Process maps and flowcharts are powerful tools for Lean Six Sigma practitioners. They help you visualize, analyze, and improve the steps, inputs, outputs, and resources involved in a process. But how can you create and use them more effectively? Here are some tips and best practices to help you get the most out of these tools.
There are different types of process maps and flowcharts, each with its own purpose and level of detail. For example, a high-level map shows the main stages and outputs of a process, while a detailed map shows the tasks, decisions, and interactions within each stage. A value stream map shows the flow of value and waste from the customer's perspective, while a swimlane diagram shows the roles and responsibilities of different teams or departments. Depending on your goal, you should choose the type that best suits your needs and scope.
A flow chart will be designed as per your need, - information flow - man movement flow - material movement flow - specific job order flow It's depends on which industry you are, what you want to analysis
What if you would have a software program that makes it possible to map all your processes on different detail levels and integrate them with each other? What if you could turn your defined processes into workflows, distribute tasks and information to humans and applications and monitor their progress? You would have a digital blueprint of your organization, digitalized operations, supported with data about the performance of your organization. Data on which Lean Six Sigma project opportunities could be identified. It exists! It is called FireStart Suite. If you want to learn more about my personal experiences don't hesitate to reach out. Or take a look at FireStart.com
Anytime you can help your customer(s) visualize a process that’s a win. It can be as simple as post-it notes, to complex root cause analyses common in EHS. Be familiar with each. My experience has been that I keep coming back to my favs, but use whatever tool you have in your toolkit to make complex information more understandable.
Process maps and flowcharts use standard symbols and conventions to represent the elements of a process. For example, a rectangle represents a task, a diamond represents a decision, an arrow represents a flow, and a circle represents a connector. Following these standards makes your maps and flowcharts easier to read, understand, and communicate. You can use software tools like Microsoft Visio, Lucidchart, or Miro to create professional-looking maps and flowcharts with these symbols.
We can have many software to design flow charts but one of my favourites is draw.io Draw.io is completely free, work with iOS and windows as well Draw.io is a good tool to design process flow chart
I’ve got Visio and it does make nice diagrams, but you can do them in Excel also. That’s it, but I have to share more because a short post is not enough.
Process maps and flowcharts are not only useful for yourself, but also for the people who are involved in or affected by the process. By involving them in the creation and validation of the maps and flowcharts, you can get their input, feedback, and buy-in. This can help you identify the current state, the pain points, the opportunities, and the desired future state of the process. It can also help you build trust and collaboration among the stakeholders.
Once you have created and validated your process maps and flowcharts, you can use them to analyze the gaps between the current state and the desired future state of the process. You can look for sources of waste, variation, defects, delays, rework, or overprocessing. You can also look for value-added and non-value-added activities, and how they affect the customer satisfaction and the process efficiency. By analyzing the gaps, you can prioritize the areas for improvement and generate solutions.
After you have identified and implemented the solutions, you can use your process maps and flowcharts to monitor the results and the impact. You can compare the before and after maps and flowcharts, and measure the key performance indicators (KPIs) of the process. You can also use your maps and flowcharts to document and standardize the new process, and to train and coach the staff. By implementing and monitoring your process maps and flowcharts, you can ensure the sustainability and effectiveness of your improvements.
Process maps and flowcharts are not static documents, but dynamic tools that reflect the changes in the process and the environment. You should review and update your maps and flowcharts regularly, and whenever there are significant changes in the customer needs, the business goals, the regulations, the technology, or the resources. By reviewing and updating your maps and flowcharts, you can keep them relevant and accurate, and identify new opportunities for improvement.