results from a design science research project in the coating industry. The proposed extension provides an integrated description of (1) private/shared process elements, (2) local/distributed manufacturing stages, and (3) technology incorporation strategy in the production network. The proposed BPMN extension can be useful for companies certified by the ISO 9001 quality standard that need to disclose their processes and third-party collaborations. Moreover, a comprehensive visualization of processes in Industry 4.0 may contribute to continuous business process improvement in manufacturing networks