BY WANDA SHERIDAN
Think about those moments when you feel like your organisation's workflows are like a tangled ball of yarn.
Maybe you're wondering why certain tasks take longer than they should, or perhaps you're looking for ways to make your team more efficient. That's where process mapping comes in.
Let’s find out what process mapping is all about, why it's so valuable, and how we use it to help organisations like yours.
Why Document Processes?
At its core, a process map is like a roadmap for your organisation's workflows. Imagine having a bird's-eye view of how tasks unfold, step by step, from start to finish. It's not just about drawing boxes and arrows (though that's part of it!).
It's about gaining clarity, spotting bottlenecks, and uncovering opportunities for improvement that you might never have noticed otherwise.
Now, you might be wondering, "Why should I bother documenting a process?"
A big reason is that process mapping is an excellent way to create a user guide for your team. This can be incredibly helpful, especially if you experience staff turnover or have colleagues who need to cover for others while they're away. Instead of relying on memory or piecing together information from different sources, your team can refer to a clear, visual representation of how things should be done.
Process mapping can also be a powerful tool for improvement. We often use it to show the 'current state' of how a process works. This gives you a visual tool to help identify areas where processes could be streamlined or made more efficient. It's like holding up a mirror to your workflows - you might spot things you hadn't noticed before!
Once we've mapped out the current state, we can create a 'future state' map. This is particularly helpful when you're proposing changes. It gives you a visual representation of these proposed changes, which can be invaluable for ensuring understanding and gaining buy-in from your organisation. After all, getting people on board is much easier when they can see exactly what you're proposing.
Our Process Mapping Approach
We use Visio for process mapping. We're big fans of the swimlane method because it clearly shows both the sequence of activities and where the responsibility for each activity lies. It's a great way to get a comprehensive view of your processes and a powerful tool for agreeing/communicating who is responsible for which activity along the way.
So how do we really help clients?
We've found that many of our clients simply don't have the resources - whether that's time, people, or expertise - to document their systems themselves. Some of the processes we've mapped out for our clients include:
Constituent Record Processing: We map everything from how new records are created to how they're updated over time.
Prospect Research: We map out how new prospects are identified, how information about them is gathered and entered into systems, and how updates are managed over time.
Gift Processing: This is often a complex area with many moving parts. We map out processes for handling one-time gifts, recurring donations, and pledges. We also cover how to manage soft credits, direct debits, and even the process of writing off gifts when necessary.
Administrative Processes: These are the behind-the-scenes tasks that keep your data clean and your systems running smoothly. We map out processes for merging duplicate constituent records, deleting unnecessary data, and adding or updating information globally.
Data Selections: We map out the processes for creating data selections, whether it's for mailings, reports, or other purposes.
Using the swimlane method in Visio, we create a detailed, visual representation of your process. It shows each step, decision point, and handoff, clearly indicating who's responsible for what. This visual approach makes it easy to spot bottlenecks, redundancies, or areas for improvement. In addition to this we often provide a detailed summary of the steps required to complete each task in the process. This acts as a step-by-step guide, ensuring anyone can understand and follow the process, even if they're new to the task.
Process Mapping in Different Contexts
Process mapping can also be valuable in various contexts throughout your organisation's journey:
For starters, process mapping is a crucial part of health-check activities and continuous improvement. By mapping out your current processes, you can identify areas of strength and weakness, helping you prioritise where to focus your improvement efforts.
Once your processes are mapped out, you have a baseline for continuous improvement.
You can regularly review and update your maps, tracking how changes impact efficiency and effectiveness over time.
Process mapping can also be invaluable as part of a new implementation. It helps you understand how the new system will impact your existing processes and allows you to design optimal workflows.
Process maps can also be powerful tools for managing organisational change. They provide a clear, visual way to communicate how things will be different, helping to reduce uncertainty and resistance among staff.
Does process mapping sound like something that could benefit your organisation? We'd be happy to chat more about how we could tailor this approach to your needs.
