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Klarify uses two document types to capture how work gets done in your organization: process models and task instructions. Process models show the flow of work across people and teams. Task instructions describe how to complete individual tasks within those flows.

This guide explains each document type and how they connect, so you can decide which to create first and how to structure your documentation.

Process models

A process model is a BPMN diagram that defines the sequence of work activities. It tells the story of what you do to deliver on a business outcome — who is involved, what decisions are made, and how work moves from one step to the next.

Process models contain:

  • Tasks — individual work activities performed by a person
  • Gateways — decision points that branch or merge the flow
  • Events — triggers that start, interrupt, or end the process
  • Swim lanes — rows that show which role or team is responsible for each task

To get started, see Create process models.

Subprocesses

A subprocess is a group of related tasks within a process model that are collapsed into a single element. Use subprocesses to simplify large diagrams by hiding detail behind a container that can be expanded when needed.

When you add a subprocess to the canvas, you model its internal steps the same way you model the main process — with tasks, gateways, and events inside the subprocess boundary.

Call activities

A call activity is a reference to another process model. Use call activities when one process triggers or includes another process that is managed separately. Unlike subprocesses, call activities point to an independent process model with its own lifecycle and versioning.

For the full list of BPMN elements, see Model process with BPMN.

Task instructions

Task instructions are detailed documents that describe how to complete a specific task. They answer the question: “How do I do this?” While a process model shows the overall flow, task instructions provide the step-by-step detail a performer needs to complete their work correctly.

There are two types:

Embedded task instructions

An embedded task instruction is created directly within a task element in a process model. It is part of that process and is not reusable elsewhere.

Use embedded task instructions when:

  • The instructions are specific to one process
  • The task won’t appear in other process models
  • You want to keep the instructions tightly coupled with the process

Global tasks

A global task is a standalone document that can be linked to multiple process models. Update it once, and changes apply everywhere it’s referenced.

Use global tasks when:

  • The same task appears in multiple processes
  • You want consistent instructions regardless of which process includes the task
  • Different teams perform the same task and need a single source of truth

To create either type, see Create task instructions.

How they work together

A typical documentation setup combines these types:

  1. Create a process model to map the overall workflow and assign tasks to positions.
  2. Add embedded task instructions for tasks that are unique to that process.
  3. Create global tasks for tasks that are shared across processes, then link them to each process model that includes them.
  4. Use subprocesses to collapse groups of related tasks and keep the main diagram readable.
  5. Use call activities to reference other process models that run as part of a larger workflow.

When viewers open a published process model, they can click on any task to see its instructions — whether embedded or global.