We are pleased to announce the publication of our latest research article: “Analysis and Synthesis of Theoretical and Practical Implications of Case Management Model and Notation” Published in Information 2025, Volume 16, Issue 4.
What is CMMN and Why Does It Matter?
In the realm of business process modelling, Case Management Model and Notation (CMMN) was introduced nearly a decade ago to address one key limitation of traditional modelling approaches like BPMN: the inability to adequately represent flexible, knowledge-intensive, and event-driven processes—where every instance may follow a different path. But despite its conceptual promise, CMMN remains sparsely adopted in practice.
What Did We Do?
To explore this paradox, our study set out to:
- Investigate how CMMN is used and perceived in theory and practice,
- Identify its advantages and disadvantages, and
- Explore why its adoption remains limited.
We conducted a systematic literature review of 942 publications, from which 43 met our criteria for in-depth analysis. Using qualitative coding and successive approximation, we synthesized the key insights and generalized findings.
What Did We Find?
Our results show that CMMN is well-aligned with the declarative modelling paradigm and fits the case management philosophy, where flexibility, human judgment, and responsiveness are key. However, challenges remain, particularly in terms of:
- Understanding and usability of the notation,
- Tool support and integration,
- And interplay with BPMN, which is more widely adopted but less flexible.
In short, while CMMN has solid theoretical foundations, its practical applicability is hindered by gaps in maturity, education, and ecosystem support.
Why Does This Matter?
Organizations today are increasingly dealing with unstructured or semi-structured processes—think healthcare casework, legal services, or complex customer support. Understanding when and how to use CMMN is therefore vital for digital transformation initiatives that go beyond structured workflows.
Our study contributes to a clearer picture of CMMN’s role, its potential, and the hurdles it must overcome to gain broader traction.
Citation:
Bule, M.; Polančič, G. Analysis and Synthesis of Theoretical and Practical Implications of Case Management Model and Notation. Information 2025, 16(4), 310. https://doi.org/10.3390/info16040310
Gregor Polančič 