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Guide: Get started with Process Mapping
How do you map a Process?
There are many ways to map processes, from ‘post-it’ notes to loose sketches on a whiteboard. However, the more efficient and modern solution is to use a proper modeling tool to map your business. With a digital tool for this purpose, you can not only share the material neatly with the rest of the organization but also gather all the information in one place.
In addition to software, you need to know the parts that make up a process, i.e., the activities involved in a single process. Practice is the best way to improve your process mapping skills. However, it is not always obvious at which end to start when mapping a process or a system of processes. We at 2c8 are here to help you!
Get to know the Object types.
Before starting Process mapping or modeling, it is helpful to familiarize yourself with the objects commonly used in mapping softwares. Although different objects and shapes are commonly used in more softwares, there are no universal standards.
Knowing the definitions of the objects in the software you use is essential for your models and maps to be readable by everyone. 2c8 Apps uses a system based on IDEF standards, a family of modeling languages in IT and systems science. Learning to model can be compared to learning a visual language. Adhering to universal rules allows your models to be read and understood by others.
- Process A process is a repetitive activity that can be cross-functional and measurable, and that performs a task. Processes are used at many levels of detail, from high and general levels down to detailed levels. They are named with a verb in the infinitive and a noun describing what is happening, e.g., ‘Building cars’, ‘Baking bread’, or ‘Caring for a patient’.
- Activity An activity is a planned event within a process. It always has an executor, inherits input from the process it is part of, and always creates a result. An activity is part of a detailed process. The name must reflect the desired activity. Use verbs in the infinitive plus the object, expressed in nouns involved in the activity. A stringent standard is recommended, e.g., ‘Register order’, ‘Create application’, etc.
- Business Object A business object is a resource or refinement in the form of a thing, substance, or information package. Sometimes, a business object can be used as an abstract entity related to a process, e.g., “Need for completion.” The business object is named with a noun, and often, an adverb is added to explain the status, e.g., ‘Registered order’, ‘Raw materials available’.
- Requirement A requirement is a specific characteristic defined for a process, business object, or role issued by a stakeholder, organization, or process. A requirement is named with verbs in the imperative form, i.e., as a request, e.g., Achieve, reduce, increase + direction. For example, ‘Improve delivery accuracy’ and ‘Reduce waste’.
- Interested Party or Stakeholder A stakeholder (or interested party) is a person or group that has a relationship with and makes demands on the organization or that the organization makes demands on. Often, it is a two-way relationship between two stakeholders. A stakeholder can also be symbolized as an external performing grouping in a process model. A stakeholder is referred to by its official name, e.g., ‘Acme Ltd’. and ‘National Board of Health and Welfare’, or as a group name such as ‘Supplier’, ‘Owners’, and ‘Authorities’.
- Organization An organization object specifies an organization or a department/unit/section with resources in the form of Positions, Roles, and Individuals. An organization is usually named based on the function where resources with similar skills are found, such as ‘Finance’, ‘Sales’, or ‘Planning’.
- Role A role is a profile of skills or responsibilities derived from a need in a process, a project, a forum, or an IT system. For example, a ‘Budget Manager’, ‘Project Member’, ‘Meeting Leader’, or ‘System Administrator’. It may vary between organizations whether an individual’s title is a position or role. For example, ‘Software Developer’, ‘Buyer’, or ‘Project Manager’.
- Position A position is the title that someone is hired as. A position can be responsible for or belong to an organizational unit and consist of one or more roles. For example, a position could be ‘Chief Financial Officer’, ‘Software Developer’ or ‘CEO’. It may vary between organizations whether an individual’s title is a position or role. For example, ‘Software Developer’, ‘Supplier’ or ‘Project Manager’.
- Application and Archive An application is an information system that supports a process/activity. It is most often used in process and application models. Archive is used when the support in question is an archive of some kind. It is named in accordance with traditional usage in the organization.
- Rules (and/or) and Join A rule can be used when two or more activities follow an activity. If several subsequent activities can be performed, ‘And’ is used. If there is only one among several possible, ‘Or’ is used. Rules are usually referred to as a question, a choice where the answers are printed in relation to the subsequent activity. For example, ‘Offer?’ or ‘Approved supplier?’. ‘Join’ can be used when a flow previously divided by a rule of type ‘And’ joins together. This should mean that all previous parallel activities must be completed before moving on.
- Relations Arrows indicate relationships between objects. They indicate the direction of a process flow or whether an object has some type of responsibility or relationship with another object. They can also show whether an object contains or addresses other objects. They simply show the relationship between two objects.
Do you want to know more about the Model types available 2c8 Apps? Click here to read more.
2. Start Mapping
Below, we have gathered 3 important steps that are essential to consider when starting your Process mapping:
- What process are you mapping?
Before starting your process mapping, it may be helpful to remind yourself of the definition of a process: a series of activities that add value to a good or service. A process also has a well-defined beginning and a well-defined end. A good starting point is to determine the inputs and outputs of the process you are mapping.
For example, let’s say you are mapping a simple purchasing process. Your goal is to ‘Increase inventory’, and your end result could be ‘Increased inventory’ and ‘Supplier invoice’. By defining input and output values, you have framed the chosen process, and the only activities you now need to think about are those necessary to get you from your input value to the output value. - What activities are part of the process?
Once you have decided which process you are mapping, you need to consider which activities are part of the process. Activities are the building blocks of a process. For example, purchasing includes several activities, such as placing an order, payment, delivery, storage, and return. Activities create value and help to transform inputs into outputs. In our example above, it is a series of activities that take us from our input ‘Increase inventory’ to our output, which is ‘Increase inventory’ and ‘Supplier invoice’.
- What resources are part of the process?
Once you have identified the process you are mapping and the activities that are part of it, the next step is to consider the factors that influence each activity. What resources are required for each activity? What tasks and roles are involved? What are the responsibilities? What external requirements does the activity need to consider, and are there any associated risks? Understanding the resources and factors that influence an activity is fundamental to understanding the flow of the process and how it is affected.
3. Share your mapped processes with your coworkers
To take full advantage of the benefits of process mapping, it is important to also consider how the models are implemented in the business. A process map is a unique way to visualize an organization or company. It is also a tool for leading discussions and incorporating different perspectives on business development. However, for modeling to yield results in the business, it requires that a created model is shared within the organization and that there is a forum to encourage discussion and knowledge sharing. With 2c8 Apps, you can easily share your maps and models within your organization, allowing both widespread or restricted access to all or part of a map or process. Read more about publishing from 2c8 Apps by clicking here.
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Do you want to know more about the possibilities of 2c8 Apps?
2c8 Apps is a powerful modeling software used in various application areas. Book a demo today to explore the possibilities with 2c8 Apps.
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