#### 5.1.3.7 IfcProcess

| Processus
| Prozess (allgemein)

IfcProcess is defined as one individual activity or event, that is ordered in time, that has sequence relationships with other processes, which transforms input in output, and may connect to other other processes through input output relationships. An IfcProcess can be an activity (or task), or an event. It takes usually place in building construction with the intent of designing, costing, acquiring, constructing, or maintaining products or other and similar tasks or procedures. Figure 65 illustrates process relationships.

> NOTE Definition according to ISO9000:
> A process is a set of activities that are interrelated or that interact with one another. Processes use resources to transform inputs into outputs. Processes are interconnected because the output from one process becomes the input for another process. In effect, processes are "glued" together by means of such input output relationships.

Figure 65 — Process relationships and the ICON process diagram.

> HISTORY New entity in IFC1.0.

> IFC2x CHANGE The attribute Productivity has been removed.

> IFC4 CHANGE The attribute Identification has been promoted from subtypes IfcTask and others.

Relationship use definition

Process information relates to other objects by establishing the following relationships:

- Nesting of processes : IfcRelNests - A process can contain sub processes and thereby be nested.
- Sequencing of processes : IfcRelSequence - Processes can be placed in sequence (including overlapping for parallel tasks), and have predecessors and successors.
- Assigning process to schedules : IfcRelAssignsToControl - Activities such as tasks, and predominately summary tasks, are assigned to a work schedule.
- Having a product assigned to the process as input : IfcRelAssignsToProcess - Products can be assigned as input to a process, such as for construction process planning.
- Having a product assigned to the process as output : IfcRelAssignsToProduct - Products can be assigned as output to a process, such as for construction process planning.
- Having a control assigned to the process as process control : IfcRelAssignsToProcess - Items that act as a control onto the process can be assigned to a process, such as for cost management (a cost item assigned to a work task).
- Having a resource assigned to the process as consumed by the process : IfcRelAssignsToProcess - Items that act as a mechanism to a process, such as labor, material and equipment in cost calculations.

XSD Specification:

<xs:element name="IfcProcess" type="ifc:IfcProcess" abstract="true" substitutionGroup="ifc:IfcObject" nillable="true"/>
<xs:complexType name="IfcProcess" abstract="true">
<xs:complexContent>
<xs:extension base="ifc:IfcObject"/>
</xs:complexContent>
</xs:complexType>

EXPRESS Specification:

ENTITY IfcProcess

| ABSTRACT SUPERTYPE OF(IfcTask)

| SUBTYPE OF (IfcObject);

Identification | : | OPTIONAL IfcStrippedOptional;
LongDescription | : | OPTIONAL IfcStrippedOptional;

| INVERSE

IsPredecessorTo | : | SET OF IfcRelSequence FOR RelatingProcess;
IsSuccessorFrom | : | SET OF IfcRelSequence FOR RelatedProcess;
OperatesOn | : | SET OF IfcRelAssignsToProcess FOR RelatingProcess;

END_ENTITY;

Attribute Definitions:

Identification | : | An identifying designation given to a process or activity. It is the identifier at the occurrence level. IFC4 CHANGE Attribute promoted from subtypes.
LongDescription | : | An extended description or narrative that may be provided. IFC4 CHANGE New attribute.
IsPredecessorTo | : | Dependency between two activities, it refers to the subsequent activity for which this activity is the predecessor. The link between two activities can include a link type and a lag time.
IsSuccessorFrom | : | Dependency between two activities, it refers to the previous activity for which this activity is the successor. The link between two activities can include a link type and a lag time.
OperatesOn | : | Set of relationships to other objects, e.g. products, processes, controls, resources or actors, that are operated on by the process.

Inheritance Graph:

ENTITY IfcProcess

| ENTITY IfcRoot

GlobalId | : | IfcGloballyUniqueId;
OwnerHistory | : | OPTIONAL IfcOwnerHistory;
Name | : | OPTIONAL IfcLabel;
Description | : | OPTIONAL IfcText;

| ENTITY IfcObjectDefinition

| INVERSE

HasAssignments | : | SET OF IfcRelAssigns FOR RelatedObjects;
Nests | : | SET [0:1] OF IfcRelNests FOR RelatedObjects;
IsNestedBy | : | SET OF IfcRelNests FOR RelatingObject;
HasContext | : | SET [0:1] OF IfcRelDeclares FOR RelatedDefinitions;
IsDecomposedBy | : | SET OF IfcRelAggregates FOR RelatingObject;
Decomposes | : | SET [0:1] OF IfcRelAggregates FOR RelatedObjects;
HasAssociations | : | SET OF IfcRelAssociates FOR RelatedObjects;

| ENTITY IfcObject

ObjectType | : | OPTIONAL IfcStrippedOptional;

| INVERSE

IsDeclaredBy | : | SET [0:1] OF IfcRelDefinesByObject FOR RelatedObjects;
Declares | : | SET OF IfcRelDefinesByObject FOR RelatingObject;
IsTypedBy | : | SET [0:1] OF IfcRelDefinesByType FOR RelatedObjects;
IsDefinedBy | : | SET OF IfcRelDefinesByProperties FOR RelatedObjects;

| ENTITY IfcProcess

Identification | : | OPTIONAL IfcStrippedOptional;
LongDescription | : | OPTIONAL IfcStrippedOptional;

| INVERSE

IsPredecessorTo | : | SET OF IfcRelSequence FOR RelatingProcess;
IsSuccessorFrom | : | SET OF IfcRelSequence FOR RelatedProcess;
OperatesOn | : | SET OF IfcRelAssignsToProcess FOR RelatingProcess;

END_ENTITY;

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