12/15/2016 4CommonProcessMappingMistakes(AndHowtoAvoidThem)|BPM,LeanSixSigma&ContinuousProcessImprovement|ProcessExcellen

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4CommonProcessMappingMistakes(AndHowtoAvoidThem)
Contributor: Shu-wingPang(http://www.processexcellencenetwork.com/contributors/16725-shu-wing-pang)
Posted:09/25/2011

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Tags: ShuWingPang(/tags/shuwingpang) processmapping(/tags/processmapping) processvisualization(/tags/processvisualization)

processvisualisation(/tags/processvisualisation) processarchitecture(/tags/processarchitecture)

Processmapping(http://www.processexcellencenetwork.com/pex-tools-technologies/white-papers/infographic-process-mapping-vs-process-
modelling/index.cfm)providesastructuralanalysisapproachandacapabilityofdeliveringsystematicoutputs.Buttheeffectivenessofprocessmappingis
affectedbyhowitisselectedasthemethodofanalysis,howitisplannedandexecuted,sayscontributorShu-WingPang.Hereare4commonwaysprocess
improvementprofessionalsgowrongwithprocessmapping.

Processmappingisananalyticaltoolcommonlyappliedbyprocessimprovementprofessionals.Bycapturingreal-worldoperationandreflectingitthroughasetof
processes,theycan,firstly,visualizetheinputs,interactions,deliverablesandpartiesinvolvedinanorganisationsoperationanddecision-making,andsecondly,
identifyprocessinefficiencies,disjointsandimprovementopportunities.

Theeffectivenessofprocessmapping,however,variessignificantlybasedonthewritersexperienceandobservations.Ononeprocurementprocessreengineering
project,forexample,processmappingwasappropriatelyappliedtosummarizecoreprocessesandidentifynon-value-addedactivitiestofacilitateimprovement;
butonanotherproject,theconsultantsinvolvedfailedtocapturethetruescaleoftheoperationalprocessesintheorganisationandtheresultantimprovement
wasunabletoaddresstherealunderlyingproblems.

Barry McIntyre wants to know

Which do you consider more
important for success in your
transformation program?
ProblemofIneffectiveProcessMapping

Thefollowingarefourcommonproblemswhichadverselyaffecttheuseofprocessmappingonidentifyingimprovementopportunities.Theseproblemsare
relatedtotheappropriateuseoftheprocessmappingmethod,howprocessmappingisplannedandexecuted.

Mistake#1:

Applyprocessmappingoninappropriatetypesofprocesses

Mostorganizations'businessoperationcanbecategorizedintothreetypesofprocesses:transformationalprocesses,transactionalprocessesanddecision-making
processes.

Transformationalprocessesrefertotheinteractionswherespecificinputsarereshapedtooutputswithchangesinphysicalorvirtualforms.Manufacturing
(changeinphysicalforms)andsystemsdevelopment(changeinvirtualforms)aretypicalexamplesoftransformationalprocesses.Transactionalprocessesreferto
theinteractionsofdifferentinputpartieswheretheyaccomplishtogeneratespecificoutcomes.Callcentresupportandmostsalesactivitiesareexamplesof
transactionalprocesses;Decision-makingprocessesrefertotheinteractionsofdifferentinputpartieswheretheyaccomplishtomakedecisions.Thedecisions
madecanbewithinapre-definedrange(e.g.approveorrejectanapplication)specificoropen-ended(e.g.whatistheoptimalmarketentrypricelevel?).Pricing,
marketforecastingandinventorycontrolareexamplesofdecision-makingprocesses.

Processmappingismoreeffectiveonidentifyingimprovementopportunitiesontransformationalandtransactionalprocessesthanondecision-marking
processes,especiallythoseinvolvinghigh-level,open-endeddecisions.

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12/15/2016 4CommonProcessMappingMistakes(AndHowtoAvoidThem)|BPM,LeanSixSigma&ContinuousProcessImprovement|ProcessExcellen
Thisisbecause,firstly,theoutputsfromsuchtransformationalandtransactionalprocessestendtobemorespecificandobjectively-defined(e.g.specificproducts
andserviceoutputs)andsecondly,processvariationsaremoretraceable.Bycontrast,high-level,open-endeddecision-makingprocessestendtobeabstractand
intangible.Also,thefactthatsuchdecision-makinginvolvesalotofdynamic,unpredictablefactorsmeanthatitisthequalityofindividualsgathering,processing
andanalyzingtheinformationwhichmatter.Processmappingisseldomthemostoptimalmethodofidentifyingandvisualizingimprovementopportunitiesin
thesecircumstances.

Mistake#2:

Beingunclearaboutthefocusofyourprocessmapping

Preliminaryanalysiscanpointtoareaswhereprocessinefficienciesordisjointsoccur,buttheirunderlyingcausesmayresideoutsidetheprocesseswherethese
problemsarediagnosed.Forexample,Iwasonceinvolvedinahotelprocessimprovementprojectwheretheproblemofroomservicewasaddressed.Thedelivery
processwasmappedandanalyzedandnomajorshortcomingwasidentified.ButwhenitcametointerviewingandGembaassessment,itwasfoundthatthe
problemwasnotcausedbyroomservicedeliverybutbecausestaffliftswerefrequentlyoccupiedbyhousekeepingteamfortransportinglaundry.

Thiscaseshowedthatcauseofprocessinefficiencycanbecausedoutsidetheprocessbeingaddressed.Additionally,theeffectivenessofprocessmappingwill
diminishiftheprocessimprovementteamisambiguousondeterminingwhetheritisthecoreorsecondaryprocesses(i.e.variationsfromcoreprocessestocater
forexceptionalanduniquescenarios,transitional(interim)processesorsupplementaryprocesses)onwhichtheyshouldfocuson.

Mistake#3:

Tryingtocreatethe"perfect"processmaps(andforgettingwhyyoureprocessmappinginthefirstplace)

Improvementprofessionalsandtheirbusiness-sidecounterpartssometimesburythemselvesinprocessmappinganalysisandforgetthegoalofimprovement(i.e.
improvingthebusiness)andinsteadfocusonbuildingperfectprocessmaps.Forinstance,whenbusinesscommunitiesvisualizehowtheirprocessesarereflected
onprocessmaps,theyaretemptedtodescribeandexplainitinawaywhichwillmaketheprocessesjointogetherandmakelogicalsense.

Mistake#4:

Weaknessoncross-partyresponsibilities

Asaformatofpresentation,processmapsareneveridealwhenitcomestoshowingmultipleresponsibilitiesamongdifferentparties,especiallywhenoneofthem
playsaleadershiprole.Forexample,onaswim-lanediagram,across-teamactivityisusuallyindicatedbyataskwhichextendsacrossseveralswim-lanestothe
responsibleparties;it,however,isdifficulttodisplayaleadingpartyinaclearwaygraphically.Lessexperiencedprocessanalystsandimprovementprofessionals
mayoverlooktheleadershipdimensionontheanalysis.

DevelopingBetterPracticeforProcessMapping

Theeffectivenessofprocessmappingasacontinuousimprovementtooldiminisheswhenprocessimprovementpractitionersarenotawareoftheproblems
mentionedabove.Thefollowingguidelinesarerecommendedtoaddresstheseproblems.

EstablishClearContinuousImprovementObjectives:

Whataretheobjectivesoftheimprovementinitiative?Isthegoalofimprovementtoresolveexistingoperationalproblems(e.g.errorreduction)orcapture
emergingmarketopportunities?Isprocessstandardizationtheobjectiveofimprovementinitiative?Isitprimarilydrivenbytechnologicalchange?Isitamajor
restructuringeffortoranincrementalchange?Thesearekeyquestionswhichhelpcontinuousimprovementpractitionersclarifythegoalsandobjectivesofthe
improvementeffortsandthereforeidentifysuitablemethodsofanalysis.

Forexample,inanIT-relatedprocessimprovementexercise,forexample,processmappingcanbehighlyvaluabletooutliningexistingprocesses,identifying
problemsandareaswheretechnologicalchangescanfacilitatetheimprovement.Processmappingalsoproducesconcretedeliverableswhichbecomeaninputto
systemrequirements.However,foranorganisationaltransformationwhichinvolvesdrasticchangesonorganisationalstructures,jobrolesandresponsibilities,
andstaffsknowledgeandskill-sets,processmappingmaynotbethebestmethodtobeusedatleastatthebeginning(visionplanningmaybebettersuitedinthis
case).Itisessentialthatcontinuousimprovementprofessionalshavethecapabilitytoclarifyimprovementgoals,objectivesandrequirementsatthebeginning,
understandthepros,consandapplicabilityofdifferentimprovementmethodologies,andapplytherightmethodsintherightsituation.

UseProcessMappingWhereItsMostAppropriate:

Processimprovementpractitionersshouldproactivelyassessthenatureofprocessesbeingaddressedanddecideifprocessmappingcanyieldmostbenefitsin
identifyingimprovementopportunitiesandassessingthescopeofchange.Theyshouldalsodetermineifprocessmappingcanbeasastandalonetoolorin
conjunctionwithotheranalysismethodssuchasdocumentanalysisandGemba

Ithasbeenexplainedbeforethatprocessmappingtendstobemoreeffectiveontransformationalandtransactionalprocesses.Performingprocessmappingona
high-levelandopen-endeddecision-makingprocessmaynotyieldthebestresultsinidentifyingimprovementopportunities.Therefore,whenattemptingto
analyzesuchprocessesfordrivingchange,processimprovementprofessionalsshouldapplysuchasdecision-makingschemasanddocumentationanalysisin
additiontoprocessmappinginordertolookatthequalityandcongruenceofdecisionsmade.

MakeUseofProcessArchitecture(ifitexists):

Inorganizationswhereprocessmaturityisrelativelyhighandprocessarchitectureisestablished,theprocessarchitectureisavaluableandstructuralinputto
processimprovementprofessionals.Processarchitecture,whichincludesprocessmapstructures,processmanagementguidelines,standardsandmethodologies,
isacomprehensivevisualrepresentation(ingraphical,diagrammaticorotherforms)ofanorganisationskeyprocessesandinteractions.Itprovidesanintegrated
Organisation-Process-System-Informationvisibilityandisusedtoassesshowtheorganisationsstructureandprocesscansupportitsstrategy.

AssesstheImpactofOrganizationalStructures(LookattheBigPicture):

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12/15/2016 4CommonProcessMappingMistakes(AndHowtoAvoidThem)|BPM,LeanSixSigma&ContinuousProcessImprovement|ProcessExcellen
Whenconductingprocessmapping,continuousimprovementprofessionalsshouldpayattentiontomacro-levelfeaturessuchasorganizationalstructuresand
headcountsbecausetheseissuesmaybehiddenwithinformalprocessesanditalsogeneratesnewideasonwhattoimprove.

IdentifyMultipleResponsibilitiesonTasks:

Totacklethelimitationthatprocessmapsarelesseffectiveinshowingcross-partyresponsibilities,especiallywhensomeofthemplayaleadershiprole,process
analysispractitionersshouldpayparticularattentionwhenanalyzingrelevantprocessesoractivitiestoensurethatsuchmultipleresponsibilitiesandtherolesof
eachpartyareclarified.Documentationanalysis,forinstance,isagood,complementaryanalysismethodinthisaspect.Suchclarificationonmultiple
responsibilitiesandownershipmayalsoyieldinsightsonpotentialimprovementopportunitieswhichcanbeexploredfurther(ifnoclearownershipcanbe
identifiedorresponsibilitiesamongdifferentpartiesareblurred,forexample).

Conclusion

Applyingsuitableanalyticalmethodstostudycurrentprocessesandspotopportunitiesforimprovementiskeytothesuccessofsuchinitiatives.Processmapping,
withitsstructuralanalysisapproachandcapabilityofdeliveringsystematicoutputs,isawidely-usedmethodology.However,likeothercontinuousimprovement
methods,theeffectivenessofprocessmappingisaffectedbyhowitisselectedplannedandcarriedout.Whetherornotprocessmappingisactuallyanappropriate
methodofcontinuousimprovementinaparticularsituationisalsoadeterminingfactor.

Therefore,continuousimprovementpractitionersshouldbeclearaboutthestrengthsandlimitationsofdifferentprocessimprovementmethodologies,andtheir
applicabilityindifferentimprovementinitiatives.Theabovediscussionpointsoutseveralareaswherethepractitionersshouldpayattentiontoinorderto
maximizethebenefitsofimprovementthroughprocessmapping.

Whichofthefollowingaremostimportanttoyourtransformationprogram(https://www.wedgies.com/question/557156c18d485e07000061cd)

Thankyou,foryourinterestin4CommonProcessMappingMistakes(AndHowtoAvoidThem).

Contributor: Shu-wingPang(http://www.processexcellencenetwork.com/contributors/16725-shu-wing-pang)

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