Key to Success: Process Mapping Free Download
I have learned through my career that a ‘one-pager’ overview is an easy and great way to communicate. To explain a complex process flow or a roadmap on one page is key to success. Your customer (or colleague) doesn’t have to remember a 15-slide deck and you are all looking at the same and don’t have to memorize anything from a previous slide.
Purpose of process mapping
Process maps help to understand how work gets completed within an organization. They identify bottlenecks, repetition, and delays. They help to define process boundaries, owner responsibility, and effectiveness.
A process map is a visual representation of the flow of information within an organization. This tool helps you to understand what happens where, why it takes place there, and who does what.
The purpose of a process map is to provide a snapshot of an organization’s current state. You can use it to measure progress towards goals, identify problems and opportunities, and make decisions about change.
You can start with a simple process map template. But once you know the basics, you can customize the layout to fit your needs.
Benefits of process mapping
A process map helps you visualize the steps involved in a process and identify areas where improvements can be made. You can use it to help plan future processes, improve existing ones, and even troubleshoot problems. In addition, a process map can serve as a communication tool for employees, helping them understand what tasks are required of them and how those tasks fit into the larger picture.
Process maps are particularly useful for large organizations because they allow everyone working within a given department to see the big picture and focus on specific parts of the organization. They’re especially helpful when there are multiple steps involved in completing a task.
By drawing a process map of each step, you’ll be able to easily spot potential bottlenecks and workarounds.
How to create a process map
Process mapping is one of those things that many people think they know how to do but really don’t. If you are looking to streamline workflow and make sure everything gets done properly, it pays off to invest some time into creating a process map
I have successfully created my own one-pager process mapping template, which I have used to illustrate product development process flow, sales process, marketing flow etc. I have also used it to illustrate how information flow into the business, what get’s triggered and what is the outcome.
The challenge is always that you and your audience will approach the process from a different perspective. For example; I will look at it from a product development/marketing angle with the product life cycle in mind, and my audience will look at it with their tasks/responsibilities in mind, which often is when they interact with the process. So be ready to modify the process flow and remember a process will never stay static it’s important to make sure it will improve and enhance through its own lifecycle.
Zoom Out
Another learning is to zoom far out from the process and look at the customer experience and then peel the layers of the process. If you mapped out a detail you will already have lost a few people from your audience. Think it as a storytelling and then zoom in while you go through the process.
There are many templates available and I still go back to my google slide template, it easy, it’s already in the smallest font and the color scheme is just a proposal and easy to change to map any process.
Examples of where to use the template:
- Product Development Phase
- Digital Marketing Process
- New Business Opportunity Flow
- Detail Level of Product development Phases
- Sales Funnel Process
- Cross Functional Team Flow