FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Short answers about the product, your files, the licence and your data.
The product
What is Business Process Portal?
A tool for documenting business processes, as a plugin for your own WordPress site or as a service we host. You draw them in BPMN 2.0, send them through review and approval, and publish the approved version to the people who need it.
Does it run or automate my processes?
No. It is a modelling and documentation tool, not a workflow engine. Nothing in a diagram is executed.
Who can see and change a model?
Each model and document has its own people. One Owner, plus any number of Editors, Reviewers and Viewers. Administrators can see everything and are the only ones who create new items.
Can someone approve their own model?
No. The person who submits a model for review cannot approve or reject it.
Do staff need access to the WordPress dashboard?
No. Add the portal to a page of your site and they work there after signing in. The dashboard is only needed by Administrators. A hosted plan has no WordPress dashboard at all.
Can people outside the organisation see approved processes?
Only if you choose. Public lists show approved items you have classified as Public, in a view-only viewer with a watermark and no download.
BPMN and files
Are the files standard BPMN?
Yes. Each model is a BPMN 2.0 file that other BPMN tools can open. The attributes you add are stored in the file’s extension elements, which is where the standard says tool-specific data belongs.
Which BPMN elements can I use?
The elements of process and collaboration diagrams: every task, event and gateway type, sub-processes, call activities, pools, lanes, data objects, data stores and annotations. Choreography and conversation diagrams are not supported.
Which elements can carry my own attributes?
Tasks, events, gateways and call activities.
Can I import my Visio diagrams?
Yes, .vsdx and .vsdm files, as well as draw.io files. They are converted to BPMN. The older .vsd format has to be saved as .vsdx in Visio first.
What can I export?
BPMN, Visio, SVG, PDF through print, and a CSV or Excel list of every shape with its attributes.
Pricing and plans
Which editions are there?
Lite (free) and Pro ($2,000 a year) run on your own WordPress site. SME, Corporate and Enterprise are hosted by us. See Pricing.
What does Lite include?
Process modelling, review, approval and the audit log, for up to 5 models at a time. Archived models count; delete one to make room. Documents, roles, the portal and AI Review are in Pro and the hosted plans.
What does Pro cost?
$2,000 per site, per year, with no limit on models, documents or people.
What do the hosted plans cost?
SME is $20 a month or $200 a year. Corporate is $99 a month or $990 a year. Enterprise starts at $399 a month. Every hosted plan starts with a free 14-day trial.
Who counts towards a hosted plan’s limit?
Administrators, and anyone who is an Owner, Editor or Reviewer on at least one item. People who only view are never counted or charged.
What happens if my Pro licence lapses?
Nothing you have built is locked or removed. You can still view, edit, export and review everything. New updates and support stop.
What happens if a hosted plan ends?
The account turns read-only and you can still export everything. We email you before anything is deleted. [GRACE AND RETENTION PERIODS]
Can I use one Pro licence on several sites?
No. One licence activates on one live site.
Can I get a refund?
[REFUND TERMS]
Data and privacy
Where are my models and documents stored?
With Lite and Pro, on your own site: models, comments and the audit log are in your WordPress database, and documents in your uploads folder. On a hosted plan, on our servers in [HOSTING REGION], kept apart from every other organisation.
Does AI Review send my content anywhere?
Only when someone runs it. The AI part of a review sends the item to Claude, an AI model from Anthropic. Administrators control this in System Settings, and every AI call is recorded in the audit log. [AI REVIEW DATA DETAILS]
What is recorded in the audit log?
Who did what and when: changes of status, assignments, check-ins, downloads and AI calls. It records the action, never the content.
Did not find your answer?
Ask us, or work through the tutorials.