Business Process Discovery and Mapping

Sangeeta Shah Bharadwaj

Steps in process discovery

• Identification of the process• Information gathering

And not • Process Mapping• Process Analysis

Process discovery Variations

1. the initial identification of what the processes are, producing a list or simple block diagram;

2. Building a visual representation of process flow , a detail process map is swim lane diagram commonly called “process mapping” or “process modeling;”

3. identify the factors that contribute to successful or problematic factors in process execution

4. A more general assessment of what’s right or wrong with a process.

Number one root cause for troubled business process project is poorly

defined processes

Process Identification

• Keep a customer perspective• Prepare a High level flow chart with the key

sub processes and sequence• Identify the stakeholders: departments, roles,

people related to process• Identify process timelines-processes have a

time dimension associated with them

Information gathering

•Identify the process stakeholders•Verify your understanding of the process•Determine the business objectives•Determine the business risks•Determine the key controls•Determine the measures of success

Example

• Identify and map the admissions process

•Have you identified the process stakeholders•Verify your understanding of the process•Determine the business objectives•Determine the business risks•Determine the key controls•Determine the measures of success

Admission Process

• Stakeholders?• Prospective students• Admission office• Admission committee• Faculty

• Understanding the process• High level Flow chart

Admissions ProcessWhat should the process objective be?• Attracting as large a pool of candidates as possible to choose from• Sifting of best from amongst the better and better from amongst the rest• Equitable, fair and just to all candidates• No discrimination on the grounds of caste, class, gender, religion, ethnicity,

or region• Ability to withstand any legal or public audit of the entire process What are the possible business risk?• Pool not big enough?• Defining quality?• Possibility of external influence or interference in the integrity of the

process• Possibility of internal influence on the objectivity of the process• Unexplained subjectivity in judgment

Admissions ProcessWhat are the key controls?• Time framework• Number of seats• Budget What are the measures of success?• Whether able to add to large pool?• Quality of students improved?• Fair?

Process Mapping

Process Maps

• Process flow chart Map• Supplier-Input-Process-Output-Customer

(SIPOC)• Swim Lane flow chart map• Value Stream Map(VSM)

When to use process Map?

• You want to streamline the work: need to document and establish common understanding of the process

• You want to improve the process, but do not know where to start with

• You have got feedback about the process from various stakeholders

• etc

SIPOC

• What is SIPOC?

• Suppliers – Inputs – Process – Outputs – Customers

• It provides a “template” for defining a process, before you begin to map, measure, or improve it.

SIPOC TemplateProcessProcess objectiveProcess Owner

Supplier Input Process (steps) Output Customers

Prepare a SIPOC

• Case TelePerformnce Ltd

• Auto Insurance claims process

SIPOC: Some facts

• The concept has been made popular by the Supply Chain process groups and Six Sigma

• designed specifically for manufacturing organizations

• Now, even service organizations are using (or attempting to use) this approach for defining and documenting service processes

• However, the concept of supplier vs. customer in a service business can be confusing

Suppliers Inputs Process Outputs Customer

• Consultants• Job-Portals• Sampark• Newspaper Ads• Homecoming • Campus • Walk-Ins • Tele-Callers

• Approved JRF• Projected Business Growth for CRM• Cyclic Attrition Trends

• Band 3 / 4 CRM Associates • Voice Trained CRM Associates

STARTINGPOINT ENDING POINT

• CRM Operations

SIPOC for Hiring a Voice Profile – CRM Competency

As per following slides

© Copyright IBM Corporation 2009Information Confidential IBM

Swinlane Diagram

Swimlane diagram

• When multiple stakeholders are involved and there are process “Hand offs” among the groups

• Each row (column if vertical swimlane ) represent a person, role , application or organization that interact with process in some ways

• Stronger tool for identifying waste, you know who is involved and what are the activities

Next

Value Stream Map

• Captures ideas on Waste and inefficiency

• Timelines of process steps: Time +wait time

• Identifies whether Activity is Value Added(VA), Non-Value Added(NVA) or necessary NVA

BPMN?• Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN), is

a sophisticated graphical notation language for processes

• WHY?– BPMN is an internationally accepted process modeling

standard. – BPMN is independent of any process modeling methodology. – BPMN creates a standardized bridge which reduces the gap

between business processes and their implementation. – BPMN enables you to model processes in a unified and

standardized way so that everyone in an organization can understand each other.