MOST Analysis

Mission Statement

Before re-engineering any process, it is important to see the process as a whole from beginning to end, and this is facilitated by a highly useful skill known as process mapping. We will show some examples and conduct some high-level training and exercises on process mapping.

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Objectives

01. Purpose: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
02. The Actions: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
03. The Participants: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
04. The Timing: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
05. Shapes & Symbols: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
06. Direction Of Flow: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
07. Workflow Vs. Process Map: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. 1 Month
08. Mapping: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
09. “As Is” Vs. “To Be”: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
10. Expanding/Combining Steps: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
11. Versioning, Circulation, And Approval: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month

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Strategies

01. Purpose: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
02. The Actions: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
03. The Participants: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
04. The Timing: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
05. Shapes & Symbols: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
06. Direction Of Flow: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
07. Workflow Vs. Process Map: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
08. Mapping: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
09. “As Is” Vs. “To Be”: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
10. Expanding/Combining Steps: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
11. Versioning, Circulation, And Approval: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.

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Tasks

01. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Purpose.
02. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze The Actions.
03. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze The Participants.
04. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze The Timing.
05. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Shapes & Symbols.
06. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Direction Of Flow.
07. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Workflow Vs. Process Map.
08. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Mapping.
09. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze “As Is” Vs. “To Be”.
10. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Expanding/Combining Steps.
11. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Versioning, Circulation, And Approval.

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Introduction

A process map is a tool that graphically displays the inputs, steps, and outputs of a process in a step-by-step flowchart. Typically, this is carried out at the Define step of a DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control) project flow. Process mapping is used to clarify the process for team members and other participants.

Process Mapping: What is it?

A graphic representation of how things are done is called a “process map.” It aids the participants in understanding the process’s finer points and directs their decision-making. The main areas of the existing process’s strengths and weaknesses can be determined, including the contributions of the various processes. Additionally, it increases production by lowering cycle times and faults in the process.

The inputs, outputs, and steps in the process are the three main elements of a process map. A good process map should show the organization’s interaction and workflow. It should employ a universally understood common language (symbols). A perfect process map would include adequate description regarding multiple paths, choices, and loops of rework.

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Why Is a Process Map Necessary for a Business?

Process mapping offers a visual representation of the many business processes. It gives the pertinent details, aids in figuring out the Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How components of the procedure and problem, and even points in the direction of potential remedies. A process map is necessary for a number of reasons, including:

Images are more illuminating than words

A huge, boring report with numerous data fixation difficulties is less preferable than using graphs, charts, tables, and graphics as guides.

Process maps enable advancements

Process maps make it easier to identify the precise areas that require adjustments, such as bottlenecks, delays, capacity limitations, etc., in light of the process’s efficiency and effectiveness.

Quick decisions

As it works with the “show me” and not the “tell me” aspects of the process and the issue areas, decision-making becomes swift.

Easier to monitor progress

Process maps could eventually be used as a process measurement tool. This is required to control it and, ultimately, improve it. Process maps make it feasible to audit and analyze many sections of the process as well as the company, making it simple to track process improvements.

Process maps improve training

An effective training tool would be a visual illustration rather than an oral one. Human brains process visual examples more quickly, which will help with quicker and better comprehension.

Helps with change management

When a company moves forward with change without first understanding the current working process, it runs the risk of making more mistakes or using more resources to cause problems. Process maps offer a thorough overview of the current procedure and serve as a management tool for successful transformation.

Process maps types

The two main categories of process maps are deployment flowcharts and process flowcharts.

Process Flowchart:

A process flowchart is a straightforward process map that presents a visual representation of the order of activities and the points at which decisions are made. These flowcharts give the fundamental information about the procedure, which can then be supplemented by the addition of other employee roles.

Deployment Flowchart:

These process maps show how several departments interact with one another as well as the many responsibilities that people play inside the company. These process maps, often known as “swim-lane charts,” include vertical lines that depict how the process moves from one person to another.

What’s the Point of a Process Map?

Why would you chart your process? Here are a couple of excellent justifications.

1) Process Maps Aid In Waste Discovery

Mapping your process gives you a visual tool for waste discovery. Check out this ad from GE (remember that GE is a well-known Six Sigma adopter; they employed the Six Sigma methodology to enhance their business processes with great success). Here, they employ process mapping to double a manufacturing facility’s output speed, an increase of 100%.

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Case Study

The advertisement illustrates who does what, when, and where. Then, you might continue by asking why? A hypothesis can be put out and tested. “Could you reduce 5 steps to 2 in this case?”

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2) Process Maps Assist In Meeting Expectations

By visually laying out the various steps of the overall process, you can help to formulate and concretize expectations. Without a process map, stakeholders may not have a clear picture in their heads, and people may have different expectations of the same issue. A process map can bring everyone to an agreement on the expected scope and outcome.

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How to Begin a Process Map

To make sure you can control the scope of the flowchart you design, you must have well defined boundaries before starting the process mapping. To identify what tasks, actions, and decisions should be added to the flowchart, the boundaries must first be established.

Steps to Take

By taking a few easy actions, business managers may create a useful process map that supports ongoing improvement in the business process. The following are the stages for generating a process map:

Step 1: Select the Process

The managers must first determine why a process map is being created. Is it possible that the process is underperforming expectations? Or is a new service being considered by the company? Or is it intended to increase the benefit obtained from the process?

Second, you need to pinpoint the start of the procedure. In other words, you need to identify the circumstances that drive demand for the process map and the process’s underlying trigger.

Third, you should specify the end result, which includes the specifications or circumstances that will ultimately meet the demand.

The business managers must also create a paper outlining the specific process, the business problem, the expectations of the stakeholders, the business objectives, and the process’s scope.

Step 2: Determine the Process Steps’ Scope

The business managers are required to witness every step of the procedure and gather data. Make sure to accurately record the observed process and the information gathered. Identifying every parameter involved in the process, such as the equipment, suppliers, etc., is equally important. It is crucial to recognize and validate the inputs and outputs used in the process. Effective brainstorming, industry standards, job instructions, and the knowledge of the operators and management can all help with this.

Step 3: Schedule and Plan Resources

The systems involved in the process should be identified. When creating the process map, the managers’ perspective must change from functional to process-oriented. This can be accomplished by putting an emphasis on the roles rather than the tasks. The right scheduling of the participants, jobs, and projected times must be done based on the systems and roles.

Step 4: Pick Your Mapping Methods

Select a mapping method, such as a process or deployment flowchart. Planning the individual and focus group interview process would come next. Reviewing any previously recorded process maps is also encouraged in order to understand earlier mapping efforts, organizational structures, and job descriptions.

Step 5: Conduct Interviews

It’s time to start the interviews now! Plan and carry out the interviews according to the process map’s stated roles. To get the best results, go over with the participants the aim, goal, and scope of the interviews as well as the process maps. It is crucial to identify and establish the input tasks, roles, output tasks, decisions, tasks accomplished, and links to other processes while conducting the interviews. Every action and choice made during this phase is identified specifically.

Step 6: As-Is Process

Describe the steps that assist in converting inputs into outputs. It is now time to map the real process. Keep in mind that we want to map the process as it actually is, not what the company guide says the “standard operational procedures (SOP)” are.

The main activities of the process, decisions and sources of approvals (of one step before moving to the next one), areas where multiple methods occur, causes of bottlenecks, extra work and waste, and factors that prevent process members from performing effectively and efficiently are a few of the things that need to be taken into account. List every phase of the process. Assign the appropriate flowchart symbols, and check the process flowchart.

Step 7: Review, Assess, and Approve

To identify any repetitions, delays, pointless steps, confusing roles, cycle times, activity lapses, recurrent activity flows, bottlenecks, and rework loops, carefully go through the process steps. The performance of the process will then be assessed. Pareto charts, cause and effect diagrams, process behavior charts, process modeling, and process simulation are some of the tools that can be used to measure the same. The process improvement plan should then be finished and approved following a final review by all parties involved.

What Could Go Wrong?

Without a doubt, process mapping is a very important tool for process improvements. However, that does not imply that they ought to be used everywhere. When using process maps, organization managers should use caution. There are several areas where process maps can go wrong, and these issues typically have to do with how the approach of process maps is applied as well as how it is planned and carried out. The following list of frequent process mapping errors is provided as an example:

Mistake 1: Application of process maps to insufficient processes

The three main types of business processes are transactional, transformational, and decision-making. Transactional business processes are those in which various inputs interact with one another to generate particular outcomes. Sales activities and call center assistance duties are two examples of transactional business operations. Transformational business processes involve altering the inputs’ original forms, whether they take the form of physical or digital inputs, in order to produce the desired outputs. Examples of transformational processes include changes to systems and manufacturing processes. Last but not least, a decision-making business process is one in which the many input parties interact with the goal to arrive at any decision. Inventory management, price choices, and other decision-making procedures are frequently used.

Sometimes, managers don’t distinguish between these business processes before using process mapping. Process mapping works best with transactional and transformative business processes, not with open-ended decision-making processes. This is due to the fact that process mapping works best when the outputs can be precisely specified, are objective in character, and the process variations can be tracked. However, acquiring, processing, and analyzing a lot of information is necessary for making decisions. These processes typically have an abstract, intangible quality. Therefore, managers should refrain from applying process maps to complex, open-ended business decision-making processes.

Mistake 2: Process mapping’s unclear focus

Managers frequently make the error of not determining the root of the issue. It’s possible that the actual root of the issue resides outside the purview of the process. In these circumstances, process mapping is ineffective. For instance, the issue in the hotel industry was room service-related. After mapping the room service procedure, no significant issues were found. Later, it was discovered that the true problem, which had nothing to do with service delivery, had to do with cleaning employees using the elevators excessively to transport laundry, which was what had delayed room service.

Decide on the issue’s proper emphasis and potential causes as a result. Additionally, it’s important to decide whether processes should be considered the primary or secondary focus areas.

Mistake 3: The obsession with creating the “perfect” process map

Business managers can lose sight of the purpose for creating the process map because they are so fixated on making the details perfect. When doing so, the business managers try to illustrate and clarify the procedure such that there are no flaws found and all separate procedures integrate and make sense. As a result, the end goal of developing the process map is overlooked.

What Exactly Is A Sub-process?

A compound activity incorporated in a process is referred to as a sub-process. It is a part of another major process, in other words. The fundamental goal of the sub-process is to break down complex processes into manageable pieces in order to simplify them and make them simpler to comprehend.

A sub-process’s key benefit is that it makes the main process simpler and easier to understand on a high level. Because it is independent of any specific primary process and can be used without modification, an independent sub-process can frequently be reused in a big process.

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Things to Keep in Mind When Creating Better Process Mapping:

Business managers and practitioners can create efficient process mapping by adhering to a set of standards. Among the details to keep in mind are:

• Use process mapping only when necessary;
• Use process architecture to generate process maps;
• Study the effects of organizational structures;
• Clearly define various responsibilities and tasks;
• Improvement targets must be precise and ongoing.

Process Mapping Covering Multiple Departments or Functions (Swim Lanes)

Process mapping is a tool that graphically displays the inputs, steps, and outputs of a process in a step-by-step flowchart. The tasks within the same function can be shown in the same row, and arrows between the various swim lanes demonstrate the interactions between different departments or functions. It facilitates decision-making and helps participants to carefully visualize process specific