How BPMN and Cardanit can help Business Analysts drive process innovation

An interview with Fabio Asnicar - Business Process Analyst at ESTECO

At ESTECO (the company behind Cardanit), business analysis plays a key role in aligning people, tools, and processes. We interviewed Fabio Asnicar, Business Analyst at ESTECO, who shares how BPMN-based process modeling has become a fundamental part of his daily work. From mapping workflows in accounting to integrating Salesforce and streamlining marketing activities, Fabio uses BPMN diagrams not just to document but to think, discuss, and evolve ideas.

The conversation dives into how BPMN supports cross-team collaboration, helps clarify complex business processes, and offers a structured yet flexible way to manage change. Whether you're a business analyst or just starting with process modeling tools like Cardanit, this interview offers practical insights on using BPMN to drive clarity and foster better collaboration across departments.

Role and background

What does your day-to-day work typically look like as Business Process Analyst at ESTECO?

There isn’t really a typical day, but broadly speaking, I divide my time between supporting process improvement projects, like the Salesforce integration, and aligning different teams on shared workflows. I spend a lot of time facilitating discussions, understanding people’s pain points, and translating that into clear models. I love dealing with processes and I’ve also done it in my previous position here at ESTECO as Agile Coach. Now as Business Process Analyst I can even focus more on analyzing those processes to improve them!

Work with Cardanit

How does Cardanit fit into your daily work as a Business Analyst?

Cardanit is more than just a drawing tool for me. It’s a space where I sketch out initial ideas and iterate toward better solutions. As soon as I start modeling something, I’m already getting closer to a “to-be” version of the process. So, here’s how I use Cardanit across different stages of a project:

• As a reference point: I use models to document what’s been discussed or decided in meetings. For long-term projects, they help me recall past ideas and compare evolving approaches.
• For collaborative exploration: Early in a project, I model together with colleagues to clarify our reasoning. Sometimes we sketch out parallel hypotheses to explore different paths side-by-side.
• To support evolving ideas: I often begin with rough drafts that change as I learn more. Some models are just stepping stones, while others gradually take shape and guide real implementation. Cardanit supports this fluid process from early sketches to final decisions.

What advantages have you found in using Cardanit for process modeling, especially compared to other tools?

First, the collaboration features, like real-time co-editing and sharing, are essential. They make it possible for remote teams to sketch and refine processes together, as if we were sitting at the same table. I often start a draft and then colleagues jump in to refine it, which gives the modeling a more iterative, conversational rhythm.

I also rely on auto-layout and alignment tools. When you're deep in the modeling process, the ability to quickly clean up and organize the diagram visually helps keep the focus on logic rather than layout. Auto-layout often gives me a good baseline, even if I tweak it afterward.

Another feature I use frequently is the version history. It helps track how a model evolves over time, which is important when you're dealing with processes that stay in a “work-in-progress” state for weeks or even months.

Compared to more traditional tools or drawing software, Cardanit feels less like a static diagramming tool and more like a collaborative thinking space. It’s fluid, expressive, and doesn’t impose too many constraints at the early stages—which I find critical when ideas are still taking shape. The fact that you can model without worrying about syntax perfection from the start makes it easier to involve more people in the conversation.

Have there been any internal use cases where Cardanit made a big difference in clarity or efficiency?

Absolutely. One of the clearest examples was when I worked on mapping the accounting processes. The challenge there was not just understanding the workflows themselves, but aligning multiple stakeholders who had different views and terminology for the same activities. By modeling the processes in Cardanit, we created a single, shared reference that everyone could understand and discuss.

Cardanit’s visual clarity played a big role here: the use of swimlanes, gateways, and annotations allowed us to clearly show responsibilities, decision points, and dependencies. Instead of getting stuck in long email threads or abstract conversations, we were able to point to the model and say, “Here’s how this works, do we all agree?”

The ability to iterate together in real time meant we didn’t have to wait for feedback cycles to correct misunderstandings. It helped surface gaps, redundancies, and even regulatory compliance issues early on. In the end, the models didn’t just document the process—they actively shaped how we improved it.

Internal projects and challenges

You’ve worked on mapping business processes in the accounting department. What were the main challenges and how did modeling help overcome them?

The main challenge was complexity. Accounting processes involve many edge cases and exceptions.
Process modeling forced us to be explicit. Not just about the steps, but about responsibilities, decision points, and all those “what if” scenarios that tend to get glossed over in informal conversations.

It gave us a visual tool to say, "Here’s what happens, here’s where the handoff occurs, and here’s the bottleneck."

Could you walk us through how you approached integrating Salesforce processes into the company workflow?

It’s been a big effort and still ongoing. We had a huge backlog of tasks and improvements, so we started by prioritizing and modeling current pain points. With a shared diagram, it was easier to discuss options and define what the future flow should look like.

Marketing activities often involve many moving parts. How have you used modeling or to streamline webinars and software release campaigns?

We mapped the whole workflow from idea to execution. Modeling helped reveal gaps and overlaps, especially between people managing content, communication, and delivery. Everyone started seeing their role in the big picture.

Collaboration and communication

In your experience, how does process or decision modeling improve collaboration between departments?

It creates a common language. People from different departments often talk past each other. With a model in front of them, they can point to specific steps and ask better questions. It reduces ambiguity and speeds up consensus.

Have you seen any shifts in team dynamics or decision-making since implementing more structured models?

Absolutely. Once you have a shared model, decision-making becomes faster and more transparent. People are less defensive because they see their input reflected in the process—it’s no longer about who’s right or wrong, but about what the model is showing us. Having a visual and structured representation of how things work encourages more constructive conversations and helps depersonalize issues. It becomes easier to spot inefficiencies or misalignments and discuss them openly. Over time, I’ve noticed a real shift: teams come to meetings more prepared, more focused, and with a clearer understanding of what needs to change and why.

Insights and tools

What has been the most surprising insight or learning from your time modeling internal processes at ESTECO?

That most problems aren’t technical, they’re communication problems. Modeling exposes those misunderstandings and forces everyone to align. It’s simple but powerful.

What are the features that you use the most in Cardanit?

As I said earlier, definitely collaboration! Real‑time co‑editing (two remote people drawing together) is something I really like. I tend to use -a lot- the auto layout and all the alignment tools. They make my life so easy!

Future Outlook

What’s next on your radar as a Business Analyst at ESTECO? Any upcoming initiatives you’re excited about?

At the moment, I’m deep into the Salesforce support project. Once that’s more stable, we’ll probably move into processes related to management control and broader company growth. I’m pleased the processes I'm working on are becoming more and more systemic.

How do you see the role of business analysis evolving within software companies like ESTECO?

It’s becoming essential. As you grow, complexity increases. Business analysis helps keep that complexity manageable. But it requires courage: you have to challenge assumptions and push for change.

And what about the use of AI?

I see a lot of people bringing huge AI toolkits just to tighten one screw. There’s often this rush to adopt AI because it’s trending, not necessarily because it’s the right tool for the problem. Generative AI is definitely impressive, and I’m curious about its potential, especially for things like drafting documentation or summarizing long discussions. But I’m still in the experimentation phase.

I want to find a way to integrate it meaningfully into my day-to-day work as a Business Analyst. That means identifying tasks where AI can genuinely speed things up or add clarity without creating more complexity. For now, I see it more as a complement to modeling; not a replacement, but something that could support and accelerate certain steps, like preparing training materials or prototyping alternative scenarios quickly.

Advice & Tips

What advice would you give to other business analysts who are just starting to use modeling tools like Cardanit?

Don’t present stakeholders with a finished diagram. Instead, open Cardanit together and co-create. Let them use it like a pencil and paper. Once they feel ownership, you can start drawing workflows with them and even simulate!

What’s one thing you wish you had known when you started your role?

That people don’t always realize what they actually do. There’s often a gap between how a process is described and how it really unfolds day to day. Modeling helps surface that difference, not to catch mistakes, but to gain a clearer, shared understanding. That’s where the real insights live: in bridging what we think happens with what actually does.