The 5 Methods of 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

00:00:05Host

The five methods to capture a process are: individual staff or small group interviews; facilitated discovery workshops; analysis of existing documentation; business analysis design; and import of existing process maps. In many cases, a combination of several is required to obtain the right degree of accuracy.

00:00:38Host

One: individual staff or small group interviews. Used when the content is likely to be relatively straightforward, with only a small sample of those performing the process involved. First, define the start and end points, then capture the major steps (activities), then fill in the detail of what is produced (deliverables).

00:01:22Host

Tips for success: have a prepared set of topics and specific questions, limit sessions to 1 hour, and never overrun — find an endpoint and stick with it.

00:01:42Host

Two: facilitated discovery workshops. Used to capture details from a larger group, though processes tend to be captured at a higher level. Transcribing the process in near real time, using a facilitator and a mapper, enables the workshop to flow continuously.

00:02:16Host

Tips for success: involve people, keep energy and variation in the workshop, and stick to the facilitation process and the time.

00:02:30Host

Three: analysis of existing documentation. Can be difficult to translate into a process map, but can be a big time saver. Most useful in process-mature environments aiming to modernise or reduce the documentation burden rather than create content from scratch.

00:03:02Host

Tips for success: only use finishers — this is a job for those who stay until it's done. Get all documentation sources together at the beginning and keep that as the defined scope.

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Four: business analysis design. The greenfield approach, particularly useful when the process doesn't yet exist — typically seen in re-engineering projects, organisational or project startups, or where subject matter experts are hard to access.

00:03:41Host

Tips for success: don't guess — if you can't be sure, don't make assumptions. Time-box your productivity, for example attempting 4 A4 pages per day of process.

00:03:57Host

Five: import of existing processes. Sources tend to be unstructured (documents, slides, spreadsheets), structured (process maps, flowcharts), or interchangeable (formally modelled, e.g. BPMN).

00:04:19Host

Tips for success: be clear about what you're importing — is it just the images, or the meaning behind them? If the latter, recognise it's a software capability and standards issue.