| Drawing and documenting a business process helps | | | | map? |
| you understand how it works; what activities | | | | Creating a foundation, or blueprint, an important step |
| constitute the majority of the work; and where | | | | in improvement work, will help you get started with |
| handoffs occur between departments, suppliers, and | | | | this step because the blueprint includes the |
| customers. | | | | boundaries, or rather where the process starts and |
| The map you draw will provide the information | | | | ends. Whatever you identified as the start in the |
| required to allow you to estimate how long a process | | | | blueprint is what you write inside the first box on the |
| takes from start to finish and how much it costs. | | | | map. From that point on, you will find drawing the |
| This data will help you apply improvement techniques, | | | | rest of the map easy. Just remember to include the |
| and it assists you in setting improvement targets. | | | | output of each activity box and make sure that |
| The map provides everyone involved in the work | | | | what you write on the output line leads to the input |
| with a better understanding of how the business | | | | for the next activity. |
| process works from beginning to end. | | | | In most cases, unless you own the process and |
| So how do you start? Drawing a process map is not | | | | work alone, you need other colleagues to help you |
| difficult, even though it may seem so when you look | | | | draw the map because you probably do not know |
| at one that another person created. The symbols | | | | every step and every handoff involved. At the bare |
| used are simple to learn and there is software | | | | minimum, you should have resources available that |
| available, like Microsoft Visio, to help you draw the | | | | can answer your questions as they arise. |
| map. The hardest part in many projects is identifying | | | | Drawing the map is the third step to improving the |
| where to begin, and drawing the map is no different. | | | | effectiveness, efficiency, and adaptability of your |
| How do you know where to start? What do you | | | | business. |
| write inside the first activity box you draw on the | | | | |