How to document As-Is and To-Be processes for process optimization

Unless you know your As-Is processes, it is futile to document your To-Be processes.

When you are documenting your business processes, start with your current environment. If you perfectly understand the existing processes, you will be able to spot their inefficiencies and optimize them for better.

Look at the existing processes, the sequence in which various tasks are performed, process owner, department and person responsible for carrying out the task, source document and documents generated, business rules and checklists, authorization requirements, KPIs, and TAT.

Understand each task's essence and the resultant workflow, and see if it is computerized or handled manually. Once you are done documenting the As-Is process, make a cross-functional flowchart and understand how the information flows between various users and departments.

The next step is to challenge the necessity of each task in the flow and see if it can be eliminated or optimized. This optimization could be in the form of changing the sequence in which the task is performed, or computerizing the process or removing unnecessary steps and checks and balances.

Now Start documenting the To-Be Process with the following information:

·       Serial Number

·       Task

·       Responsibility

·       Department

·       Process Owner

·       Authorization Requirement

·       Internal Control points

·       Internal Audit points

·       Source Document

·       Document Generated

·       Point of Computerization

·       Workflows and Notifications

·       Business Rules

·       Checklists

·       KPIs

·       TAT

PS:

If your objective behind documenting business processes is to acquire ERP software or business application, you should also document desired system requirements.