Business process mapping is important for all companies, no matter their size. It can help improve performance and allow you to implement technology innovations to be successful going forward. Creating a map of all your processes allows you to take a closer look at how your work is done. There are several ways to ensure you are analyzing your business processes in the right way to foster successful communication among all your teams across the organization.
Don’t Forget About Your Fleet
If your business is on the smaller end, you may not have as many vehicles in your fleet, so it can be easy to let things go from time to time. However, proper fleet management can still be time-consuming, so you will want to ensure you are implementing the right tools. GPS fleet tracking can make your tasks much easier. If you are interested in implementing GPS fleet tracking, you can review a guide on running a small fleet with these tools.
Focus on Communication
It’s important to make sure you communicate with the right individuals. You’ll want to identify key stakeholders, whether it’s customers, suppliers, or employees in the company. Think about influencers and decision-makers in the company. Users will need to follow the recommendations identified by the plan, so it’s important to make sure the plan is one they will follow. Consider your business goals when selecting techniques and tools. You might not need a value analysis if your goal is to onboard new employees.
Select the Best Technique
It’s easy to get caught up in the details, but when you are communicating with other professionals, you may want to go with simpler techniques that make communication easier. Depending on your goals, you will have different kinds of charts and maps to pick from to best showcase the information. If you want to educate stakeholders, you may go with a simple flowchart. On the other hand, if you want to be more efficient with your time, you may go with a value analysis table.
Don’t Neglect Proper Data Gathering
It is important to make sure you are collecting data on how current processes work. Spend some time speaking with individuals responsible for these things. Don’t be afraid to use master data management, conduct surveys, interviews, and reviews. You may want to look at the business’s key performance indicators. It will take some time to get the right information, but it is worthwhile. It can give you enough information on how everything currently works before you start making big changes.
Choose the Right Software for Mapping
Process mapping products can assist with engagement, communication, problem-solving, and knowledge management. Choosing the right software will make sharing and storage that much easier. If the software is hard to use, no one will use the map you create. Think about who will be using the result and use that to drive your decision. Don’t be afraid to start with pen and paper at the beginning. If everyone is together in person for the meeting, you can map out your process on a large whiteboard, which can increase brainstorming and engagement. Markers and paper engage the senses and can increase the room’s synergy. You can still meet online if it is not possible to meet in one location. There are tools that allow real-time edits so the whole team can collaborate.
Validate Your Steps
Validating your processes is a critical step when mapping your processes, but too few businesses forget to take this step. It is nearly impossible to accurately figure out all your processes the first go around, especially if you do not have all stakeholders in the area. Validating the procedures ensures everyone can review the results and add their suggestions for changes. It also increases buy-in and engagement, as you will be ensuring everyone is involved. Stakeholders who were not involved in the procedure might be suspicious about the result, which is a natural result. People do not like change, but it is a good idea to give everyone the chance to offer suggestions. It is important to get everyone involved because it can lower resistance to changes you may implement.
Consider Potential Improvements
As you analyze the information you have collected, you can determine areas where gaps or redundancies exist. These are great places to start improving. For example, you may find there is a delay between the time a customer first makes contact and the time they make a purchase. When you speak with your company’s customer service team, you can learn what is causing the delay, such as a lack of good communication. If that’s the case, using new types of technology, such as chatbots, can make communication easier. It reduces the amount of time they need to spend speaking with customers and makes the communication more instantaneous.