Question

Explain five ways how detailed process maps could be used to improve on a company's business processes

Answer 1

A process map is a tool for planning and management that visually describes the flow of work.

Process mapping of a business is part of project planning for a range of project types, right from improvement projects to more intensive business process re-engineering projects. Reengineering of business processs is the drastic redesign of the entirety of the enterprise’s processes. Some businesses map their processes bacause they are conducting strategic planning or are developing metrics for reporting.

Process maps inspire professionals to consider how to make the organization much more effective by thinking through their workflows. When a process is mapped, it must be diagrammed out in a way that achieves a shared level ofunderstanding. The scope of business process mapping shows end-to-end activities, inputs such as materials or labor and the linkages. A process map can cut across different departments and teams and could also include external partners. It all depends mainly on the process.

Organizations use business process mapping for different reasons, but primarily it’s a formal approach to quality management. Overall, businesses aspire to become more effective, so when all of the company objectives are measured and compared, it becomes possible to align them with the company’s values and capabilities. With aligned objectives, the organization can behave as a single entity with interconnecting parts, which in turn significantly increases the value of the end-product or service. Other purposes of building business process maps include:

• Process standardization
• Employee onboarding and training
• Process improvement
• Communication
• Compliance with regulating agencies
• Internal auditing