Process mapping is almost always beneficial to those working within the process, and those working outside it. Not all processes should be mapped in the same way. A simple process run by only one or two people can be easily represented by a basic flow chart; a process that involves multiple individuals or cross-functional teams is going to need something more complex.
The document discusses process mapping techniques to analyze a company's current ("As-Is") processes and design improved future ("To-Be") processes. It covers identifying process steps, mapping workflows, analyzing inefficiencies, defining metrics, and implementing improvements through a Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle. The goal is to understand processes, find opportunities for streamlining, and establish a shared understanding of work across departments.
The document discusses various business process improvement (BPI) tools and techniques that can be used to analyze, measure, and enhance business processes. It describes tools like process modeling, check sheets, surveys, interviews, brainstorming, and the nominal group technique. Process improvement aims to reduce costs, improve efficiency, enhance quality, and reduce cycle times through methods for analyzing "as-is" processes, defining opportunities, and designing improved "to-be" processes.
This presentation gives simple but effective techniques for mapping a business process. Process Mapping is a strong initial step in continuous improvement of any business process.
The presentation outlines steps for leading a successful Lean implementation, including defining the competitive environment, integrating change management, implementing strategy deployment, creating an implementation strategy and framework, organizing for success, measuring success, and critical success factors. Key aspects are communicating a vision, value stream mapping, establishing pull systems, seeking continuous improvement, and organizing teams with dedicated Lean leaders. Metrics and assessments track financial and stakeholder results, while critical factors include leadership unity, rapid experimentation, mandatory participation, and developing internal Lean expertise.
Recorded webinar: http://www.slidesha.re/1nFHE51
Subscribe: http://www.ksmartin.com/subscribe
Confronting resistance to change is a common lament from improvement professionals, middle managers, and senior leaders alike. But organizations that approach improvement properly experience very little resistance to change. This webinar will unlock the keys to resistance-free improvement:
You will learn:
• The power behind properly designed & socialized charters.
• Technique for aligning all stakeholders around the need for change.
• How to assure that a proposed change is truly an improvement.
• Techniques for using psychology to reduce resistance.
Lean management includes all of the tools and practices you need to experience practically zero resistance to change. This webinar will show you how to fully leverage them.
The document discusses process mapping techniques to analyze a company's current ("As-Is") processes and design improved future ("To-Be") processes. It covers identifying process steps, mapping workflows, analyzing inefficiencies, defining metrics, and implementing improvements through a Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle. The goal is to understand processes, find opportunities for streamlining, and establish a shared understanding of work across departments.
The document discusses various business process improvement (BPI) tools and techniques that can be used to analyze, measure, and enhance business processes. It describes tools like process modeling, check sheets, surveys, interviews, brainstorming, and the nominal group technique. Process improvement aims to reduce costs, improve efficiency, enhance quality, and reduce cycle times through methods for analyzing "as-is" processes, defining opportunities, and designing improved "to-be" processes.
This presentation gives simple but effective techniques for mapping a business process. Process Mapping is a strong initial step in continuous improvement of any business process.
The presentation outlines steps for leading a successful Lean implementation, including defining the competitive environment, integrating change management, implementing strategy deployment, creating an implementation strategy and framework, organizing for success, measuring success, and critical success factors. Key aspects are communicating a vision, value stream mapping, establishing pull systems, seeking continuous improvement, and organizing teams with dedicated Lean leaders. Metrics and assessments track financial and stakeholder results, while critical factors include leadership unity, rapid experimentation, mandatory participation, and developing internal Lean expertise.
Recorded webinar: http://www.slidesha.re/1nFHE51
Subscribe: http://www.ksmartin.com/subscribe
Confronting resistance to change is a common lament from improvement professionals, middle managers, and senior leaders alike. But organizations that approach improvement properly experience very little resistance to change. This webinar will unlock the keys to resistance-free improvement:
You will learn:
• The power behind properly designed & socialized charters.
• Technique for aligning all stakeholders around the need for change.
• How to assure that a proposed change is truly an improvement.
• Techniques for using psychology to reduce resistance.
Lean management includes all of the tools and practices you need to experience practically zero resistance to change. This webinar will show you how to fully leverage them.
A flowchart is an outline or schematic drawing of the process your team is trying to measure or improve. It can also be a picture of an ideal process that you would like to use.
I invite you to join as a member of the PEX Network Group http://tinyurl.com/3hwakem, you will have access to Key Leaders Globally, Events, Webinars, Presentations, Articles, Case Studies, Blog Discussions, White Papers, and Tools and Templates. To access this free content please take 2 minutes for a 1 time FREE registration at http://tiny.cc/tpkd0
Warm Regards,
Steven Bonacorsi, LSS MBB, President
International Standard for Lean Six Sigma
Cell: 603-401-7047
skype: sbonacorsi
E-mail: sbonacorsi@comcast.net
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Sbonacorsi (Follow Lean Six Sigma Content)
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/StevenBonacorsi
FREE Lean Six Sigma and BPM content - register at http://tiny.cc/tpkd0
Recorded webinar: http://bit.ly/1uVqMJC
Subscribe: http://www.ksmartin.com/subscribe
Purchase the book: http://www.bit.ly/VSM
These are slides from a webinar done with APICS Heartland on the topic of Value Stream Mapping.
This webinar covers:
• How to use value stream mapping as an organizational transformation & leadership alignment tool
• How to plan for a value stream mapping activity
• The mechanics of mapping, including key metrics
for office/service/knowledge work
• How to create an actionable Value Stream Transformation Plan
Value stream mapping is a practical and highly effective way to learn to see and resolve disconnects, redundancies, and gaps in how work gets done.
This VSM project template helps you and your project team to put together a "storyboard" for effective presentation to your key stakeholders. It includes four key phases:
1) Define and pick product/service family
2) Create a current state map
3) Develop a future state map
4) Develop an implementation plan
This document consists of a VSM project template in Powerpoint format and a set of Excel templates comprising VSM charter, Results table, Implementation Plan and common VSM icons.
How to Introduce Operational Excellence in your Organisation?Tina Arora
This presentation will help you present to the management the need and benefits of introducing Operational Excellence as a department in your Organisation.
It can be modified to suit the advocacy in any industry - be it Financial services, BPO, LPO, KPO, Domestic call centres, Manufacturing, Consumer Goods, Retail, etc.
Kaizen events are short, focused improvement projects that aim to drive quick changes and lead to a leaner business. They use a team-based approach over a short time period, such as 5 days, to identify problems and implement solutions. Key elements include establishing clear goals, dedicating resources to the event, focusing on implementation and action, and achieving immediate, measurable results. Successful kaizen events require planning, stakeholder engagement, change management strategies to sustain results, and defining the current and future states.
Business Process Improvement (BPI 7) Process Training ModuleFrank-G. Adler
The Business Process Improvement (BPI 7) Methodology Training Module v2.0 includes:
1. MS PowerPoint Presentation including 127 slides covering our seven-steps Business Process Improvement Methodology.
2. MS Word Process Measure Definition Worksheet
3. MS Word Activity Assessment Worksheet
4. MS Word Change Management Worksheet
5. MS Word Process Management Worksheet
This document outlines the topics and activities for a 10-day training course on improving service quality with lean process tools. The course covers topics such as lean process techniques, value stream mapping, six sigma methodologies, and business process management. On each day, participants work on a final project applying the concepts learned. Activities include project planning, cause analysis, implementation planning, and paper reviews. The document also provides examples of value stream mapping and lean process improvement techniques like 5S, waste identification, and process mapping.
Waste is any step or action in a process that is not required to complete a process. The 8 Wastes are: Defects, Overproduction, Waiting, Non-Utilized Talent, Transportation, Inventory, Motion, Extra-Processing otherwise known as acronym, DOWNTIME.
https://goleansixsigma.com/8-wastes/
- The document discusses the origins and development of Lean manufacturing and Six Sigma processes at Toyota Motor Company in the 1950s as they struggled with limited resources. Engineers Taiichi Ohno and Shigeo Shingo developed the Toyota Production System (TPS) to reduce waste and increase efficiency.
- TPS and Six Sigma methodology focus on reducing defects and process variation to improve quality and efficiency. When implemented together as Lean Six Sigma, they provide a systematic approach to continuous process improvement.
- Lean Six Sigma can be applied to manufacturing and service industries to reduce waste and improve processes in order to increase customer satisfaction and cost savings. The document outlines a sample deployment plan to implement Lean Six Sigma at an organization.
The document provides an overview of the 4 steps to perform business process mapping (BPM): 1) Process Identification, 2) Information Gathering, 3) Interviewing and Mapping, and 4) Analysis. It describes each step in detail, explaining how to identify processes, gather relevant information through interviews and documentation, map the detailed process steps, and analyze the processes for improvements using techniques like the 7Rs framework. The goal of BPM is to improve organizational efficiency, effectiveness, and customer satisfaction by analyzing existing processes.
Value Stream Mapping in Anatomic Pathologyguest389e15
The document discusses value stream mapping as a tool for reducing defects and improving processes in anatomic pathology. It provides definitions of key lean terms like value, value stream, takt time, and describes how creating current and future state value stream maps can help identify waste and opportunities for improvement. The goals are to reduce defects, lead times and costs through techniques like one-piece flow, standard work, visual controls and 5S to ultimately improve value for customers.
Seven wastes of lean operations managementHriday Bora
This document discusses the seven wastes of lean operations management as identified by Taiichi Ohno, the father of the Toyota Production System. The seven wastes are overproduction, waiting, transportation, inappropriate processing, excessive inventory, unnecessary motion, and defects. Each waste is defined and the causes and consequences are outlined. The Toyota Production System aims to eliminate waste using a minimum of resources to satisfy customer needs.
5s is a workplace organization methodology consisting of 5 Japanese words - Sorting, Straightening, Systematic Cleaning, Standardizing, and Sustaining. The steps involve sorting through items to eliminate unnecessary items, straightening and labeling storage areas, cleaning the workspace daily, standardizing processes between workstations, and sustaining the changes through self-discipline. Implementing 5s leads to benefits like improved efficiency, reduced waste, improved safety and quality, and increased worker commitment. The overall goals are increased productivity, safety, reduced waste, and worker commitment.
8 Hidden waste of process plant.
Why most of all manufacturing unit facing trouble to survive against competitor?
How competitor serve best at lowest cost to customer or market?
This short slide set are the workshop instructions for how to conduct a Brown Paper Process Mapping. It contains the rules and the material you will need to hold a sucessful workshop - enjoy
How Process Mapping Can Streamline Your Business Tips and Best PracticesKashish Trivedi
Process mapping involves visually mapping out all the steps in a business process to identify inefficiencies, improve communication, and simplify processes. It can be done with pen and paper or digital tools. The document discusses the benefits of process mapping, different types of maps, best practices for creating maps, and concludes by encouraging the reader to start mapping their own processes.
How to draw a process flowchart by CEOITBOX.pdfSanjeev Jain
This document provides an introduction to process mapping and flowcharts. It discusses what process flowcharts are, why businesses create them, and examples of common flowchart symbols and structures. The key points are:
- Process flowcharts visually depict the steps, decisions, and stakeholders involved in a business process using standard symbols.
- Businesses create flowcharts to standardize processes, train employees, improve efficiencies, and facilitate communication.
- Examples show basic flowchart components like start/end points, processes, decisions, and loops to represent process logic.
A flowchart is an outline or schematic drawing of the process your team is trying to measure or improve. It can also be a picture of an ideal process that you would like to use.
I invite you to join as a member of the PEX Network Group http://tinyurl.com/3hwakem, you will have access to Key Leaders Globally, Events, Webinars, Presentations, Articles, Case Studies, Blog Discussions, White Papers, and Tools and Templates. To access this free content please take 2 minutes for a 1 time FREE registration at http://tiny.cc/tpkd0
Warm Regards,
Steven Bonacorsi, LSS MBB, President
International Standard for Lean Six Sigma
Cell: 603-401-7047
skype: sbonacorsi
E-mail: sbonacorsi@comcast.net
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Sbonacorsi (Follow Lean Six Sigma Content)
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/StevenBonacorsi
FREE Lean Six Sigma and BPM content - register at http://tiny.cc/tpkd0
Recorded webinar: http://bit.ly/1uVqMJC
Subscribe: http://www.ksmartin.com/subscribe
Purchase the book: http://www.bit.ly/VSM
These are slides from a webinar done with APICS Heartland on the topic of Value Stream Mapping.
This webinar covers:
• How to use value stream mapping as an organizational transformation & leadership alignment tool
• How to plan for a value stream mapping activity
• The mechanics of mapping, including key metrics
for office/service/knowledge work
• How to create an actionable Value Stream Transformation Plan
Value stream mapping is a practical and highly effective way to learn to see and resolve disconnects, redundancies, and gaps in how work gets done.
This VSM project template helps you and your project team to put together a "storyboard" for effective presentation to your key stakeholders. It includes four key phases:
1) Define and pick product/service family
2) Create a current state map
3) Develop a future state map
4) Develop an implementation plan
This document consists of a VSM project template in Powerpoint format and a set of Excel templates comprising VSM charter, Results table, Implementation Plan and common VSM icons.
How to Introduce Operational Excellence in your Organisation?Tina Arora
This presentation will help you present to the management the need and benefits of introducing Operational Excellence as a department in your Organisation.
It can be modified to suit the advocacy in any industry - be it Financial services, BPO, LPO, KPO, Domestic call centres, Manufacturing, Consumer Goods, Retail, etc.
Kaizen events are short, focused improvement projects that aim to drive quick changes and lead to a leaner business. They use a team-based approach over a short time period, such as 5 days, to identify problems and implement solutions. Key elements include establishing clear goals, dedicating resources to the event, focusing on implementation and action, and achieving immediate, measurable results. Successful kaizen events require planning, stakeholder engagement, change management strategies to sustain results, and defining the current and future states.
Business Process Improvement (BPI 7) Process Training ModuleFrank-G. Adler
The Business Process Improvement (BPI 7) Methodology Training Module v2.0 includes:
1. MS PowerPoint Presentation including 127 slides covering our seven-steps Business Process Improvement Methodology.
2. MS Word Process Measure Definition Worksheet
3. MS Word Activity Assessment Worksheet
4. MS Word Change Management Worksheet
5. MS Word Process Management Worksheet
This document outlines the topics and activities for a 10-day training course on improving service quality with lean process tools. The course covers topics such as lean process techniques, value stream mapping, six sigma methodologies, and business process management. On each day, participants work on a final project applying the concepts learned. Activities include project planning, cause analysis, implementation planning, and paper reviews. The document also provides examples of value stream mapping and lean process improvement techniques like 5S, waste identification, and process mapping.
Waste is any step or action in a process that is not required to complete a process. The 8 Wastes are: Defects, Overproduction, Waiting, Non-Utilized Talent, Transportation, Inventory, Motion, Extra-Processing otherwise known as acronym, DOWNTIME.
https://goleansixsigma.com/8-wastes/
- The document discusses the origins and development of Lean manufacturing and Six Sigma processes at Toyota Motor Company in the 1950s as they struggled with limited resources. Engineers Taiichi Ohno and Shigeo Shingo developed the Toyota Production System (TPS) to reduce waste and increase efficiency.
- TPS and Six Sigma methodology focus on reducing defects and process variation to improve quality and efficiency. When implemented together as Lean Six Sigma, they provide a systematic approach to continuous process improvement.
- Lean Six Sigma can be applied to manufacturing and service industries to reduce waste and improve processes in order to increase customer satisfaction and cost savings. The document outlines a sample deployment plan to implement Lean Six Sigma at an organization.
The document provides an overview of the 4 steps to perform business process mapping (BPM): 1) Process Identification, 2) Information Gathering, 3) Interviewing and Mapping, and 4) Analysis. It describes each step in detail, explaining how to identify processes, gather relevant information through interviews and documentation, map the detailed process steps, and analyze the processes for improvements using techniques like the 7Rs framework. The goal of BPM is to improve organizational efficiency, effectiveness, and customer satisfaction by analyzing existing processes.
Value Stream Mapping in Anatomic Pathologyguest389e15
The document discusses value stream mapping as a tool for reducing defects and improving processes in anatomic pathology. It provides definitions of key lean terms like value, value stream, takt time, and describes how creating current and future state value stream maps can help identify waste and opportunities for improvement. The goals are to reduce defects, lead times and costs through techniques like one-piece flow, standard work, visual controls and 5S to ultimately improve value for customers.
Seven wastes of lean operations managementHriday Bora
This document discusses the seven wastes of lean operations management as identified by Taiichi Ohno, the father of the Toyota Production System. The seven wastes are overproduction, waiting, transportation, inappropriate processing, excessive inventory, unnecessary motion, and defects. Each waste is defined and the causes and consequences are outlined. The Toyota Production System aims to eliminate waste using a minimum of resources to satisfy customer needs.
5s is a workplace organization methodology consisting of 5 Japanese words - Sorting, Straightening, Systematic Cleaning, Standardizing, and Sustaining. The steps involve sorting through items to eliminate unnecessary items, straightening and labeling storage areas, cleaning the workspace daily, standardizing processes between workstations, and sustaining the changes through self-discipline. Implementing 5s leads to benefits like improved efficiency, reduced waste, improved safety and quality, and increased worker commitment. The overall goals are increased productivity, safety, reduced waste, and worker commitment.
8 Hidden waste of process plant.
Why most of all manufacturing unit facing trouble to survive against competitor?
How competitor serve best at lowest cost to customer or market?
This short slide set are the workshop instructions for how to conduct a Brown Paper Process Mapping. It contains the rules and the material you will need to hold a sucessful workshop - enjoy
How Process Mapping Can Streamline Your Business Tips and Best PracticesKashish Trivedi
Process mapping involves visually mapping out all the steps in a business process to identify inefficiencies, improve communication, and simplify processes. It can be done with pen and paper or digital tools. The document discusses the benefits of process mapping, different types of maps, best practices for creating maps, and concludes by encouraging the reader to start mapping their own processes.
How to draw a process flowchart by CEOITBOX.pdfSanjeev Jain
This document provides an introduction to process mapping and flowcharts. It discusses what process flowcharts are, why businesses create them, and examples of common flowchart symbols and structures. The key points are:
- Process flowcharts visually depict the steps, decisions, and stakeholders involved in a business process using standard symbols.
- Businesses create flowcharts to standardize processes, train employees, improve efficiencies, and facilitate communication.
- Examples show basic flowchart components like start/end points, processes, decisions, and loops to represent process logic.
CPAP.com Introduction to Flowcharts and Process Designjohnnygoodman
This document introduces flowcharts and process design. It defines a flowchart as a diagram that represents an algorithm or process using symbols like boxes, circles, and arrows to show the steps and their order. Flowcharts can help describe complex processes simply and visualize problems. The document discusses when to use and avoid flowcharts, and provides tips for creating basic flowcharts using standard symbols like states, processes, decisions, and connectors. It also discusses refining flowcharts by adjusting scope and detail level or breaking into multiple diagrams.
Loft9 BusinessInsights HassleMap 10.7.16Liz Carter
The document discusses hassle maps, which are a tool used to visualize the customer experience and identify points of friction. Hassle maps start with a current state process map and then overlay customer pain points to illustrate areas for improvement. They can range from simple single page maps to more complex cross-organizational maps. The document provides guidance on creating both simple and complex hassle maps, and examples are given of how hassle maps have been used to drive organizational improvements.
20מאת יוסי אמרם Steps To Better Wireframin מצגתAMRAMy
The document provides tips for creating effective wireframes for websites and applications. It recommends starting with pen and paper to quickly capture ideas before choosing appropriate software tools. The wireframing process should involve stakeholders to gather feedback and ensure everyone understands how the system will function without focusing on visual design elements. The final wireframe document needs to clearly show the logical flow and functional components of every part of the system from the user's perspective.
This document provides guidance on creating a user story map to plan a software product. It discusses capturing user tasks, activities, assumptions and details on cards and arranging them on a board. The cards are organized chronologically from left to right and by priority on the y-axis. Cards are grouped into slices that represent discrete features. The process involves brainstorming tasks, capturing user and system activities, arranging the cards into a narrative flow and refining the map. Designing and refining the mapping process allows aligning user-centered design with agile development.
Flowcharts are diagrams that use graphic symbols to depict the steps in a process. They can be used to clearly show the flow of services within a hospital from admission to patient satisfaction. Flowcharts have several benefits, such as promoting understanding of processes, providing a training tool, and identifying areas for process improvement. They involve determining the key people, process steps, and level of detail needed. Different types of flowcharts convey different levels of information, from a high-level overview to granular micro-level details of specific tasks. Proper interpretation of a flowchart allows one to evaluate who is involved, potential causes of issues, and opportunities for simplifying or changing the process.
Deliverables that Clarify, Focus, and Improve DesignBen Peachey
A talk given at the 2002 Annual Conference of the Usability Professionals' Association
Authors: Richard Fulcher, Bryce Glass, Matt Leacock
"The representations we choose for UI design affect both how we think about the design and how others understand it. Concept maps, wireframes, storyboards, and flow-maps speak to different audiences at different stages of the development cycle. This presentation provides examples of these documents and a toolkit for producing them."
source, examples and resources can be found at: http://leacock.com/deliverables/
Part C Developing Your Design SolutionThe Production Cycle.docxsmile790243
Part C Developing Your Design
Solution
The Production Cycle
Within the four stages of the design workflow there are two distinct parts.
The first three stages, as presented in Part B of this book, were described
as ‘The Hidden Thinking’ stages, as they are concerned with undertaking
the crucial behind-the-scenes preparatory work. You may have completed
them in terms of working through the book’s contents, but in visualisation
projects they will continue to command your attention, even if that is
reduced to a background concern.
You have now reached the second distinct part of the workflow which
involves developing your design solution. This stage follows a production
cycle, commencing with rationalising design ideas and moving through to
the development of a final solution.
The term cycle is appropriate to describe this stage as there are many loops
of iteration as you evolve rapidly between conceptual, practical and
technical thinking. The inevitability of this iterative cycle is, in large part,
again due to the nature of this pursuit being more about optimisation rather
than an expectation of achieving that elusive notion of perfection. Trade-
offs, compromises, and restrictions are omnipresent as you juggle ambition
and necessary pragmatism.
How you undertake this stage will differ considerably depending on the
nature of your task. The creation of a relatively simple, single chart to be
slotted into a report probably will not require the same rigour of a formal
production cycle that the development of a vast interactive visualisation to
be used by the public would demand. This is merely an outline of the most
you will need to do – you should edit, adapt and participate the steps to fit
with your context.
There are several discrete steps involved in this production cycle:
Conceiving ideas across the five layers of visualisation design.
Wireframing and storyboarding designs.
Developing prototypes or mock-up versions.
219
Testing.
Refining and completing.
Launching the solution.
Naturally, the specific approach for developing your design solution (from
prototyping through to launching) will vary hugely, depending particularly
on your skills and resources: it might be an Excel chart, or a Tableau
dashboard, an infographic created using Adobe Illustrator, or a web-based
interactive built with the D3.js library. As I have explained in the book’s
introduction, I’m not going to attempt to cover the myriad ways of
implementing a solution; that would be impossible to achieve as each task
and tool would require different instructions.
For the scope of this book, I am focusing on taking you through the first
two steps of this cycle – conceiving ideas and wireframing/storyboarding.
There are parallels here with the distinctions between architecture (design)
and engineering (execution) – I’m effectively chaperoning you through to
the conclusion of your design thinking.
To fulfil this, Part C presents a detailed breakdown of the many design
.
Software Development Life CyclesPresented byBrenda Reynold.docxrosemariebrayshaw
The document is a presentation on software development life cycles (SDLC) given to employees of We Love Video, Inc. regarding the implementation of a new Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. The presenter discusses the Waterfall and Agile SDLC methodologies, ultimately recommending the Agile approach for the CRM project due to its iterative nature which allows for flexibility and feedback from stakeholders. Key benefits of the Agile methodology highlighted include the ability to adapt to changing requirements and receive feedback to guide further development.
Prepare and Interpret Technical Drawing.pptxRivenBarquilla
The document provides information on preparing and interpreting technical drawings. It discusses basic symbols used in flow charting such as terminators, inputs/outputs, processes, decisions, and arrows. It also covers selecting the appropriate type of technical drawing according to job requirements, such as basic, cross-functional, and data flow diagrams. Finally, it outlines steps for interpreting symbols in a flow chart, such as examining each step and decision point to identify bottlenecks and rework loops.
This document provides an overview of customer journey mapping and how to build an effective customer journey map. It discusses getting started with mapping, different mapping frameworks and approaches, key considerations when mapping, and how to analyze insights and use the map to improve customer experiences. The goal is to help readers understand customer journey mapping and have success designing and creating great customer experiences.
About four years ago, I wrote a blog post about Web flowcharts design. It was, and still is, very popular. Today, I'm thrilled to publish the long-waited follow-up article: The definitive guide to Web flowcharts.
The new guide is pretty comprehensive. It covers the most common topics about flowcharts design, from basic ideas to visual vocabulary, from examples to suggestions and tips, from tools for drawing flowcharts to templates and stencils.
Find more information at http://dingyu.me/blog/the-definitive-guide-to-web-flowcharts
E Source JourneyHub is an intuitive, interactive, and collaborative web-based tool that allows utilities to easily map their customer touchpoints and to better understand how customers interact with and feel about their utility companies.
Business process mapping is a framework that creates visual representations of business processes through diagrams and flowcharts. These maps reveal the relationships between operational steps, inputs, and outputs to produce products or services. Process mapping is useful for documenting current processes, analyzing them for improvements, facilitating common understanding, and capturing institutional knowledge. There are different types of process maps that can be used at various levels, including SIPOC maps, deployment maps, swimlane maps, value stream maps, and BPMN (Business Process Model and Notation) maps. The main advantages are process transparency, improvement identification, knowledge retention, and training support, while disadvantages include lack of clarity and inconsistent methodology.
Have you found yourself suddenly saddled with management duties? When you are a manager, not only are you responsible for your own tasks, but you are also on the line for the tasks of those you manage. Like everything else, management is a skill that has to be learned.
This can be an overwhelming task, especially when you are trying to balance your work and personal life or even several projects. You need to keep getting things done and move your projects forward.
A flowchart is a diagram that uses defined graphic symbols to represent the sequential steps of a process, and it can be used to describe manufacturing, administrative, or project processes. Flowcharts are constructed by defining the process boundaries, brainstorming activities, arranging activities in sequence, and drawing arrows to show flow, and they should involve people who perform the process. Flowchart symbols commonly used include terminators, connectors, processes, inputs/outputs, and decisions.
PrintNetwork Diagrams and Resource UtilizationIntroduction B.docxChantellPantoja184
Print
Network Diagrams and Resource Utilization
Introduction | Building a Network Diagram | Building an AIB Manually | AIB Simulation | Resource Constrained Planning | Resource Leveling | Adding or Modifying Resources | Summary
Introduction
Back to Top
Last week, we learned more about how to begin planning a project. We established the project charter, scope statement, work breakdown structure, and created the activity list. This week, we will talk about one of the most important aspects of project management—building a project schedule. We'll use a tool called a network diagram. There are several ways to build a network diagram. In this course, we will use the Activity in Box (AIB) method.
Building a Network Diagram
Back to Top
Now that we know what needs to be done, we need to sequence all of the activities and establish a network diagram. With the concept of a network diagram, you will be able to determine: (1) a project's scheduled completion time, (2) the slack or float of project activities, and (3) the critical path of your project.
Depending on the size of the project, the network may be built in pieces or as a large group. Either way, the step-by-step process to build a project network is used.
Build a Project Network (or a Partial Network)
1. Brainstorm activities that are required to complete the work packages, recording those activities on Post-it notes (without regard to sequencing).
2. Sequence those activities. Determine:
· The order of activities
· Which activities can occur at the same time
· Which activities need dependencies
1. Mandatory: requires the completion of another task.
2. Discretionary: a best practice or convenience. However, the subsequent task can begin if the discretionary dependency is not completed.
3. External: from another project or process, such as permits.
4. Internal: dependencies within the control of the project team.
3. Put the notes on a wall using the above information.
4. Build a network using the notes.
Next, the activities are assigned to the people who will be doing the work. They build duration estimates for the activities. The most accurate estimates are built using actuals from previous, similar projects. Then, the activities can be loaded into an automated scheduling tool like Microsoft Project. At that point, you will be able to determine the project's scheduled completion time, the slack or float of project activities, and the critical path of your project.
Building an AIB Manually
Back to Top
The good thing about using a tool like Microsoft Project is that it makes it easy to build a network diagram. The bad thing about the tool is that it makes it so easy; project managers don't always understand what they are doing, and cannot see when they have made a mistake. They just plug in the activities and move on.
It's like adding—you should first do it manually, and then use a calculator. Every project manager should know how to build an AIB manually so that he or she really understands the.
Here is the table completed with the drawing instrument names and descriptions:
Drawing instrument Description Use
1. ELECTRONIC TEMPLATE A thin flexible plastic with different electronic and electrical symbols. The symbols can be traced using a technical pen or pencil in laying out schematic diagrams.
2. DRAWING BOARD A smooth board usually rectangular in shape provided with perfectly straight edge which is used as working edge on which the T- square is moved while making drawings Used as working edge on which T-square is moved while making drawings.
3. COMPASS The compass has two legs hinged at one end. One of the legs has pointed needle fitted at the lower end where as the other end has provision for inserting pencil lead. A compass
Similar to A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating an Effective Swim Lane Diagram (20)
How The Onboarding Revolution Can Prevent The Great Resignation RegretLizzyManz
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A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating an Effective Swim Lane Diagram
1. 1/17
August 4, 2021
A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating an Effective Swim Lane
Diagram
process.st/swim-lane-diagram
Leks Drakos
August 4, 2021
Burkhard Berger is the founder of awesomex™. His articles include some of the best growth
hacking strategies and digital scaling tactics that he has learned from his own successes
and failures.
Process mapping is almost always beneficial to those working within the process, and those
working outside it. Not all processes should be mapped in the same way. A simple process
run by only one or two people can be easily represented by a basic flow chart; a process that
involves multiple individuals or cross-functional teams is going to need something more
complex.
Like a swim lane diagram.
Designing your own swim lane diagram – or even just mapping a process for the first time –
can seem daunting. Where do you even start?
2. 2/17
I don’t mean to brag, but we here at Process Street are kind of experts on this whole
managing processes thing, and one thing we definitely know how to do well is map out
processes of every shape, size, and situation. This post will walk you through all the basics of
swim lane diagrams, including how to create your own one step at a time.
You can either read on to get the whole history of swim lane diagrams, or just jump straight
to the tutorial:
So, let’s dive in!
Swim lane diagram: An origin story
Swim lane diagrams are versatile charts that allow you to easily visualize each step of a
process, as well as who is involved and which steps they’re responsible for. They’ve been used
to document processes from project management to student tutorials. The biggest benefit is
that, by mapping processes across the different “lanes,” it becomes very simple to break down
complex processes to keep a client informed, help managers identify broken processes, and
train employees in new skills.
Swim lane diagrams can be traced all the way back to the 1940s. Of course, back then, they
were called “multicolumn charts,” which were very early versions of the modern process
flowchart. Still, they were more or less the same: multicolumn charts were used (like swim
lane diagrams) to depict operations that involved more than one individual or department.
The swim lane as we know it didn’t really get popular attention until Geary A. Rummler and
Alan P. Brache released their book, Improving Performance: How to Manage White Space
on the Organization Chart, in 1990. As a result, these diagrams are also sometimes referred
to as Rummler-Brache Diagrams, but I’ve already got a “swim” theme running here so I’ll
stick with swim lanes.
In 1993, the swim lane diagram was introduced into computer modeling, after which
Microsoft added it to Visio. As IT expanded, so too did the use of swim lane diagrams. Today,
they are an integral part of business process mapping (BPM).
3. 3/17
The image above shows some of the most common symbols used in swim lane diagrams.
Most processes may only use the start/end, decision, and process symbols, but more complex
processes with several players involved will obviously need to represent a wider variety of
interactions.
It should also be noted that the number of flowchart symbols is actually quite extensive –
especially if you take into account individual variations and customizations. This chart is
simply meant to illustrate the symbols you’re most likely to need – or encounter – when
designing your own swim lane diagram.
The diagrams themselves are made up of parallel lines – either horizontal or vertical – with
each lane representing an actor or entity (such as department, team, employee, etc.) who has
a role within the process. Swim lanes use standard flowchart symbols to represent different
4. 4/17
events within the process, such as when a decision should be made or a specific action should
be taken.
Before we get into the nitty-gritty of building your own diagram, let me walk you through
what a completed diagram will look like. For this diagram, I’ve used a very simplified help
ticket process (and a very talented graphic designer) to illustrate the basic foundations of a
swim lane diagram.
To start with, we have 4 key players:
The customer
The customer success representative
Tech support
The developer(s)
If you look at the diagram below, you can see that each one is given their own lane, starting
with the customer at the top since they will be the one to kick off the process. This diagram is
laid out horizontally for the simple fact that it fits better on a standard computer screen. If
you prefer a vertical diagram, by all means, create yours vertically. Ideally, with a completed
swim lane diagram, it shouldn’t make much difference which orientation you use. Even the
example I have here could be understood if flipped vertically, as is. It might not be as clear,
but you could figure out the process if you had to.
5. 5/17
As you can see, each individual or department has their own lane, and the tasks that each is
responsible for are contained within that lane. For example, the CSR’s tasks are:
Determine if the ticket is a new issue
Get more information from the customer if needed by tech support
Confirm that the issue has been resolved
Respond to the customer with the result
Let’s imagine that this is only our CSR’s second day. They handled a few simple tickets the
previous day while shadowing a colleague, but this is the first ticket they’re handling on their
own. To help them remember the process, this swim lane diagram is posted in their work
area.
6. 6/17
A ticket comes in. The CSR consults the diagram and sees that their first task is a decision: Is
this ticket a new issue?
Based on the knowledge library, the CSR determines it’s not a new issue. That branch skips
over their second (potential) task, to the third: Resolve. The CSR corrects the problem,
notifies the customer, and the help ticket process is completed.
In this scenario, the swim lane diagram has:
Increased efficiency by freeing up experienced CSRs to handle more complex problems
Reinforced the new CSRs training with a visual aid
Given the new CSR reassurance and confidence in interacting with the customer
Ensured the customer’s issue was taken care of through an established process
(Source)
Maybe the next ticket that comes in is a new issue and has to be passed on to tech support.
The CSR then gets a request to get more information from the customer, but the customer
now has questions. Why does the CSR need to know these specific details? How will this
information help solve their problem? What is actually being done to solve their issue?
By using the diagram, the CSR can trace the corresponding arrows to see exactly what step
each department will take – and in which order – throughout the process. The CSR can then
explain that tech support is trying to recreate the issue so they can determine the best way to
fix it. If tech support can’t find a solution, they’ll pass it on to a development team to do a
more thorough analysis to figure out the problem.
7. 7/17
Admittedly, processing a help ticket isn’t very complex, and most organizations generally
follow fairly similar steps to do so. That said, this example should give you an idea of what a
swim lane diagram looks like and how it might be used for daily tasks.
Sink or swim: The pros and cons
Surprising as it may be, even swim lane diagrams are a little controversial. Some people
swear by them; others insist they’re a waste of time. The truth most likely lies somewhere in
between, but for the sake of laying all cards out on the table, let’s discuss some of the pros
and cons of using swim lane diagrams for your process mapping.
PRO: Improves communication of internal needs to external stakeholders
Swim lane diagrams make it easier for executives and other colleagues to understand the
process. They’re able to access an individual’s obligations in relation to the responsibilities
and sub-processes of other teams and departments.
CON: Insufficient detail to fully express a process’s functions
Process maps are generally expected to cover the 5 W’s: Who, what, when, where, and why.
With the answers to these questions, you get to the “how.” Swim lane diagrams are generally
limited to a single page, so this level of detail isn’t included, which means that the full width
and breadth of the process being mapped may not be accurately captured.
(Source)
NOTE: Makigami is a process improvement and process mapping method developed at
Fujico (Japan) in 1996. “Makigami” literally means “roll of paper,” because it’s done on very
long rolls of paper. While the exact ins and outs of creating makigami deserve a post of their
8. 8/17
own, it’s worth pointing out that one person’s “roll of paper” could be another person’s
“single page.”
PRO: Simplifies complex processes
Written – and especially spoken – process explanations can get complicated. If all parties
involved don’t use the same terminology – or even the same language – confusion is bound
to arise. In the end, the necessary information may not get conveyed at all.
With a swim lane diagram, the symbols make it clear at a glance what action is being taken
and the arrows illustrate which direction the tasks move in. Each process is broken down to
its bare bones, so there is no question about who performs what step, when, where, and why.
The ability to incorporate if/then branches also eliminates the need to create a process map
for every potential variation. Going back to our newly hired CSR, they don’t have to check
one map for a new issue and a different map for an old one; both are dealt with in a single
diagram.
CON: Lacks a standardized design convention
Flowchart conventions are not universal. As mentioned earlier, there are commonalities, but
there are also variations. In surveying the different symbols used, some guides had only 9;
others had 20, and others still had anywhere from 12-15 (but not necessarily even the same
12-15). If you’re collaborating with another organization, and agree to share processes using
swim lane diagrams, this can work perfectly. Or you can get a diagram that has a bunch of
symbols you’ve never seen before and don’t know how to make sense of.
It’s a bit like asking for chips in the UK or about football in the US; you may know what
you’re talking about, but that doesn’t mean everyone else does. (And if neither of you realizes
you’re talking about two different things, that can lead to loads of complications further
down the line.)
5 questions to make sure you’re swim-ready
9. 9/17
(Source)
I can tell you’re eager to get started, but before we jump into the deep end, we need to go
cover some safety questions first.
Answering these questions in advance will prepare for your creating your swim lane diagram,
and – to be perfectly honest – make the process a whole lot easier. Our focus here is
optimizing company workflows, so I’ve phrased the questions to align with that. The concepts
are pretty easy to translate across purposes, though, so don’t feel like you’re constrained to
just what’s included in this post.
What outcome am I looking for?
Basic, first step question when starting any project, big or small: What do you want to
achieve by doing this? What’s your endgame? It’s good practice in most situations to know
where you expect to end up, but this is especially true for process mapping. If you aren’t sure
where your process ends, you have a lot more to figure out than a diagram can tell you.
Where do I start?
Obviously, all processes start somewhere, but where do they really start? Looking at the help
ticket process, does it start with the customer submits a ticket or does it start when the CSR
receives the ticket? Does it start before the customer even submits a ticket – maybe when
they first encounter the problem. The customer could take to the internet and try solving the
issue on their own using help docs, forums, and the good old-fashioned turn-it-off-and-turn-
it-back-on-again or the smack-it-until-it-does-something technique. In that case, the process
– for the customer – starts well before they submit that help ticket to the CSR.
10. 10/17
Point being: decide where your process starts. What event initiates the process you want to
map?
Who should be included in the diagram?
When determining who will be included in your diagram, you need to make sure that
everyone involved in completing a process is represented – even if that individual or
department is only responsible for a single task.
Generally, when creating a swim lane diagram for cross-functional teams, it’s best to create a
committee that’s responsible for ensuring every part of the process is properly documented.
This helps make sure that smaller steps aren’t forgotten or necessary groups left out.
What actions should be depicted?
You may want to say, well, every action in the process. Maybe, maybe not.
In our help ticket diagram, should we say that the CSR’s actual first task is to read the ticket?
The steps of their process may actually be:
1. Receive the help ticket
2. Confirm receipt with customer
3. Determine if it’s an old or new issue
4. If it’s a new issue, send on to tech support
5. If it’s an old issue, resolve it themselves
6. Update customer with next steps
Yes, that is a more detailed version of the specific actions the CSR has to take every time a
help ticket is submitted, but is that specificity really useful in explaining to external
stakeholders how the process works? You need to decide which actions are vital for inclusion
and which aren’t; you will probably also discover, in the process, that some actions are being
repeated unnecessarily, which will improve the process as you map it.
What order should the diagram go in?
It’s usually best to map something out from start to finish, but not all circumstances allow for
that. Diagrams for very complex or intricate processes may include loops, merging of tasks,
different forms of input and output, and a host of other variables.
The easiest approach is to walk through your process from start to finish with the most
common actions. If everything runs smoothly and follows the typical steps, what order do
they go in? Once you have that framework laid out, you can decide which process branches
should be included and which aren’t as likely or important to consider during the mapping
process.
11. 11/17
(Source)
And now the part you’ve all been waiting for:
How to create a swim lane diagram in MS Word
Let’s start with the obvious: create a new document in Word.
Depending on whether you want your diagram to run horizontally or vertically, you may need
to change the page orientation. I wanted to create a horizontal diagram, so I switched to a
landscape view before starting. I’ve broken the process down into 5 easy steps, so even if
you’re not familiar with Word, you should at least be able to make a swim lane diagram by
the end of this post. 😀
Step 1: Draw the pool
12. 12/17
At the top of the screen, you’ll see a series of tabs labelled “File,” “Home,” “Insert,” and so on.
Select the “Insert” tab.
Select “Shapes” (as shown in the image above), which will open a dropdown menu of every
single shape you can create in Word. Right now, you just want a good old-fashioned
rectangle.
Draw a large rectangle on the page. This will be your pool.
Pro Tip: Make sure your pool is large enough for each lane and all the process actions that
need to go into that lane.
For my diagram, the pool is the full page size. It’ll only have 4 lanes, and each lane will only
have 3-4 actions, so I don’t have to worry too much about space.
Once you draw the pool, you need to add the lanes. The easiest way to do this is with the line
tool (also found under Insert > Shapes, right above the rectangles).
Pro Tip: Make these lines a different color than the pool outline and the directional lines for
your process. Your eyes will be grateful. 👀
Step 2: Label the players
13. 13/17
There are 2 ways you can do this:
1. Insert a flowchart shape (I’ll get to that in Step 3)
2. Insert a text box
I opted for a text box.
You’ll find this under the Insert tab, as well. (Most of the things you’ll be using are.)
The text box dropdown menu will show you a number of pre-made text boxes that aren’t
particularly useful for creating swim lane diagrams. Below those, you’ll find the option to
“Draw Text Box.”
This is what you want.
Draw a text box in your first lane where you want the label to go. You’ll see in the picture that
I placed mine at the far-left side of the pool. I also changed the text direction using the
format options that pop up once you’ve drawn your first text box.
You can adjust the font, size, color, fill, and alignment as well, but I wouldn’t worry too much
about those things until the end.
You can draw a new text box for each swim lane or you can copy and paste the first box
into each swim lane.
Step 3: Add actions
14. 14/17
This is where we get into the flowchart shapes.
Go back to Insert > Shapes.
Towards the bottom of the list, you’ll see a section labeled “Flowchart.” Every shape you
need for your swim lane diagram will be here. A few may look a little different than our
graphic and some may have different names, but all your tools are right here.
The 4 shapes I’ve used in this diagram are:
Terminator (pill shape)
Decision (diamond)
Process (rectangle)
Document (wave shape)
The method you use for mapping the process’s actions will depend on what works best for
you. You may find it easier to fill in all the actions for a single player at once, or you may
prefer to fill in the actions chronologically.
Since I did this diagram on my own, and it’s not a process I use on a regular basis, I opted for
the chronological approach. If you’re creating a diagram within a team, it may be easier for a
representative from each department to outline their respective steps.
Don’t worry about the directional lines just yet. First, you want to make sure that all the
necessary actions are accounted for, placed in the correct location, and how they all relate to
each other is clear.
Step 4: Review:
15. 15/17
As I said in the previous step, you want to make absolutely sure that you have all the
actions and they’re in the correct place.
Once you’ve done that, you can start adding your directional lines. Go back to Insert >
Shapes again and look at the line tool. The first 3 styles are the ones you’ll most likely
need:
A line with no arrows
A line with an arrow at one end
A line with arrows at both ends
Insert these lines in the order the process should follow. For example, in my diagram,
“Submit ticket” begins the process. From there, the CSR must determine if it’s a new issue or
not. I’ve drawn a line from the “Submit ticket” shape to the “New issue” shape, with an arrow
pointing at “New issue.”
The double arrow should be used if there’s feedback between two actions. If you look at the
CSR’s “Get more info” action and the customer’s “Provide details” action, there’s a double
arrow connecting them. This indicates that these actions are, in a sense, a very small loop.
You’ll also notice that I’ve labeled the decision lines “yes” and “no.” You definitely want to
include this so that it’s clear to anyone using the diagram which choice should be selected
under which circumstances.
Step 5: Approve
16. 16/17
At this point, your diagram should be completely mapped out with all of the players, actions,
and connections clearly defined and labeled. Now is when you can go all out with fonts,
colors, and other formatting to make your diagram really pop. There isn’t a set color scheme
for swim lane diagrams, so use what makes sense for you. That may mean all actions
completed by the same department are the same color, or specific actions have the same
color no matter who is completing them.
In my diagram, I chose to color-code the actions:
Terminator actions are blue
Decision actions are green
Process actions are red
Document actions are yellow
Time to get out of the pool
Hopefully, this post will have cleared up any confusion you might have about swim lane
diagrams and how to make them. When it comes right down to it, the swim lane diagram is
merely a tool to help manage your workflows and processes. Like any tool, there are benefits
and there are flaws; at times, it may not even be the right tool for the situation.
When it comes to mapping processes involving cross-functional teams, it’s difficult to find
another format that simplifies each role and responsibility so clearly. Just remember that
processes should evolve as your company’s needs, your customers, and your employees all
change over time.
17. 17/17
Creating a swim lane diagram to map your processes doesn’t mean those diagrams can’t be
updated, changed, or redone completely as needed. Utilized properly, swim lane diagrams
offer a flexible and versatile tool that can be used across a variety of functions and roles from
day-to-day tasks to more specialized areas.