Process Mapping and its Benefits

Process Mapping and its benefits

As you’ve probably worked out now, I love people and problem solving.

One of my favourite continuous improvement tools is a process map.

A process map provides you with the ability to look at one or more of your different processes to understand whether it flows correctly. It helps to address issues that cause people working on the process to stop and start their work regularly. This subsequently means that they are not doing their jobs efficiently.

The idea of a process mapping session is that you pull together a team of people, preferably who work across the process that you are looking at. If everyone involved in the session does work within the process, every single person will be able to provide context to the process you are reviewing.

Every process step is reviewed, and the idea is that you would walk through each step, writing them down on post its, brown paper, flip charts, virtual notice board or whatever format you prefer. Write down which is the first step, second step, third, fourth and so on etc.

When you’ve got to the end of the process, what you will see is a list of all the process steps you’ve taken.

I’d like to point out at this stage, my preference is to use what we call a swim lane map. This works especially well when we look at cross functional processes. The reason why it’s called a swim lane map is because (surprise surprise) it looks a bit like an Olympic swimming pool with the lanes across it.

When you’re mapping this kind of process you will see the steps move from one place to the next, and back and forth in some cases.

Once completed, you will see every single step crossing different departments. What you wont see at this stage is how long the process stops and starts.

When you have the bare bones of the process, start actually walking it, taking timings per step (yes, it is a bit like a time and motion study similar to what my dad used to do years ago). Doing this provides clarity and focus and process data. Just having an assumption won’t work here, data is your friend as you will be able to prove how well or how badly the process is progressing.

The main focus of the process map is to provide focus and clarity of how your process looks and works from end to end, to ascertain those stops and starts you’re experiencing and how much its costing you in time, money and effort.

I’m not suggesting that you start running out mapping every single part of your organisation as that would take far too long.

Choose one area that you feel that might need a bit of work to regain the flow in the process. Pull together all of the people who you think are involved across the process – don’t leave anyone out otherwise you wont get a full picture, it will just be what you “think” it is.

Once you can see the process in full, the next step is to look at the individual steps in the process that take the longest. You can start trying to understand whether there are reasons behind these delays. Look at those specific steps with more focus and this will provide you with the aspects of the process that you can review and possibly improve.

There is plenty of additional support and suggestions that I can give you throughout a process mapping session, along with additional tools to assist you through this journey.

Why not take a look at our training programmes, which give you an idea of the other areas we cover? Our “Initiate” programme is for those of you who are relatively new to improvement. The next programme “Activate” follows on and expands your knowledge providing your team with a group of focused improvement champions, and for those of you who are looking for specific individuals to be in charge, our “Inspire” programme provides access to sector specialist mentors for 6-months, to support the integration of improvement activities into your everyday working life.

I really hope you found this newsletter interesting. You can also pick up a copy of our free PDF called "Taking Continuous Improvement from Concept to Business Reality" via the weblink?https://fullcircleci.co.uk/business-reality/

Alternatively, if you'd like to have an informal chat about our continuous improvement or our training, you can send me a Direct Message via Linked In or email me on [email protected]

You can find further information via our LinkTree?https://linktr.ee/fullcircleci, including links to our website, continuous improvement training programmes, blog and YouTube Channel, if you'd like to learn a bit more.

Enjoy your week.

Liz