What is Process Mapping?
A visual technique for documenting every step in a business process using flowcharts, swimlane diagrams, or similar tools.
Detailed Explanation
Process mapping creates a visual representation of how work flows through an organisation. Common techniques include simple flowcharts, cross-functional swimlane diagrams, and value stream maps. The mapping exercise typically involves interviewing the people who actually do the work, observing processes in action, and capturing both the intended process and the actual process (which often differ significantly). Process maps serve as a diagnostic tool to find waste, duplication, and unnecessary complexity.
Why It Matters
You cannot improve what you cannot see. Process maps make invisible work visible, revealing inefficiencies that have become normalised. They also provide a shared language for discussing improvements and serve as a baseline against which progress can be measured.
Example
A manufacturing business maps their purchase order process and discovers that every order requires five separate approvals, three of which are rubber-stamps. By redesigning the process to require only two meaningful approvals, they cut procurement lead time by 60%.
Related Terms
A lean management technique that visualises all the steps in a process, distinguishing between value-adding and non-value-adding activities.
A defined sequence of tasks that processes a piece of work from initiation to completion.
The sequence in which steps, decisions, and handoffs occur within a business process.
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