M12BuildOperations· Module 1
Process Mapping
Everyone does their part, but no one can draw how the work actually flows from request to result.
- Start
- Stabilise
- Fix
- Operations
- ~5 min · Template
The business problem
Most processes have never been written down. They exist as habits spread across several people. When someone leaves, is absent or is new, the process changes. Improvement is impossible because there is no shared picture of what happens today.
Why it matters
A process map makes work visible. It creates a common language for fixing handovers, training staff, designing systems and assigning ownership. It is the starting point for SOPs, automation and ERP configuration.
What you will learn
- Define a process by its trigger, output and customer
- Map a process at the right level of detail
- Show roles, handovers, decisions and systems on one map
- Distinguish the current state from the intended state
Core questions
- What starts this process, and what does 'done' look like?
- Who is involved at each step, and what do they hand over?
- Where are decisions made, and on what basis?
- Which systems, documents or messages carry the work?
Work through the module
CaseWhat is happening?
Hotel, 60 rooms · Illustrative teaching case
A hotel receives repeated complaints about rooms not ready at check-in. Housekeeping, reception and maintenance each believe the others are at fault. When the room turnaround process is mapped together, it shows that reception never tells housekeeping about early departures, and maintenance issues are reported on paper that is collected once a day.
DecisionWhat does the leader need to decide?
Add more housekeeping staff, or fix the handovers that delay room readiness?
FrameworkHow should they think about the problem?
Swimlane process map
Each role or department gets a lane. Steps are placed in the lane of whoever does them, in order. Handovers become visible as arrows crossing lanes — which is where most delays and errors happen.
ToolWhat can they use?
Process mapping templateTemplate
- Name the process, its trigger, its output and its customer
- List the roles involved as swimlanes
- Map the steps as they happen today, not as they should
- Mark handovers, decisions, systems used and known problems
ApplicationHow does it apply to their business?
Apply it to your own business:
- Map one core process with the people who do it
- Mark every handover and every place work waits
- Agree the three biggest problems visible on the map
ImplementationWhat changes?
What should change in the business:
- Store the map where the team can see and use it
- Assign an owner for the process
- Use the map as the basis for SOPs and system design
ReviewDid it work?
How to tell whether the change worked:
- Do the people who do the work agree the map is accurate?
- Have the handover problems it revealed been addressed?
- Is the map being used to train new staff?
After this module you should be able to decide
Add more housekeeping staff, or fix the handovers that delay room readiness?
And leave with: A current-state map of one core process.
Sequence · Operations