How to map processes to support process development: Creating a current state process map

Process development enables organizations to increase the speed and quality, to decrease costs and to improve the throughput as well as customer and employee satisfaction. You might have heard terms such as process development, process engineering, and process improvement – all referring to the improvement and development of processes that support value creation and boost productivity. Regardless of the exact terminology used, the importance of process development lies in what can be achieved through it. 

Process mapping - a key step in process development

How to succeed in process mapping? There are two major steps. Firstly, it is necessary to understand the current situation of the process. That is, the AS-IS process. Secondly, the objective state must be defined. That is labeled as the TO-BE process. To achieve best outcomes, processes should always be approached and improved holistically. In this blog post, the mapping of the AS-IS process is explored in detail.

To understand the AS-IS process, both qualitative and quantitative methodologies and tools should be used to gain a comprehensive overview. As per the definition of Gartner, a process map describes the tasks of the process, the prerequisites for the process, the timing and responsibilities associated with the process, the requirements of the process, as well as what happens when the process has been completed.

The Process Development Canvas is a great way to get started. It is a visual tool designed to effectively manage and communicate process improvement initiatives in your organisation.

Gathering qualitative data

To produce a process map, always begin with interviewing specialists who have knowledge of the process. The specialists who are responsible for the process and are executing the process know how the process is done and are, therefore, the best starting point to ask questions. Many specialists from different units may be needed during the course of the process: All of them are valuable sources of information and important stakeholders! I would recommend you include the following questions in your interviews:

1. What needs to be done before the process can be started

It is important to understand the prerequisites needed for the process to be done. Are there transactions that need to be completed before the process can be started? Are the process specialists depending on another business unit to complete their work before they can start the process? How does the process link to other processes in the organisation?

2. What are the steps needed to conduct the process?

A self-evident question in process mapping is to understand the steps and tasks that the process consists of. How does the process start? What tasks conclude the process? Is the process fully linear or does it involve choices that determine the course of action?

3. What systems are used during the process?

The systems used during the process are at the crux of process mapping. How many systems are used in the process? How are these systems accessed? If there are many persons doing the process or needed to complete the process, are they all using the same systems or are different persons responsible for different parts of the process and, therefore, different systems? Are all of the systems internal systems or are external systems used? It is also good to understand how the process is impacted if a system is not working: How is the process completed then?

4. How does data flow through the process?

Data is one of the most crucial parts in any process. Essentially, three things need to be discovered: What are the data inputs to the process? What are the data outputs? What happens to the data during the process so that the output data is produced? Are all the data received in the beginning of the process or are some data received during the process? Similarly, are all the output data completed at the end of the process?

5. What happens after the process is completed?

It is also necessary to understand what happens in the organisation when the process is completed. Is another business process dependent on the completion of the process? Is there a certain timeframe in which the process must be completed?

Gathering quantitative data

In addition to interviewing the process specialists and asking qualitative questions, it is important to gather quantitative measures. Quantitative measures allow for understanding the numbers behind the process. Remember to check at least the following data:

1. How often is the process executed?

Is the process done daily or many times during the day? Or is the process run only once a month at a certain time? Or is the process only executed when another event triggers the process? It is important to understand how often the process is run.

2. How many cases are handled by the process when it is executed?

It is also important to know how many cases are handled by the process. How a ‘case’ is defined is process specific, however, a case can be for example an application to be processed, a service ticket to be handled, or an invoice to be checked. Questions to ask include whether the process is intensive and handles hundreds of cases? Or is there one single, massive case done every time the process is executed?

3. How many cases end up in errors?

The percentage of cases ending up as errors and requiring extra time to handle is one of the most important quantitative measures to find out during the mapping of the AS-IS process. It is also important to understand the types of errors possible (this is investigated through asking the steps of the process) and how many cases end up in each error type.

4. How long does it take to handle one case?

Is handling one case quick, a matter of minutes, or does it take hours or even days or months to complete one case? How long it takes to handle one case during the process is one of the most important quantitative measures. To gain a more comprehensive understanding, gather data from the process as well as ask the process specialist this question.

5. How long does it take to handle error cases?

Error cases are often those cases that take up the majority of the time spent with the process. It is important to understand not only how long it takes to process all error cases during the process, but also how long it takes to process error cases with types? This provides valuable information of what are the actual pain points of the process.

Business goals are the North Star of a process map

Once both quantitative and qualitative data are collected regarding the process, these need to be combined. Pay attention to any discrepancies between qualitative and quantitative measures – often, the quantitative process data will tell a slightly different story than the process specialists. However, the views of the process specialists are just as important: For example, if the aim is to improve employee experience, the bottlenecks and pain points identified by process specialists should be prioritised. It is very important to combine the information gathered to form a comprehensive view of the process.

Example of a process map: Flowchart template in Miro

Using this approach results in a thorough understanding of the AS-IS process state: A clear process map can then be produced to display the uncovered information. The process steps and the flow of data are understood. Bottlenecks and improvement points can then be easily identified. The process map can then easily be utilised in process development to aid the achievement of business goals.

To get started, check out the Process Development Canvas – a visual tool designed to effectively manage and communicate process improvement initiatives in your organisation.