Business process mapping is a strategic planning and management activity that outlines the steps involved in a business process in some graphical form. It is a powerful means to advance efficiency, identify bottlenecks, and improve customer service. A clear and succinct process map will show in great detail how businesses work and where improvements can be made.
What is Business Process Mapping?
Business process mapping is a strategic planning and management activity that outlines, in some graphical form, the steps involved in a business process. Business process mapping enables efficiency, pinpoints bottlenecks, and enhances customer service. A clear and concise process map will show, in great detail, exactly how businesses work and where improvements can be made.
Business Process Mapping: What does it Entail?
Business process mapping is a method to create a diagram that illustrates a business process. More specifically, this can take almost any form but often utilizes a flowchart or diagram showing the major steps or activities in the process along with decision points, inputs, and outputs. A process map could be used to document an existing process or design a new one.
Business Process Mapping Benefits
Business process mapping has a number of benefits that can be accrued. Some of the most salient benefits include:
Improved Efficiency: Process maps help businesses in the identification of processes that are bottlenecks to their efficiency. Once such inefficiencies have been identified, they then can be worked on for improvement through process improvement initiatives. It identifies where a business fails to deliver its processes in line with customer needs. Businesses may, therefore, work toward improving those processes in order to serve them better.
Increased Transparency: Business process maps can facilitate communication and collaboration between various business departments. Where there is increased process transparency, for certain, business stakeholders will have means of keeping everyone on one page.
Cost Savings: Process mapping can help business organizations streamline their operations and reduce the occurrence of mistakes in an attempt to save money.
Improved Compliance: Through process maps, a business can guarantee that its processes are within the set regulations.
Steps Involved in the Creation of a Process Map
Following is a general outline of steps commonly involved in creating a process map:
1. Identify the Process: You will need to identify the process you want to map; for example, a very simple order fulfillment process or perhaps a more complex product development process.
2. Define the Scope: Once the process is identified, you have to define the scope of the map itself, which will determine the steps of the process to be mapped.
3. Information Collection: Once the map’s scope has been defined, then information from the process needs to be collected. This may be gathered from a variety of sources such as interviews with the owner of the process, documentation, and observation.
4. Develop the Process Map: Based on all the information you have gathered, you are ready to create the process map. There are a range of tools and techniques that can be utilized in developing process maps.
5. Validate the Process Map: Once a process map has been developed, validation should be done to ensure that it is accurate and comprehensive. This would be done by reviewing the map with the process owners and subject matter experts.
6. Use the Process Map to Make Improvements: Once the process map is validated, it can be used to improve the process. The need for process step changes, decision point changes, and inputs and outputs changes may arise.
Process Mapping Tools
There are a number of different tools that can be leveraged to create process maps. Some of the more common tools include:
- Flowcharts: Flowcharts are a simple, straightforward el Product representation. They are a good alternative to basic process maps.
- Swimlane Diagrams: Swimlane diagrams are a form of flowchart used to show major roles or departments participating in processes. It can also help in identifying some process handoffs and bottlenecks.
BPMN – Business Process Model and Notation: This is a standard in process modeling for making a complex process map. It may be used to automate processes and integrate them with other systems.
Process Mapping Services
There are a number of firms offering process mapping services. Such a firm will help a business identify which processes need to be mapped, gather information about the processes, and create the process maps. They can also help businesses to use the process maps to improve their operations.
Level 4 Process Map
A level 4 process map is one of many kinds of process maps, with the same focus on details; it stipulates an explanation of each and every step involved in the process. Level 4 process maps are usually employed when complex processes require greater detail.
Process Map Analysis
Process map analysis provides a review and analysis method of a process map for the determination of where the process can be improved. Through process map analysis, bottlenecks and inefficiencies in a process or process activities not meeting customers’ needs can be identified.
Process Mapping and Analysis
Process mapping and analysis are a set of methodologies that may be used to determine what needs to be changed for the better in a business process. It involves creating a process map and then analyzing the process map to find problems that may arise in it. Afterward, one may have process changes implemented to improve it.
Process Mapping Consulting
These are professional services that can be offered to businesses in order to improve operations through process mapping. Process mapping consultants will assist a business in identifying the processes that have to be mapped, gathering information about such processes, and developing process maps of the same. They can also help businesses analyze process maps and identify areas for improvement.
BPMN Process Mapping
Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) is a standard for process modeling which also can be used to make process maps. Generally speaking, a BPMN process map can be more complicated than other types of process maps. They can also be used in the automation of processes and can integrate with other systems.
Customer Journey Mapping
Customer journey mapping is another form of process mapping. It focuses on mapping the experience the customer has when interacting with an organization. Customer journey maps clearly depict the steps that a customer might take to interact with a business, from initial contact to the final sale. These maps can identify points at which the customer experience can be enhanced.
Creating a Process Map
There are several steps in creating a process map.
- Process identification: The first step is the identification of the process you want to map, which may be as simple as an order fulfillment process or as complex as a product development process.
- Information gathering: After the identification of the process is done, information on the process needs to be gathered. Information can be obtained from various sources; for example, through interviews with process owners, documentation review, and observation.
- Process mapping: When all information about the process has been collected, the mapping of the process can be done. There are several tools and techniques that can be used in performing the process mapping.
- Validating the process map: Once you have created your process map, you will want to validate it to ensure it is accurate and complete. This is best done by reviewing the map with the process owners and subject matter experts.
The development of a process map is essentially a team activity that demands the involvement of many types of stakeholders. It is important to involve people who know about the process and whose valuable insight must be brought into the process.
Process Map Design
Process map design refers to the creation or development of a process map in an appealing and informative manner. A well-designed process map has the capability of being comprehended clearly and used to convey the process to others.
Process Consulting
Process consulting is a broad term that encompasses various services, which can be utilized for the enhancement of organizational processes. The services included within process consulting are process mapping, process analysis, and process improvement.
BPM Consulting Firm
A BPM consulting firm is an organization that provides process management consultancy services. BPM consulting firms can help organizations implement BPM solutions and improve overall performance.
Which One Is the Best Fit-Process Mapping Tool
Choosing the right process mapping tool is quite crucial to developing clear, informative, and easily shared visuals that enhance your process improvement initiatives. Let’s dig a little deeper into the three mentioned tools, along with some other additional options you would want to take a look into:
1. Paid Desktop Software:
Visio by Microsoft:
One of the most sought-after solutions due to its robust diagramming capabilities and well-integrated functionality with other Microsoft Office products.
Offers a huge library of shapes, connectors, and templates, especially for process mapping.
Ideal tool for very complex process maps with many details, decision points, and even swimlanes.
Still, it requires a paid subscription, and hence that reduces its fit for a user who is on a very tight budget.
2. Free Online Tools:
Draw.io by Atlassian:
A free, friendly online diagramming tool with a nice clean interface, and drag-and-drop capabilities.
It has a fair number of prebuilt shapes and templates related to process mapping.
Allows real-time collaboration that can be very helpful with remotely working teams.
Can be limited with highly complex process maps and minute details.
BPMN.io (Camunda):
It is designed for creating BPMN business process maps.
It has a drag-and-drop user interface, using the standards of BPMN.
It is very helpful for businesses in order to automate or integrate processes with other systems.
May need some knowledge about the standard of BPMN notation for very beginners who have never seen it before. 3. Cloud-based Collaboration Tools:
Lucidchart:
A well-known cloud-based diagramming platform featuring a great variety of functionality, from process mapping templates to real-time collaboration.
It is integrated with popular productivity suites, such as Google Drive and Microsoft Teams.
It has a friendly interface using drag-and-drop and huge options for making changes.
Free tier available with limited functionality; pays for advanced functionalities in more premium plans.
Miro:
An online collaborative whiteboard platform that can be used for process mapping along with other brainstorming and planning activities. It boasts a large library of shapes, templates, and sticky notes targeted for process mapping. Shared cursors, among others, enable visual collaboration. There is a free tier but very feature-limited; the paid plans offer advanced features and team management.
Choosing the Right Tool:
The following are a set of aspects to consider when selecting a process mapping tool:
The complexity of your process: light processes can be good to go with free online tools, while complex workflows might want more advanced functionality that comes with paid software.
Team collaboration needs: If real-time collaboration is an essential ingredient, then cloud-based tools allowing for shared editing would fit the bill.
Budget: Free options are available, but several paid tools offer more in terms of feature sets and customization.
Technical expertise: Consider the degree to which the tool is easy to use and the knowledge of your team using specific software or notation, such as BPMN.
Based on your needs assessment and options review, you will have the ability to select the process mapping solution that best enables your team to create enlightening visuals, improve workflows, and drive meaningful changes throughout your organization.
Workflow Optimization
Workflow optimization involves designing the structure of work for greater efficiency and effectiveness. Workflow optimization includes changing process steps, decision points, or inputs/outputs.
Process Improvement
Process improvement is defined as an activity that changes a business process so that it performs better. Process improvement may take on any number of activities that include process mapping, process analysis, and workflow optimization.
Enterprise Process Mapping
Enterprise process mapping, therefore, is the mapping process for all the key processes in a large organization. Organizations, by so doing, can notice areas for improvements to be made and understand how best to develop a more efficient and effective operating model.