Representing DEXPI Process in BPMN 2.0 for graphical modeling and exchange of block flow and process flow diagrams
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The Data Exchange in the Process Industry (DEXPI) standardization group has recently released a new specification addressing early process design information, particularly information found in block flow diagrams (BFDs) and process flow diagrams (PFDs). The specification provides an information model and exchange format for such design information, but it does not yet define a graphical notation or modeling approach for creating and exchanging compliant BFDs or PFDs. Our work investigates the structural and semantic correspondence between the DEXPI Process information model and the Business Process Model and Notation 2.0 (BPMN 2.0) standard and proposes a BPMN 2.0-based representation for DEXPI’s BFDs and PFDs. The approach is validated using the Tennessee Eastman process as a case study. The results show that BPMN 2.0 can represent and exchange DEXPI Process-relevant design information in a semantic and standardized way, that the resulting models can be transformed into schema-valid DEXPI 2.0 XML, and that it provides a practical and tool-supported basis for graphical modeling of BFDs and PFDs. To support adoption, we provide an open-source reference implementation, bpmn2dexpi , that realizes the proposed representation, transforms BPMN 2.0 models into DEXPI 2.0-compliant XML, and validates the output against the DEXPI 2.0 XML Schema and information model.
Source: Digital Chemical Engineering
Authors: Shady Khella, Markus Schichtel, Erik Esche, Frauke Weichhardt, Jens-Uwe Repke
Language: English
Subfield: Management Information Systems
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,650
OpenAlex ID: W7167687997