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9 business process modeling tools

June 19, 2019, 12:19 PM By Yuliia

Best Business Process Modeling Software in 2026

Applications for business process automation
When developing almost any business solution, including CRM, it is essential to define business processes. 
Building a business process is not always a simple matter, because it requires not only drawing up a specific diagram but also considering how each process will actually unfold, establishing procedures, communicating these procedures to every employee, testing how everything works in practice, and identifying any shortcomings and ways to address them. 
When modeling business processes using BPMN , specialized business process modeling software is increasingly being used—software that is capable not only of creating diagrams but also of simulating actual business operations based on those diagrams. 
Let's take a look at what BPMN is and how BPMN processes are modeled.
BPMN Business Process Model and NotationBPMN is a set of symbols used to create business process flow diagrams (business process modeling). 

Key Benefits of Business Process Modeling
Better Workflow Visibility 

Teams can clearly understand responsibilities, dependencies, and approval processes.

Faster Process Optimization

BPM helps identify inefficiencies, delays, and unnecessary manual tasks.

Simpler Workflow Automation

Well-structured process models simplify automation using CRM, ERP, and BPM platforms.

Improved Compliance

Documented workflows help organizations maintain regulatory and internal compliance standards.

Better Customer Experience

Optimized processes reduce delays and improve service consistency.


7 Signs Your Company Needs Business Process Modeling

  • Teams rely on spreadsheets
  • Too many manual approvals
  • Workflows depend on specific employees
  • Departments use isolated tools
  • These processes are not documented
  • Scaling causes operational chaos
  • Reporting takes too much time

Let's look at some software options that can be used for both modeling and automating business processes.

9 business process modeling software:

Bizagi Process Modeler 

Free software for creating process diagrams and documentation in BPMN . An excellent tool for designing business processes. It helps not only to create, but also to publish the results in various formats, including MS Word interactive HTML:

Free, open-source business management system. Software for building and analyzing business processes.

ARIS Express

The tool is easy enough to install and use, so even novice users can get started with it. ARIS Express of the ARIS (Architecture of Integrated Information Systems) family of modeling tools and includes not only tools for modeling business processes and publishing models, but also tools that integrate with one another to develop balanced scorecards, assess and optimize business processes, simplify the implementation of ERP systems, and monitor the implementation of business processes.


Camunda

Camunda a business process orchestration and workflow automation platform used to design, automate, and manage complex business processes across systems, people, APIs, and AI . It is particularly popular in enterprise environments that require scalable and auditable workflows. 


What Camunda

Camunda companies to:

  • visually model business processes using BPMN;

  • automate workflows;

  • coordinate APIs, microservices, people, and AI ;

  • monitor process execution in real time;

  • handle approvals, escalations, retries, and analytics. 

Example workflow:

  1. A customer submits a form;

  2. CRM a lead;

  3. AI documents;

  4. The manager approves the request;

  5. An invoice is generated;

  6. Customer onboarding begins automatically.

Camunda the entire process from start to finish.

Why Camunda Popular

Camunda BPMN .0 (Business Process Model and Notation), which makes workflows easy to understand for both technical and non-technical teams. 

Enterprise Orchestration

Unlike simple automation tools, Camunda on:

  • long-running workflows;

  • distributed systems;

  • event-driven ;

  • microservices orchestration;

  • human task management.






    Key Features

    Used BPMN and enterprise workflow diagrams to map:

    • approvals;
    • onboarding;
    • procurement;
    • service operations;
    • compliance processes.

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IBM WebSphere Business Modeler

What IBM WebSphere Business Modeler

It was designed to help companies:

  • visually model business processes;
  • simulate workflows;
  • analyze operational efficiency;
  • document enterprise procedures;
  • prepare processes for automation.

The platform placed a strong emphasis on:

    • BPM (Business Process Management);
    • enterprise process governance;
    • workflow optimization;
    • SOA (Service-Oriented Architecture).

It was commonly used in:

  • banking;

  • insurance;

  • telecom;

  • government;

  • manufacturing;

  • large enterprise IT environments.


    The tool enabled business analysts and architects to:

    1. Create process diagrams;
    2. Define roles, rules, and tasks;
    3. Simulate process performance;
    4. Identify bottlenecks;
    5. Export workflows to execution environments.

SAP

SAP is a cloud-based business process management (BPM) software solution that helps enterprises model, analyze, optimize, and transform their end-to-end operations—all on a single platform.

Acquired by SAP 2021, Signavio has become a cornerstone ofSAP transformation and digital process automation. Whether you're managing a large-scale ERP implementation or simply trying to eliminate inefficiencies across departments, SAP gives you real insight into how your business actually operates—not just how it's supposed to.

At its core, the platform combines four powerful capabilities: process mining, process modeling, process intelligence, and collaborative process governance. Teams across finance, procurement, HR, and supply chain can map workflows, identify bottlenecks, and drive continuous improvement—all backed by real operational data.

With the latest 2026 updates, SAP now offers a unified navigation experience, an AI assistant (Joule) for natural-language process search, and a consolidatedSAP Process Intelligence module that reduces information discovery time by up to 83%.

If your organization is planning a RISE with SAP or looking for a process optimization tool that can scale, this is worth your attention.

Bonitasoft

Bonitasoft is a leading open-source business process automation company behind Bonita—an extensible, low-code platform designed to help organizations model, automate, and continuously optimize their business workflows.
Founded in France in 2009, Bonitasoft grew out of BPM research originally developed at the French Institute for Research in Computer Science and Automation as far back as 2001. Today it serves enterprises across telecom, healthcare, manufacturing, finance, and government worldwide.
The Bonita platform accelerates development and production through a clear separation between visual programming capabilities and coding — making it accessible to both business analysts and developers simultaneously. Teams can design processes using BPMN . BPMN graphical notation, build custom UI a drag-and-drop designer, and deploy via cloud or on-premise — all within a single environment. 

Bonitasoft is now Ofelia — the company rebranded and shifted its focus from BPM to agentic AI  for enterprise operations.


Lucidchart

Lucidchart is a cloud-based BPM and diagramming platform designed for simplicity, collaboration, and rapid process modeling.

What Sets Lucidchart Apart

  • Real-time collaboration
  • Clean and intuitive UI
  • Cloud-native architecture
  • Integrations with Jira, Confluence, Slack, and Google Workspace
  • Fast BPMN workflow modeling

Best Use Cases

  • SaaS
  • Remote teams
  • Business Analysis
  • Process documentation
  • Agile environments
Main Limitation

Lucidchart is more of a visual modeling and collaboration tool—not a full-fledged BPM automation platform like Appian or Camunda.

Appian

Appian is an enterprise low-code platform for workflow automation, process orchestration, and rapid application development.

Key features:

  • Low-code builder
  • BPMN automation
  • AI RPA Integration
  • Data Fabric for Connected Systems
  • Enterprise-grade security and governance

Best for:

Large companies, highly regulated industries, and complex business operations.

Who Needs Business Process Modeling?

Business process modeling is particularly valuable for organizations facing increasing operational complexity, multiple departments, or manual workflows that hinder performance.

The companies that benefit the most include:

  • SaaS expanding their operations
  • healthcare organizations responsible for compliance
  • financial services companies that handle approvals
  • telecom providers optimizing service delivery
  • manufacturing companies that are streamlining their production workflows
  • enterprise IT teams implementing automation

Why Companies Choose CRMOZ Business Process Modeling

CRMOZ organizations:

  • analyze existing workflows

  • create BPMN

  • Implement workflow automation

  • integrate CRM ERP systems

  • optimize operational efficiency

  • design AI business processes

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