Process and knowledge management
Identifying processes
Before improving a workflow you need to know which ones exist: a map of the workflows and three questions to find the right start.
The map of workflows
Anyone who wants to improve a workflow first has to know which ones exist. A process map shows the important workflows of a company on one page, in three groups: management processes set the direction, core processes bring in the money, support processes keep the business running.1
Where to start?
Not every workflow is worth the effort. Three questions help to choose:2
| Question | What it is about | How you notice |
|---|---|---|
| How important is the workflow? | Do schedules, money or clients depend on it? | Change orders, invoicing, hand-over to the client |
| How badly does it stick? | Where are trouble, queries and rework? | The same complaint comes up in every meeting |
| Can it be changed? | Is it in our own hands, and are the people involved willing? | A team that wants to change something itself |
It is best to start with a workflow that scores well on all three questions. An early, visible success carries the next steps.
How the map comes about
- Sit down with two or three people from site, office and management.
- Have them tell the path of a project, from enquiry to warranty.
- Write each step on a card and assign it to the three groups.
- Record who is responsible for each workflow.
- Choose the first workflow with the three questions.
The chosen workflow is mapped in the next field: modelling processes with BPMN.