End Events

Go Up to Events (BPM)

The End Event indicates where a process ends. You can define the consequences or results of reaching an End Event. The example below shows a simple online credit card application with an end message denoting that a message was generated at the end of a process.

A use case for each End Event trigger is discussed in the Using the End Event topic.

Using the End Event

If there is a start event, then there must be an end event. There are different results or consequences that happen when you reach an end result.

The table below displays the palette icon and description for each End Event result:

Result	Palette Icon	Description
Cancel		The type of End Event is used within a Transaction Sub-process. It indicates that the Transaction should be canceled and triggers a Cancel Intermediate Event attached to the Sub-process boundary. It also indicates that a Transaction Protocol Cancel message should be sent to any Entities involved in the Transaction.
Compensation		This End Event indicates that a Compensation is necessary. The Compensation identifier triggers an Intermediate Event when the Process is rolling back.
Error		A named Error should be generated. This Error is caught by an Intermediate Event within the Event Context.
Escalation		An Escalation should be generated. This Escalation is caught by an Intermediate Event within the Event Context.
Link		(BPMN 1.0 only) A Link is a mechanism for connecting the end of one process to the start of another.
Message		A Message is sent to a participant at the conclusion of the process.
Signal		(BPMN 1.1 and later) A Signal is generated and broadcasted at the end of the process.
Terminate		All activities in the Process should be ended immediately. The Process is ended without compensation or event handling.

Using the Cancel End Event

This End Event can only be used within a Transaction Sub-process and causes the cancellation of that Process. The process is ended with normal event handling. In the following example, the client did not pay for his tickets so the process was cancelled.

Using the Compensation End Event

This type of End Event indicates a Compensation is necessary. The Compensation identifier triggers an Intermediate Event when the Process is rolling back.

At the end of a trip, a person checks out of a hotel using express checkout. Their bill has been delivered during the night and the person finds a charge for an extra day. Prior to departing the hotel the person goes to the checkout desk and asks for a refund. The clerk refunds the client’s credit card, rolling back the process by reimbursing the person. As express checkout was the end of the process (end event). A compensate end event with outgoing directed association “flow” (compensation association) to the original charge activity is necessary to rollback charges to the person’s credit card.

Placing a Compensation End Event

Take the following steps to place a compensation end event:

1 From the Business Process Objects Palette click the drop-down arrow on the End Event node .

2 Select the Compensation End Event icon () and click the task that contains the event you want to compensate for (or roll back).

3 Press ESC to exit the multi-drop mode.

Note: The cursor changes from   to .

Using the Error End Event

The Error End Event indicates that a named Error should be generated. The following diagram shows the process for a consumer who wants to make a purchase with a credit card. If the credit card is invalid the process goes to an error end event. The desired behavior is a valid credit card which takes the flow to a task called “Charge Credit Card” and then to an end event.

Using the Escalation End Event

An Escalation End Event is triggered when a result is not the desired behavior and the process must be diverted to address the escalation. This event does not affect other active threads.

Using the Link End Event

(BPMN 1.0 only) There are points within a process where it is important to know whether a specific milestone has been met. The process model must be able to identify and react to the milestone.

The example below shows how information can be passed from one part of a diagram to another part. In the diagram, paperwork must be completed in one sub-process before the paperwork in another sub-process can start. A Link End Event that follows the Payment Received Task is used to trigger a corresponding Link Start Event that precedes the first task in the second sub-process.

Using the Message End Event

A Message End Event finishes a process and sends a message to a participant.

Using the Signal End Event

(BPMN 1.1 and later) The Signal End Event indicates that at the end of the process, a signal is broadcast to any process that can receive it including across process levels and pools. A Signal end Event differs from a Message End Event in that a Message has a specific source and target.

Using the Terminate End Event

The Terminate End Event indicates that all activities in the Process should be ended immediately even if there are tasks that have not started or are still active. This includes all instances of Multi-Instances. The Process is ended without compensation or event handling. The Terminate End Event symbol is placed where the cancellation should be signalled.