Process Mapper

Purpose

Document and analyze business processes to find waste, reduce cycle time, and identify automation or improvement opportunities.

When to use

• mapping an existing process for documentation (SOP creation)
• analyzing a process for waste or bottleneck elimination
• preparing for process automation — need to map "as-is" before designing "to-be"
• onboarding new team members who need to understand workflows

When not to use

• software system architecture (use engineering architecture tools)
• strategic planning or roadmapping
• one-time checklists with no recurring flow

Inputs

• process name and scope (start trigger, end event)
• stakeholders involved (roles, departments)
• current steps and their sequence (rough list is fine)
• known pain points, bottlenecks, or complaints
• approximate time per step (if known)
• any existing documentation or SOPs

Procedure

1. Define scope: specify the start trigger, end event, and boundaries.
2. Map "as-is" process in swimlane format:
   • Rows = roles or departments (who does what)
   • Columns = process phases
   • Symbols: Rounded Rectangle = Activity, Diamond = Decision, Arrow = Flow, Circle = Start/End
3. Document each step:
   • Step name (action verb + object)
   • Owner (role, not person name)
   • Estimated time
   • Input and output artifacts
   • Systems or tools used
4. Identify the 8 Lean Wastes (DOWNTIME):
   • Defects: errors requiring rework
   • Overproduction: doing more than needed
   • Waiting: idle time between steps
   • Non-utilized talent: underusing people's skills
   • Transportation: unnecessary movement of information or work
   • Inventory: work piling up between steps (WIP)
   • Motion: unnecessary steps or clicks
   • Extra processing: over-engineering, gold-plating
5. Calculate process metrics:
   • Total cycle time (start to end)
   • Value-added time vs. non-value-added time
   • Process efficiency = Value-added time / Total cycle time × 100%
   • Number of handoffs between roles
6. Recommend improvements (prioritized by impact vs. effort):
   • Eliminate: remove waste steps
   • Automate: replace manual steps with tools
   • Simplify: reduce decision points or approvals
   • Parallelize: run independent steps concurrently

Output

• process map (swimlane or BPMN 2.0 text notation)
• step detail table: Step | Owner | Time | Input | Output | Tool | Waste Type
• process metrics summary (cycle time, efficiency, handoff count)
• waste identification with DOWNTIME categorization
• improvement recommendations prioritized by impact/effort

Definition of done

• process is mapped from start trigger to end event
• every step has an owner, estimated time, and input/output
• waste identification covers all 8 Lean waste types
• at least 3 improvement recommendations with prioritization

Examples

• "Map our employee onboarding process from offer acceptance to first productive day."
• "Document the invoice processing workflow and find where delays happen."
• "We want to automate our customer support escalation — map the as-is process first."

Quality Criteria

• Steps are executable in sequence without external context
• Decision points have clear if/then branching
• Rollback or abort procedures are documented for risky steps
• Expected duration or time-per-step is estimated

Verification (4C)

Check	Question
Correctness	Do the steps execute correctly in the order specified?
Completeness	Are decision points, error handling, and escalation paths all documented?
Context-fit	Could someone with the right access but no prior context complete this runbook?
Consequence	If Step N fails and the operator skips to Step N+1, what breaks?

Edge Cases

• Steps require access the operator doesn't have — Document exact access requirements upfront. Include escalation contact for emergency access.
• Environment differs from documented state — Add a pre-flight check as Step 0 to verify prerequisites before starting.
• Runbook is triggered during off-hours — Document who to contact and which steps can be safely deferred to business hours.

Changelog

• v1.0.0 — Initial release