Mapping processes

VISUALIZE HOW THE WORK IS DONE

Simplify guides you on your business improvement path

The journey begins with a detailed screening of all processes

Together, we’ll discover opportunities for optimization, automation and standardiazation

Benefits of process mapping

THE FIRST REAL RETROSPECT OF YOUR BUSINESS

Benefits of process mapping - business retrospect

Together, we’ll trace every process in your business, list activities in it and define who, how, when and where performs those activities.

REVELATION OF BOTTLENECKS AND EXCESS RESOURCES

Benefits of process mapping - discovering bottlenecks

You will clearly spot where are potentials for time-saving, which activities are not necessary, whose work is not standardized, and much more.

LOOKING AT A BUSINESS FROM THE CUSTOMER’S PERSPECTIVE

Benefits of process mapping - reviewing business from the customers perspective

If you make an invoice or a bill for a customer, and if you list all activities performed to deliver your service or products – which activities will your customer be happy to pay? – that is how we’ll analyze processes.

LEAVING THE COMFORT ZONE AND A RIGID WAY OF THINKING

Benefits of process mapping - leaving the comfort zone

Based on our vast experience, 80% of your problems come from the past. “We’ve always done it that way” is the no 1 reason you are losing money. We’ll help you painlessly step out of your comfort zone.

Why mapping processes

The first step in improving your business is mapping processes. Simply put – to find the root causes of your problems, together, we’ll draw how the work flows. Process maps are the result of “drawing”.

Mapping processes for business improvement
A prerequisite for successful process optimization and automation is process mapping. It represents the visualization of business processes.

Process maps can be at different decomposition levels, i.e., different levels of detail.

Mapping processes help us understand how the process is executed and define all the participants involved in its execution.

Your business is a dynamic system comprising a network of processes that create new, additional value for the user. Process mapping abstracts the actual business model and displays only relevant information.

It is necessary to define the concept and importance of business processes to establish a system for their review and effective management.

What are process maps?

Before we proceed, let’s introduce some terms.

Stakeholders are usually top managers in your company (bosses) to whom we report (who hired us).

Process owners are workers who perform particular tasks.

The macro level is the “bird-eye-view” – a global view of processes.

Process steps are activities performed by employees.

What are process maps

Process maps visually represent the process and its components to understand better how the work is done. They contain:

  • individual steps within the process,
  • owners of the activity (who performs tasks)
  • the expected time frame for the execution (if there are no standards, we’ll use an average time based on experience)

Process maps are extremely useful for:

  1. Gaining insight into how the work is done
  2. Spotting actual problems, bottlenecks and wide areas
  3. Communicating with process owners and stakeholders
  4. Brainstorming for improvement opportunities
  5. Designing better processes
  6. Establishing controlling mechanisms
  7. Calculating money and time savings
  8. Comparing and documenting the current and future state

If you want to know more about the purpose of process maps, click here or scroll down.

Creating process maps begins by documenting processes at a macro level, and then those processes are gradually simplified to provide more detail.

The most common process maps are:

  • High-level maps
  • Detailed maps

High-level process maps, also known as value chain maps, provide a macro-level view of the company’s process model or the main connections between departments.

A high-level process map gives a simple insight into how the process is executed. It is suitable for communicating with company management and stakeholders when a deeper understanding of the process is unnecessary.

Detailed process maps show a more complex process version containing details about the sub-processes.

Detailed process maps - example 1

More map examples you can find on Pinterest

The image is taken from the Value Stream Map of Recruiting Process

They are used for analyzing process steps, defining ways to optimize the process, and removing bottlenecks and wide areas in the process; they help clarify whose responsibility the activities are and establish whether the tasks are correctly carried out.

What are process maps for?

The puropse of process maps

In addition to the previously listed benefits of process mapping, here are some more technical reasons why both you and we need maps:

  • Providing insight into the current state of the process
  • Enabling a more efficient approach to changes
  • Showing greater transparency regarding decision-making and process flow
  • Identifying bottlenecks within and between processes
  • Educating employees by visually representing their place in the process and their relationships with other team members are highlighted.
  • Focusing your efforts and resources on activities that directly create value for your customers
  • Providing a frame of reference for the quality management system (QMS) by increasing standardization and awareness of employee roles
  • Benchmarking or selecting an ERP package or software solution that could integrate that process.

Mapping processes - Simplify method

Mapping processes by Simplify consulting

Using the Simplify methodology, we define project goals and form a process flow diagram according to the BPMN 2.0 standard (an internationally recognized notation standard based on the flow diagram technique used for modeling business processes). 

According to our methodology, we first create a detailed view of the AS-IS state and work instructions in order to define a new process or document and improve the existing one. Depending on the type of project, we map the processes in order to: 

  1. Provide the organization with a visual overview of the process and participants in the process, which can be attached to other process documentation;
  2. Define waste, ie. wastes in the process, after which the TO – BE state is created during process optimization;
  3. Define the basis for evaluating the potential for automation, i.e. for the creating Automation potential maps, after which the TO – BE state of the process is created, which represents how the process will look when the robot executes it.

The diagram later provides an input for improvements because it gives a frame of reference for the team to highlight possible problems and solutions, document processes, and ensures compliance and audit for documentation. We identify process owners and delegate responsibilities for each process. 

If you already know more about mapping processes and you are aware of what exactly you need to improve your business, please take two minutes and fill in this questionnaire. It will help us to prepare for our first meeting.

If you prefer immediate human-to-human contact, let’s dive in now!