Process Mapping

Process Mapping Skill

Purpose

Create clear, professional business process diagrams that visualize workflows, identify inefficiencies, and communicate processes to stakeholders and development teams.

When to Use

• Documenting current state (As-Is) processes
• Designing future state (To-Be) processes
• Identifying process gaps and inefficiencies
• Communicating workflows to stakeholders
• System design and integration planning

Process Mapping Types

1. Flowcharts

Best for: Simple, linear processes Symbols:

• ⬭ Oval: Start/End
• ▭ Rectangle: Process/Activity
• ◇ Diamond: Decision
• ▱ Parallelogram: Input/Output
• → Arrow: Flow direction

Example - Order Processing:

Start → Receive Order → Validate Order → [Valid?]
                                           ├── Yes → Process Payment → [Paid?]
                                           │                            ├── Yes → Ship Order → End
                                           │                            └── No → Notify Customer → End
                                           └── No → Reject Order → End

2. BPMN 2.0 (Business Process Model and Notation)

Best for: Complex processes with multiple participants Key Elements:

• Events: Start (○), Intermediate (◎), End (◉)
• Activities: Tasks (▭), Sub-processes (▭+)
• Gateways: Exclusive (◇×), Parallel (◇+), Inclusive (◇○)
• Swimlanes: Pools and lanes for different actors

Example - Invoice Approval BPMN:

Pool: Invoice Approval Process
├── Lane: Requester
│   ├── Start Event
│   ├── Task: Submit Invoice
│   └── Task: Revise Invoice (if rejected)
├── Lane: Manager
│   ├── Task: Review Invoice
│   └── Gateway: Approve? (Yes/No)
├── Lane: Finance
│   ├── Task: Process Payment
│   └── End Event: Invoice Paid

3. Swimlane Diagrams

Best for: Cross-functional processes showing responsibilities Structure: Horizontal or vertical lanes for each role/department

Example - Customer Support:

| Customer        | Support Agent    | Technical Team   | Manager         |
|-----------------|------------------|------------------|-----------------|
| Submit Ticket   |                  |                  |                 |
|       ↓         |                  |                  |                 |
|                 | Receive & Triage |                  |                 |
|                 |       ↓          |                  |                 |
|                 | [Can Resolve?]   |                  |                 |
|                 | Yes: Resolve     |                  |                 |
|                 | No: ────────────→| Investigate      |                 |
|                 |                  |       ↓          |                 |
|                 |                  | [Need Escalation?]               |
|                 |                  | No: Fix & Return |                 |
|                 |                  | Yes: ───────────→| Approve Fix    |
|                 | Update Customer  |←─────────────────|                 |
| Receive Update  |←─────────────────|                  |                 |

4. Value Stream Mapping

Best for: Lean process improvement, identifying waste Elements: Process steps, wait times, value-add vs. non-value-add

Process Levels

L0: Context Diagram

• High-level view of the entire system
• Shows external entities and interactions
• One page, executive summary level

L1: Process Area View

• Major process areas/modules
• Shows key inputs/outputs between areas
• 5-10 major processes

L2: Detailed Process Flow

• Step-by-step activities within a process
• Includes decisions and branches
• Shows roles responsible

L3: Procedural Steps

• Detailed procedures/work instructions
• Screen-by-screen guidance
• Used for training/SOPs

Mermaid Diagrams (Code-based)

Flowchart Example

flowchart TD
    A[Start: Customer Order] --> B{Inventory Available?}
    B -->|Yes| C[Reserve Inventory]
    B -->|No| D[Backorder]
    C --> E[Process Payment]
    E --> F{Payment Successful?}
    F -->|Yes| G[Create Shipment]
    F -->|No| H[Notify Customer]
    G --> I[Ship Order]
    I --> J[End: Order Delivered]
    D --> K[Notify Customer of Delay]
    H --> L[End: Order Cancelled]

Sequence Diagram Example

sequenceDiagram
    participant Customer
    participant WebApp
    participant PaymentAPI
    participant OrderService
    
    Customer->>WebApp: Submit Order
    WebApp->>OrderService: Create Order
    OrderService-->>WebApp: Order ID
    WebApp->>PaymentAPI: Process Payment
    PaymentAPI-->>WebApp: Payment Confirmed
    WebApp->>OrderService: Confirm Order
    OrderService-->>WebApp: Order Confirmed
    WebApp-->>Customer: Order Confirmation

State Diagram Example (Order Status)

stateDiagram-v2
    [*] --> Pending: Order Created
    Pending --> Processing: Payment Confirmed
    Pending --> Cancelled: Payment Failed
    Processing --> Shipped: Shipment Created
    Processing --> Cancelled: Customer Request
    Shipped --> Delivered: Delivery Confirmed
    Delivered --> Returned: Return Requested
    Returned --> Refunded: Refund Processed
    Delivered --> [*]
    Refunded --> [*]
    Cancelled --> [*]

Domain-Specific Process Examples

E-commerce: Checkout Flow

Start → View Cart → Enter Shipping → Select Shipping Method → 
Enter Payment → Review Order → Place Order → 
[Payment OK?] → Yes: Confirmation → End
              → No: Payment Error → Retry/Cancel

ERP: Purchase-to-Pay (P2P)

Requisition → Approval Workflow → Purchase Order → 
Goods Receipt → Invoice Receipt → 3-Way Match → 
[Match OK?] → Yes: Payment → End
           → No: Exception Handling

CRM: Lead-to-Close

Lead Capture → Lead Scoring → [Qualified?] → 
Yes: Create Opportunity → Discovery → Proposal → 
Negotiation → [Won?] → Yes: Close → Account Created
                     → No: Lost Analysis

CDP: Data Activation Flow

Data Collection → Identity Resolution → Profile Unification → 
Segmentation → Audience Building → Channel Activation → 
Campaign Execution → Response Tracking → Analytics

Best Practices

Design Principles

✅ Do:

• Keep it simple and readable
• Use consistent notation throughout
• Include clear start and end points
• Show decision points clearly
• Document exceptions and error paths
• Use swimlanes for multi-role processes
• Add annotations for complex steps
• Version control diagrams

❌ Don't:

• Overcomplicate with too many details
• Mix notation styles
• Forget exception/error flows
• Skip validation with stakeholders
• Create without understanding the process first

Validation

• Walk through with process owners
• Verify with actual users
• Test with real scenarios
• Document assumptions
• Get stakeholder sign-off

Tools

Figma

• Design custom process diagrams
• Use component libraries for BPMN symbols
• Share for collaboration

Mermaid (Code-based)

• Embed in markdown documentation
• Version control friendly
• Quick diagrams in Lark/Notion

Lucidchart/Miro

• Professional BPMN diagrams
• Real-time collaboration
• Template libraries

Process Analysis Tips

1. Identify bottlenecks: Where do things slow down?
2. Find redundancies: What's duplicated?
3. Spot handoff issues: Where do things fall between cracks?
4. Question value: Does this step add value?
5. Consider automation: What can be automated?

Next Steps

After process mapping:

1. Gap analysis (see gap-analysis skill)
2. Process optimization recommendations
3. Requirements for system changes
4. UAT scenarios based on process flows

References

• BPMN 2.0 Specification (OMG)
• Value Stream Mapping (Lean)
• Business Process Mapping best practices