As each company develops, the proper identification of processes within the company, as well as outside it – in contacts with suppliers or customers, plays an increasingly important role. It is important that the presentation of these processes is as clear as possible, both for specialists in the given processes and for outsiders. So why not present this data in the form of a map? We present process mapping.
What is process mapping
Process mapping is one of the techniques that help improve the functioning of a company. The method was created in 1921 by Frank Gilbreth, a pioneer of humanistic engineering. Process mapping is a graphical representation of processes, operations and relationships between them. Process mapping is a great way to increase the efficiency of a company's functioning, as well as to identify processes that are not efficient enough or even bring losses.
What are the goals of process mapping?
The main overarching goal of mapping is of course to identify the intersection of business strategy and business process efficiency. Since the goal of every enterprise is to generate added value, Creating a process strategy should be a permanent part of the company's overall strategy. A company's goals can only or primarily be achieved when business processes function efficiently. Process mapping effectively identifies incorrect functioning of individual components and gives you the opportunity to work on making them work better.
Process mapping is necessary when we implement a quality management system or start standardizing procedures in the company. Often, the method is also implemented when implementing a monitoring system or when we want to show discrepancies that occur in given processes.
Benefits of Process Mapping
Process mapping can significantly improve the efficiency and competitiveness of the company. Optimization is also a financial benefit for the company - if the processes within the organization are well designed and function well, the company generates added value more easily.
Process mapping enables understanding of the sequence of activities, process gaps and the people responsible for a given process. Thanks to this, management staff has quick access to information on the optimization of used resources and, if any, process inefficiencies that negatively impact the achievement of business goals.
Process mapping is a great way to show inefficiencies that are invisible at first glance – including taking too long to perform certain activities, which translates into costs incurred by the company. It also allows you to eliminate unnecessary activities that do not bring added value or slow down other processes, which ultimately also reduces frustration among employees who perform these ineffective or slowing tasks. Process mapping is a great method of promoting best practices within the company, and it also helps the company adapt to the requirements of external and internal audits. It turns out that Process mapping can also be useful when introducing new employees – facilitates the learning process and increases its effectiveness.
Summary
In order for the mapping of processes in a company to be effective, it is worth doing it as efficiently as possible. This is usually done by starting with "bigger picture”, or from general to specific. The overall picture of the company is visualized and then individual processes are mapped. It is important to remember that the map must show the process as it currently is, not how it should be.
