Gateways make the diagram clear at first glance.
Some authors recommend using gateways when absolutely necessary only. They argue that reducing the number of elements makes a diagram more understandable. For example, Bruce Silver in his “Method and Style” book recommends implicit parallel split (saving diverging parallel gateway) and alternative routes join directly at the activity (saving converging exclusive gateway). Others, for the same reasons, recommend using conditional sequence flow (saving diverging exclusive gateway).
These recommendations are doubtful: gateways shouldn't be considered as an useless ballast. They allow breaking a diagram into structural blocks, thereby making the process logic explicit and easy to percieve.
— Anatoly Belaychuk 2024-08-22 20:34