Process mapping before implementing a system: where to start

What a process map is

A process map describes the successive steps of the work: who does what, in which tool, based on what information, and what they pass on. It does not have to be a complex diagram. What matters is that it reflects reality.

Step 1: pick one process

Do not map the whole company at once. Start with the process that hurts the most: order handling, document flow or report preparation.

Step 2: talk to the people who carry it out

Management knows how the process should look. Employees know how it really looks. Both perspectives are needed, and the differences between them show where the problems are.

Step 3: describe the current state

• the successive steps of the process,
• the people and positions responsible for each step,
• tools: spreadsheets, emails, software, paper,
• places where data is retyped or passed on manually,
• points where the process most often stalls.

Step 4: mark the problems

For each step, ask: what takes the most time here, where do errors occur and what are people waiting for? These are exactly the places the system should improve first.

Step 5: describe the target state

Only now is it worth thinking about how the process should look after the change: who will use the system, what screens they will see, what decisions they will make and what reports the board will receive.

What to avoid

• Moving the mess into the system. If a process is unclear, the system will not fix it. It will only speed up the chaos.
• Mapping “from behind a desk”, without talking to the people who do the work.
• Technical details at this stage. First what and why, only then how.

What next

A good process map is the foundation of the system specification: a document that describes roles, screens, permissions and reports before the first line of code is written. This is how I start every project. If you want to map a process in your company, book a consultation.