BPMN Modeling Mistakes That Break Production (And How to Avoid Them)
Introduction BPMN diagrams often look perfect in design workshops and demos , yet the same models can fail badly in production . Why? Because BPMN is executable logic , not just documentation. The most common production incidents in workflow engines (jBPM, Camunda, Flowable) are caused by modeling mistakes , not engine bugs. In this blog, we cover: The most dangerous BPMN modeling mistakes Why they pass testing but fail in production Real-world examples Best practices to prevent outages Mistake #1: Using Signal Instead of Message The problem Using a Signal Event when only one process instance should react. Why it breaks production Signal is broadcast All listening process instances react Leads to mass unintended triggers Real incident A “Cancel Order” signal cancelled thousands of running orders instead of one. Correct approach ✔ Use Message Events for targeted communication ✔ Use Signal Events only for global notifications Mistake #2: Ove...