Improve your customer experience through process mapping

Why do more Business Process Mapping and improve your customer service and delivery?

To create a seamless customer experience that works seamlessly across multiple touch points across the business is a massive undertaking. The more touchpoints you add, the more complex it may be. One of the biggest challenges for creating a great customer experience can be joining all the touch points. A customer may use a website, mobile app, a kiosk, a call centre or customer service centre on the customer journey. A business process mapping exercise can be a great way to nut out the current process(As is) Vs the future desired (To be) state.

A business process mapping offers a visual representation of your business and the various services it provides and how it interacts with the customers. It is a framework that defines your business, its various departments, employee job roles and hierarchies, and core processes of your business. Documenting all of these and creating a visual flowchart and or processes, gives clarity on how work needs to be done to achieve customer goals.

Step-by-step business process mapping

It is essential to define which employees are responsible for managing and running processes. Below listed are the steps to achieve business process mapping:

1.??????Define area of focus

Firstly, it is essential to define your business and its area of focus or context of the business products and its services and customers.

2.??????Set goals

After defining your area of focus, it is important to set goals for the business mapping process to know what outcome you are looking for. For example, creating an understanding of the customer experience workflow, loopholes, areas for improvement, identifying decision points, etc.

3.??????Listing the steps involved

Documenting the steps will offer a flowchart of instructions on how the various job processes involved. Employees in various departments can be involved in the process mapping exercise.

4.??????Source of process information

The next step involves identifying the source of process information. For example: - If it is available in a shared document, flowcharts, or in the head of the employees.

5.??????Current state of process

This involves mapping the process by conducting interviews, observing the processes, workshops, and process mining for an accurate and unbiased view of the process.

6.??????Connecting Dots

The final process involves connecting dots i.e., highlighting the decision points, accountability, reliability, and hand-off sub-processes. You must also define triggers that indicate the starting points of the next or new process.

The as-is model

The as-is model helps gives clarity on different processes and how they work parallel to achieve output in an organisation. It is counted as the first step in business management and is also called an organisational process map.

The to-be model

It provides a broader perspective on the overall goal of a business and what changes can be implemented in the existing processes to achieve customer success and improve their experience. It is achieved by taking employee feedback on where the processes are lacking and brainstorming new ideas to enhance or offer new ways to achieve the overall aim of a business. The intent of this model is to ensure that all employees and the management are aligned in the same direction.

Benefits of Business process mapping

It provides a blueprint of your business. Below given are the top benefits of business process mapping:

1.??????Visibility

For a business to flourish, transparency of work done by employees is a must to note their contribution. With process mapping, employees can measure their role and the output delivered, and how it impacts the company and customers.

2.??????Current state of processes

Another key benefit of business process mapping is that you will get clarity on the current state of the various processes involved in your organisation. This will help you in working towards their customer experience goals.

3.??????Automation and process enhancement

With a clear view of the business, you will be able to spot places where automation can be done. You will also know which processes need an enhancement.

4.??????Risk assessment and mitigation

A process flow map will help employees identify areas of risk and find solutions to mitigate them. The maps will, therefore, educate and train office staff such that they will be able to take initiative in mitigating risks after finding them.

5.??????Improvement in Cross-departmental Communication

To ensure a productive workflow, it is essential that there is smooth communication between the various departments of a business. This is greatly improved with the help of business process mapping.

6.??????Employees won’t need micro-managing

In current times, it is difficult for businesses to micro-manage employees. Hence, a business process map will act as a guide for them to know their job roles, different departments, and the various end-to-end processes involved in the company. Employees would therefore not be dependent on their line manager or colleagues for their role and responsibilities, and for duly executing them. This will enhance workflow and individual performance.

7.??????Measure growth

A business process chart is crucial to measuring the growth of a company. It will also give clarity on areas that contributed to the growth as well as the ones that need improvement.

8.??????New way of working

Process maps will offer employees insights into the new and better way of executing their work. They will become open to new ideas as well as take initiative to pitch some. Improved ways can create a positive, enthusiastic environment that will boost the morale of employees into delivery better outputs thus leading to the Company’s growth and customer satisfaction.

Types of business process maps

1.??????Basic flowchart:

It is suitable for representing the simple workflow, or when planning for a new project. SIPOC:SIPOC stands for Suppliers, Inputs, Process, Outputs, Customers and defines each. This type of business process mapping is applied for more complex processes.

2.??????Swimlane or Cross-functional flowchart

This flowchart is used to represent different teams that share a job and involves many people. It showcases different steps involved in each section based on the employees responsible for it.

3.??????Value Stream mapping

If you want to showcase a lot of information in a small place, Value stream mapping is the answer. Though a complex structure, it ensures that more information is displayed in a compact place.

Software Tools for Business Process Mapping

Canva

One of the best software to create visually enthralling process maps.

GitMind

It is one of the best tools for business process mapping. It has simple features, and easy customisable templates to choose from.

Creately

It provides 5 free ready-to-use templates to create business process maps and flowcharts and generate ideas.

MindMeister

It has a user-friendly interface and businesses can map unlimited people at a time, and react in real-time.

Diagrams.net

Its online version is better than the offline one, and one can connect to other apps like Confluence.

Importance to customer service and delivery

A business process flowchart provides clarity on the quality of customer services provided to the customer and the time required for its delivery.