EPCtype

EPCtype is a term encountered in some event-driven process chain (EPC) or business process modeling discussions to describe the typing or classification of elements within an EPC model. It is not a universally standardized concept, but rather a label used by various authors to refer to the metadata and semantics assigned to EPC elements.

In practical use, EPCtype can refer to a taxonomy that codes element kinds such as events, functions, and connectors, as well as the attributes attached to those elements (for example, names, preconditions, postconditions, and data objects). Some interpretations extend this to a data-type layer for attributes (string, numeric, boolean) or to semantic roles that tokens or actors play within a process. The goal of EPCtype in these contexts is to support consistency, validation, and interoperability when exchanging EPC models between tools or organizations.

Variants and implementations of EPCtype are usually informal and tool-dependent. In many cases, it appears as a schema or metadata extension in model repositories or as part of XML/JSON representations used by process-modelling software. Because EPC standards such as those governing EPC notation focus on syntax and diagrammatic rules rather than a universal type system, EPCtype remains a flexible, context-specific concept rather than a fixed specification.

See also: Event-driven Process Chain, business process modeling, BPMN, ISO/IEC 15944.