Technology · Workflows
Why DEPLAW is built on BPMN.
BPMN 2.0 is the cross-industry standard for process modeling. At DEPLAW, it isn't just a diagram — it's executable logic.
One process, once as a diagram
Start event (circle) → task (box) → branch (diamond, FEEL condition) → two possible endings.
The business benefit
One process, two readings.
BPMN (Business Process Model and Notation) represents workflows as a diagram of boxes and arrows — understandable for lawyers and case handlers, yet precise enough to be executed directly by a machine.
The decisive advantage: no translation gap between what your team describes functionally and what actually runs. What's drawn in the editor is identical to the logic DEPLAW executes.
- No vendor lock-in: BPMN is an open ISO standard, not a proprietary DEPLAW development.
- Faster implementation: Business teams model the workflow themselves, no software development needed — weeks instead of months.
- Auditable: Every step is visible in the diagram — traceable for compliance and audits.
- Future-proof: Processes can be exported and reused in other BPMN systems.
Analogy
A BPMN diagram is like sheet music: a musician reads it and understands the piece. A computer reads the same sheet music and plays it. No translation, no loss of information — the same source for understanding and execution.
Typical roles in the project
Technical deep dive
From XML standard to execution.
DEPLAW implements BPMN 2.0 according to the official OMG specification. Every diagram is stored internally as BPMN XML — importable and exportable with any other conformant engine.
EVENTS
Start · Intermediate · End
Triggers (timer, message, signal) and end states of a process or sub-process.
TASKS
Service · User · Script
Service tasks call AI or external systems; user tasks wait for human approval.
GATEWAYS
Exclusive · Parallel
Control branching and merging of process paths based on FEEL conditions.
Simplified process excerpt (BPMN XML)
<bpmn:serviceTask id="KIKlassifikation" name="KI-Klassifikation">
<bpmn:extensionElements>
<DEPLAW:aiModel anonymized="true"/>
</bpmn:extensionElements>
<bpmn:incoming>Flow_Eingang</bpmn:incoming>
<bpmn:outgoing>Flow_Gateway</bpmn:outgoing>
</bpmn:serviceTask>FEEL: conditions like a formula
Gateway logic without programming.
At every gateway, a condition in FEEL (Friendly Enough Expression Language) decides the case's next path — readable like a spreadsheet formula, not like program code:
forderungshoehe > 5000regresswahrscheinlichkeit >= 0.8 and rechtsgebiet = "Verkehrsrecht"frist_in_tagen <= 3Service tasks & extensibility
Every step can connect to a system.
A service task isn't limited to the AI classification from the example above. ThroughDEPLAW:extensionElements, any task can be linked to its own integration:
AI classification
Categorize a document before a human opens it.
beA dispatch
Sign a filing and deliver it through the native beA inbox.
External line-of-business system
Retrieve claim data from the client's ERP or court software.
Custom integration
Connect any customer system via REST API — without changing the core engine.
Token-based execution
For every case, the engine creates a token that travels along the sequence flows. At parallel gateways it is duplicated and later synchronized again.
Error & compensation handling
Boundary events catch errors on individual tasks and redirect to defined fallback paths without affecting the rest of the case portfolio. Retries are configurable per task.
Triggers in case handling
What kicks off a workflow.
A BPMN workflow doesn't start on its own. Case handling uses four trigger types, sometimes combined within the same process:
Event
A document, an email or a beA message arrives
Workflow starts automatically when a case receives new input
Time
A stored deadline enters a defined time window
The deadline monitor triggers an escalation or reminder
Condition
A data field reaches a threshold
e.g. claim amount, recourse probability, amount in dispute
Manual
A lawyer or case handler triggers it deliberately
for individual cases or as the start of a batch run across multiple case files
Conformance & portability
Since DEPLAW fully implements the BPMN 2.0 standard, processes from other conformant tools (e.g. Camunda Modeler) can be imported, and exported the other way. This creates no dependency on a proprietary notation.
Frequently asked questions
Workflows and BPMN, explained briefly.
No. The visual editor abstracts the BPMN notation into boxes and arrows — business teams model processes without knowing the specification in detail. Anyone who wants to go deeper can also edit the same processes as BPMN XML.
FEEL (Friendly Enough Expression Language) is the language gateway conditions are written in — for example "forderungshoehe > 5000". It reads like a simple formula, no programming knowledge required.
Yes. A service task calls any system through a defined interface — a customer ERP, court software or a custom REST API can all be integrated without changing the core engine.
Yes. Since DEPLAW fully implements BPMN 2.0, diagrams from other conformant tools can be imported, and exported the other way — no dependency on a proprietary notation.