One of the strongest pillars in the business process improvement sphere is process modelling. It is a practice that helps to bring together all interlinking tasks and processes inside a business. This aspect in the quiver of BPM Methodology is an indispensable part of the success strategy of all modern businesses. But have you ever wondered why? This is because process modelling is how management measures and controls what goes on inside an organisation.
Finding success through modelling is a matter subjective to how well-formed and documented your interaction with the entire system is. Without proper documentation, the scope of process improvement holds less value and may not turn into a viable future for your business. In short, the success of your business process modelling is highly dependent on how well you document your business processes. So what can you do to make certain the right level of documentation for ensuring that process modelling is done right? Here are six effective steps to follow.
6 Amazing Documentation Practices in Process Modelling
- Create Process Library
This is where all process modelling begins. Scope your business out to learn what processes go on to create the final result. Taking all of these considerations, draw a process library that encompasses all departments, roles, and responsibilities associated with the department. A few pointers to keep in mind are as these:
- For a standard, limit the number of tasks per process to about 5 to 20.
- Count tasks with the right level of thinking.
- If a process is becoming too big in terms of the number of tasks, split it into 2.
- Label these processes/task carefully and clearly, so there is no confusion. Also, avoid generic terms like manage or review.
Once the library is created, you have a comprehensive idea of the process and begin to map and document it in full detail.
- Focus on Process Components
A business process model is much more than a simple flowchart. You must remember that every process map contains at least four essential components. These are
- Tasks: Tasks are a detailed view of all process activities. It helps you in analysing and looking for improvement opportunities through reordering, merging, or splitting tasks.
- Roles: Roles of the people responsible for a task is important because it allows you to get an understanding of whether that person is over-utilised or underutilised. It also helps your employees to clearly understand their own tasks and responsibilities.
- Documents: Documents must also be included in the process map because that will help you in maintaining consistency and improve information transfer throughout the organisation.
- Applications: Any application that is used in performing a task must be mentioned on the map so that the potential of their use in other tasks and processes can also be ascertained.
- Systemise The Process Flow
Be very systematic when it comes to depicting the process flow on a process map. This flow will help the reader, be it an executive of the organisation or a stakeholder, to understand the flow of the process. After all, an organisation is a long interconnected process in itself. The right way to do it is to keep it organised, avoiding the depiction of any crossing in the process flow, and clearly assigning the priority will help employees understand the right direction to take. They will know what needs to be done first, and what comes after that.
- Label Events Appropriately
An "event" in process mapping is a noticeable change in the process or in anything that takes it content from the process. It can either affect the process and/or trigger a result. Events often show the reader where the process starts, ends, or the place of a certain communication related to the event happens. A small description, not longer than two lines, of the event, must always be given inside the process model. This can be anything, from a delivery/dispatch to a management decision, something that clearly defines what other activities are happening in the process apart from the tasks mentioned.
Following these tips is important because it is essential for the success of your business improvement plan. A good bpm system will help you in keeping track of your progress by bringing everyone on the same page as long as it concerns the right language being used. This is so that when you read the map to understand the process or make a change, there is no mass confusion. documentation gives you the right success when you and everyone can read and interpret the information in the way it was supposed to be presented.
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This might not come as a surprise to many considering the implementation of BPM brings about numerous advantages such as cost saving and minimizations of manual effort.
However, some entrepreneurs are still crying foul even after the implementation of BPM solutions.
This is certainly going to happen if you do not exercise caution while implementing BPM software.
In this post, we will take you through some of the common mistakes in implementing BPM.
Failing to Seek Help During the Implementation PhaseQuite a number of high-level executives think they do not need any assistance or guidance when implementing BPM solutions.
What they fail to realize is that it might end up becoming a waste of effort if they do not involve other departments, senior staff, employees or even final decision-makers.
