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 whats 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

Admission Process
Stakeholders?

Prospective students
Admission office
Admission committee
Faculty

Understanding the process

High level Flow chart

Admissions Process
What 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 Process
What 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-OutputCustomer (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 Template
Process
Process objective
Process 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

SIPOC for Hiring a Voice Profile CRM Competency

Suppliers

Inputs

Approved JRF
Consultants
Projected
Job-Portals
Sampark
Business Growth
Newspaper Ads for CRM
Cyclic Attrition
Homecoming
Campus
Trends
Walk-Ins
Tele-Callers

STARTINGPOINT
STARTINGPOINT

Process

Outputs
Band 3 / 4
CRM Associates
Voice Trained
CRM Associates

Customer
CRM Operations

ENDING
ENDING POINT
POINT

As per following slides

As per following slides

Information Confidential IBM

Copyright IBM Corporation 2009

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
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