How to Process Map and Define Your Systems

Documenting what you do and how you do it goes beyond a helpful SOP. It also empowers you and your team to improve your systems to benefit all stakeholders!

Speaking of documenting, tracking your mistakes is one of the best ways to transform your small business’s efficiency. Check out this post, where we go more in-depth about this topic! ✍

How to Make A Process Map 

Like a spider web, a process map can spread out until you cover all the steps in a process. So, how and where do you create a process map? You have a few options:

🗒️ Grab a pile of sticky notes and use a blank wall as your canvas, or…
💻 Use free software, like PowerPoint or Google Slides

If you prefer a bird’s eye view, consider using a digital whiteboard option, such as Canva (👈 affiliate link) or Whimsical.  

The Best Time for Process Mapping

Process mapping can be useful in a few instances, like when you want to make something better or make something new. Hello, change management! 👋 

If you want to revamp a process, a process map can help you and your team identify areas of improvement. If you intend to offer something new, like a service or product, a process map allows you to plan each step with a clear visual.

As you get started, you’ll want to determine the first and final steps in the process. For example, let’s say you’re creating a YouTube video. In this case, the starting point may be having a video idea, and the ending point may be publishing a video. 📍

Once you have these two boundaries, it’s time to fill in the rest of the process. 

📝 Note to reader: Process mapping isn’t limited to broad workflows. You can also zoom in on a specific part of a process, like scripting a video, where the starting point may be having a video idea, and the final step may be completing a YouTube script.

The more you narrow the scope, the more detailed your process map will be.

Satisfied Customer: Process Map Example

Now that you know what a process map is, when to create it, and where to design it, let’s dive into how to process map like a pro. 💪

We’ll use a process map example focusing on customer experience. Go to the video at timestamp (01:52) to watch Layla explain it with a diagram. 

📍 Starting point: Customer arrives at the shop
🏁 Ending point: Customer leaves happy with a fond impression of the business

Next, fill in the steps between the customer arriving at the shop and leaving satisfied. If you ever feel stuck, ask yourself: “What happens next?” Add another box to your process map whenever you answer this question.

Process map symbols:

🟩 Square means a step in a process
📍 Rounded rectangle indicates the starting and ending points 
🔶 Diamond refers to decisions
➡️ Arrows connect the steps 

As you fill out the map, be sure to include a verb-noun combo in your steps, aka squares. The purpose of this is to show an action as opposed to a description. For example, host a consultation call, conduct a kickoff meeting, or film a YouTube video. 

As you move through your process, you may arrive at a point when multiple actions occur simultaneously. A decision represented by a diamond symbol acts as a fork in the road. This can indicate that one of two things could happen depending on the answer to a specific question. Think of it as a Choose Your Own Adventure book. 📖

In our process map example, the question is: Is the proof approved by the customer?

💬 If the answer is “yes,” you continue forward
💬 If the answer is “no,” the path diverges to a revision process
🧠 Keep in mind that decision points typically have a “yes” or “no” route. 

From there, keep making your way through the process, adding squares for your actions and arrows to connect the steps of the process until you reach the ending point: the customer leaves happy! 😊

📢 Speaking of customer experience, this post is about creating a 5-star customer experience with SmartSuite. Highly recommended for our fellow SmartSuite users. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

How to Process Map While Avoiding Common Mistakes

Process mapping seems pretty straightforward in theory. But it’s still possible to make mistakes along the way. So, let’s break them down:

❌ Mistake #1: Wrong zoom. For example, a customer is interested in a service, pays for it, and becomes a happy customer. Notice there are some missing pieces to the puzzle, like if the customer finds what they’re looking for or not. This process is still too broad and requires you to zoom in a little closer. 
❌ Mistake #2: Not starting an action with a verb. The steps, aka square icons, are action tasks, so write them in a verb-noun format rather than as descriptions.
❌ Mistake #3: Duplicate steps. Showing the same actions can confuse your team and imply multiple ways to complete a task. To avoid this scenario, revise your process map until it accurately depicts how your team runs things.

Update Your Chart to Reflect Your Business

Once you have a completed process map, aka as-is map, you can revise it to reflect changes in your company. For any adjustments, you’ll need to gather additional information.

For instance, if you’re tired of miscommunications and lack of productivity, you can color-code your process map to clarify each department’s role in the workflow. 🎨 

Want to improve efficiency? Review your process map and make a note of time costs and value. How long does each step take? How many delays are there? What is the general timeline of the process? ⏳   

Are you thinking about optimizing your team’s workdays? Put the process map workflow on a calendar to see where things may pile up. Then, tweak the process map so everything runs more smoothly. 📅

How to Process Map: Creating Visual Structures

A process map is a visual outline of what you do inside your business. It helps you turn the invisible assembly lines into a diagram that records each step of your process. Yes, that means revealing the good, the bad, and the ugly. 🤠

While some may prefer to ignore the poor areas of their business, we’d rather get to the root of internal issues and turn chaos into process.

If you have the same frame of mind, consider enrolling in our signature program, ProcessDriven Foundations™! We’ve supported over 1,900+ small teams to organize their daily operations in their work management software of choice and so much more with a supportive community.

Join the waitlist, and enjoy the process!