How to Get the Best ROI From Process Mapping

Editor's note: this transcript was generated by AI and has been lightly edited for clarity and relevance — some sections have been shortened or removed, and minor transcription errors corrected.

Full transcript

00:00:06Host

With any software purchase, the expected return on investment is central to the decision to buy it. So where do we find out how to get the best return on investment from process mapping software and process mapping projects?

00:00:30Host

Underpinning the whole exercise will be the documentation of how your organisation transforms its inputs into outputs, in order to understand this better. That's the start point from which a whole set of benefits are derived.

00:01:08Host

Here are the 13 that immediately spring to mind: to eliminate a single point of failure; to support the restructure of the organisation; to enable business transformation or change; to enable return to business as usual following a merger or acquisition; to implement lean or continual improvement; to deliver on cost savings initiatives; to support business and IT alignment; to ensure knowledge retention for process control; for risk management; as a mechanism for increasing revenue; as a mechanism for reducing waste; as a mechanism for improving quality.

00:01:56Host

When it comes to identifying the right software, things get trickier, as not all software is made equal. The easier the software is to use, the better the return on investment — less time is needed to do the mapping, more attention can be given to accuracy, and more non-expert process mappers can be involved.

00:02:35Host

The documentation will only enable better understanding if it's accurate and captures what really happens. The best way to do this is to involve the process experts — either through a capture workshop, or by training them to use the software and map their own processes.

00:03:14Host

Your process maps will deliver the best return on investment if they capture a model of your organisation — not just a diagrammatic view, but the data behind the processes. With this as-is capture, you can model potential changes and see which options actually deliver the improvements you need.

00:03:56Host

What is absolutely key to achieving return on investment is that the maps are used. They must be easy to find, easy to search, easy to follow, easy to report on, accurate, and up to date.