activities

Call Activity

A Call Activity invokes a reusable process defined externally. It references a global process definition, enabling process reuse across multiple calling processes.

Category
activities
BPMN Spec
Section 10.2.5
Icon Class
bpmn-icon-call-activity

What is a Call Activity?

A Call Activity invokes an external, reusable process definition. Unlike embedded sub-processes, the called process is defined globally and can be invoked from multiple calling processes.

Visual Representation

A Call Activity displays as a rounded rectangle with a thick/bold border. The bold border distinguishes it from regular tasks and indicates that it calls an external element.

Key Characteristics

  • External reference: Points to a separately defined process
  • Reusability: Same process can be called from multiple places
  • Data mapping: Input/output variables are mapped between caller and callee
  • Scope isolation: Called process runs in its own scope

Common Use Cases

Standard Approval Process

Call a standard approval process from multiple workflows that need approval functionality.

Shared Notification Flow

Invoke a reusable notification process that handles email, SMS, and in-app notifications.

Compliance Check

Call a standardized compliance verification process from any workflow requiring compliance checks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related BPMN Elements

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