Business Process Mapping: Definition, Steps and Tips [Guide for 2023]

What’s the Difference Between Mapping and Modeling?

Business process mapping is often used interchangeably for business process modeling. Mapping can usually be done on any medium, including a piece of paper or a whiteboard. However, business process modeling is always done in some kind of software to create a digital model that can be automated.

Why Do You Need Business Process Mapping?

Business process mapping is an essential part of running an efficient business. Without a visual representation around how predictable processes run in your company, employees are left to guess and make mistakes as to what the best practices are. If you don’t clearly define a business process through mapping, each department and individual is left to create his/her own sequence and assignment. This leads to chaos, confusion, and blame when the task owners are not clearly assigned.

The Benefits of Business Process Mapping

Here are the benefits of incorporating business process mapping in your organization;

• Corporate Clarity Around the Process
• Systematic Control Over How the Process Functions
• Established Operational Norms
• Elimination of Redundancies
• Increased Process Visibility
• Better Compliance with Industry Standards
• More Uniform Employee Training

How to Create a Process Map?

Here are the steps involved in getting started and creating a process map. 

1. Gather All the Stakeholders

You need several voices of people who are both responsible for the process and who are actively involved in the day-to-day activities.

2. List Out All the Human Tasks

What are all the things that humans do as a part of this process? Initially, this is often best done with sticky notes that can be easily moved around later.

3. List Out All the System Tasks

There are many tasks such as data transfers, sending emails, or simple folder creation that can be done better by a machine than a human.

4.

Identify Redundancies

Go back and check your list of tasks and see if some can be eliminated, converted to a notification, or switched to a system task.

5.

Determine Who is Responsible For Each Task

Most tasks will have a single owner. Some might be able to be assigned to a group of people, but someone should be ultimately held accountable for the timely completion. System tasks also need someone responsible in case there are any errors.

6.

Set the Sequence of Tasks

What needs to happen first? Can some tasks be done at the same time? Which tasks are dependent on others? When is the process complete? While this phase is best done with physical objects like moveable cards, eventually, you will want to move to a business process mapping tool that can digitize what you’ve created.