What are the best practices for mapping and simplifying your business processes?

1 Identify your core processes

The first step is to identify your core processes, which are the ones that directly contribute to your value proposition and competitive advantage. These are the processes that you want to focus on optimizing and streamlining. You can use a value chain analysis, a business model canvas, or a customer journey map to identify your core processes and how they relate to your inputs, outputs, and customers.

2 Document your current state

The next step is to document your current state, which is how your core processes are currently performed and managed. You can use various tools and techniques to capture and visualize your current state, such as flowcharts, swimlane diagrams, process maps, or business process modeling notation (BPMN). The goal is to create a clear and accurate representation of your current process flows, roles, responsibilities, inputs, outputs, resources, and metrics.

3 Analyze your pain points and opportunities

The third step is to analyze your pain points and opportunities, which are the gaps, issues, and inefficiencies that affect your core processes and their outcomes. You can use different methods and frameworks to conduct your analysis, such as the 5 Whys, the fishbone diagram, the Pareto principle, or the lean six sigma approach. The goal is to identify the root causes, the impacts, and the potential solutions for your pain points and opportunities.

4 Design your future state

The fourth step is to design your future state, which is how you want your core processes to be performed and managed in the future. You can use various tools and techniques to create and test your future state, such as brainstorming, prototyping, simulation, or user feedback. The goal is to design a future state that eliminates or minimizes your pain points, leverages your opportunities, and aligns with your strategic goals and customer needs.

5 Implement and monitor your changes

The final step is to implement and monitor your changes, which is how you execute and evaluate your future state. You can use different methods and strategies to implement and monitor your changes, such as project management, change management, communication, training, or key performance indicators (KPIs). The goal is to ensure a smooth and successful transition from your current state to your future state, and to measure and track your results and benefits.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?