Putting together process maps involves more than just drawing diagrams. Before you even get to the visualization phase, you need to do your background research and develop a plan for putting these diagrams on paper. That’s where process-mapping techniques come in, setting you up for success as you design your workflows.
When you use any of these techniques, remember that the overall goal of process maps is to avoid unnecessary inefficiency. If the tools meant to streamline your processes end up distracting you, you probably haven’t used the best techniques to build the right workflows.
Poorly designed workflows lead employees off course, making them waste valuable time trying to right themselves just to complete otherwise routine tasks. Something as simple as having to switch from or restart a task, referred to as “context switching,” can eat into 80 percent of productive time, according to psychologist Gerald Weinberg.
By taking advantage of time-tested process-mapping techniques, you can build the maps that work best for you and your business and avoid the pitfalls of wasted productivity. These techniques reflect your workplace in action, giving you the best chance for growth and success.
1. Carry out a business analysis
A foundational process-mapping technique is conducting business analysis to understand the steps to take in a process. It’s especially helpful when you need to build a map from scratch without referencing an existing organizational structure — or create workflows for a new area of your business.
Ideally, particularly in a small business, you conduct this analysis yourself or with a team member. If a substantial expansion requires building more complex maps, it’s a good idea to bring in a consultant more fluent in the new area or department that you’re trying to establish.
Business analysis also refers to researching external business practices or processes to collect information you need for new process maps. For example, say you’re at a phase where you need to build value-stream maps (more involved process maps largely used in manufacturing). You probably won’t have a reference to work off if you’re new to managing factories and large-scale supply chains. In this case, drawing on case studies or accessing value-stream maps from other companies gives you an insight into how and why they’ve used these diagrams. This could reveal helpful ideas — like how to track materials over time, when to involve certain stakeholders, or even how often to repeat the process.
2. Ask your team
Sometimes external resources and consulting aren’t necessary — either they’re too costly and time-consuming or, better yet, you already have all the information you need in your existing workforce. Often, the best ways to unlock productivity in your organization are right under your nose — you can uncover them simply by observing the process in your workplace or carrying out internal reviews with your employees.
Open and transparent communication with your staff is key to this process-mapping technique. When you oversee a process in real time, you can identify what’s actively working and what’s standing in the way of you achieving results. Through group discovery workshops with multiple teams, you can gather honest feedback on the day-to-day work, giving you the right insight into what you need to fix in your workflows.
These internal reviews often reveal unnecessary rounds of reviews that create backlogs, bottlenecks in a chain of command, or even the employees best suited for certain tasks. Only by inviting unfiltered conversations can you weed out the flaws in your workflows and build the process maps that will fill those gaps.
3. Review existing process maps
As you start to expand your operations and need more support for your business, you’ll find that a great resource for building new process maps is one you already have. Your documented process maps are assets you can return to time and again — and reviewing them is a pivotal process-mapping technique.
This technique relies on keeping detailed and consistent records of your process maps. These documents are historical evidence of your company’s growth, and they show what you’ve tried in the past that hasn’t worked. If you’re translating a process from one department to another — or giving one team an inside look at how another operates — existing maps are a great resource to review when developing a new generation of them.
4. Identify where to automate
Remember what we said at the very beginning of this article? The best maps are the ones that do as much work for you as possible, avoiding inefficiencies. That’s why identifying tasks you can automate is an essential process-mapping technique.
Consider the kinds of tools that help you automate these processes — like Jotform Workflows, which helps you set up and automate your workflows through a drag-and-drop interface. You can build these workflows from Jotform’s online forms, which are simple to customize and act as the starting point for an approval flow. Then, easily track and manage the approval workflow with status updates from Jotform Tables before using Jotform Inbox to receive and respond to submissions or notifications quickly.
Identifying where automation can fit into your current practices gives you the knowledge to build the most effective process maps possible. And with these automated tools, you’ll create a self-sufficient and productive system that makes managing and tracking your workflows a breeze.
So there you have it. Remember that process mapping starts before you put your first symbols on a page, and you’ll be well on your way to creating the visualizations that push your business to the forefront of your industry.
Photo by Mikhail Nilov
Send Comment: