What are use cases for a Parallel Gateway?

The Parallel Gateway serves a specific purpose in business process modeling, particularly when it comes to managing the flow of tasks within a process. The primary function of a Parallel Gateway is to ensure that all specified tasks connected to it are completed in parallel before the process can move forward to the next stage. This means that it waits for all active tasks to finish, which is crucial in scenarios where certain tasks are interdependent, or the outcomes of these tasks are required for the subsequent steps.

For instance, in a project where multiple teams need to provide input simultaneously (such as design, development, and testing), a Parallel Gateway allows for all their contributions to be completed. Only when every participating team has finished their respective tasks does the process allow progression to the next phase. This functionality is vital in ensuring thoroughness and adherence to requirements before any subsequent actions are taken.