Business process mapping (BPM) is an important part of running a successful company. It examines defining moments, interactions, and key steps that make up a company’s activities. It concentrates on determining the most crucial aspects of the process and identifying those components that aren’t working properly and must be optimized. In this article, we’ll look at the common pitfalls of business process mapping and how to avoid them to help you get it right.
1. Overcomplicating the Task
Many process mapping practitioners get carried away while creating a process map and end up including every eventuality that could take place. The outcome is a process map that has excessive detail, which is hard to organize and understand. Such a map is also confusing and too complicated for the end-user.
Solution
If your documentation is too detailed, identify places to trim. Get rid of information that isn’t directly linked to the end goal. Look at your process map from the lens of the individual learning the task. Ensure it only includes what exactly they need to know to complete the task and remove unnecessary details. With simple and comprehensible processes, even your staff working remotely will be productive and ready for the next task. To take their productivity a notch higher, encourage them to work from a coworking space in Denver, particularly if some of your employees live there.
2. Failing to Update the Process Maps
In today’s rapidly changing business world, systems should be continuously updated. What is working today may not be working tomorrow. What is up to standard today may be below standards tomorrow. An outdated system can have a massive negative impact on the productivity of your staff, which can hold back your company from exploiting its full potential and accomplishing its goals.
Solution
Find a competent person to be in charge of managing and keeping the process maps up to date. Regularly review them to ensure they are current. You can even set a reminder in your calendar app to ensure you don’t forget the review date.
3. Lack of Context
Mapping practitioners often jump into workflow information without studying the business context and understanding it. The result is process documents that are complex and difficult to follow.
Solution
Although your map should only focus on essential details, it should also have some context. The end-user needs to know how it aligns with your overall business goals and objectives. What is the goal of the task? Armed with the end goal and context of the task, the end-user can solve any problem they encounter, without stopping to consult someone in the senior leadership.
4. Creating them Too Fast
Developing process maps may not be the most interesting aspect of managing and building a successful company. Sometimes even those who know their value may get carried away while creating them. Going too fast just because you don’t want to deal with the issue of creating process maps in the future or due to the initial pleasure of creating processes for your business can be a recipe for disaster. You may end up leaving out some important steps or providing insufficient details to the end-user.
Solution
Don’t rush the process. Instead, take your time to create systems that incorporate essential information that the end-user needs to know and add some context to them. Go through them at least thrice to ensure nothing important has been left out. Try them out with your staff and gather their feedback. Review the feedback and make any necessary adjustments. Once you follow all these steps, your process maps will be complete. Having efficient systems in place can help your remote workers perform their work responsibilities efficiently. Encourage them to choose a decent coworking space in Denver to help them strike a perfect balance between work and personal life.
Final thoughts
Process maps are extremely worthwhile tools that can help your business run on autopilot and your employees perform their tasks more efficiently. But don’t underestimate the time and energy that goes into developing efficient process maps. Take your time and polish your processes before releasing them to your employees. Above all, use the tips suggested in this guide to avoid some of the common process mapping mistakes.