Session Brief: Process Mapping

Goal

Artifact: Process Map

Working Question

How does the process actually run, who does what, where do waiting times and handoffs occur, and where are improvement opportunities?

Context

Process trigger, end and main steps; known problems; cycle times or waiting times if available; tools along the process.

Setup

• Format: Method session
• Duration: 2-4 h
• Mode: Workshop
• Participants: One facilitator; process owner; one employee per role in the process; one scribe; optionally customer or recipient of the output.
• Owner: One facilitator
• Participation mode: Team round, shared work and alignment
• Outcome logic: Finish artifact

Participation Logic

Use the session for shared understanding. Contributions are collected visibly, assumptions are aligned, and open differences remain traceable in the artifact.

Outcome Logic

The session works directly toward Process Map. After the session, the artifact should be shareable, reviewable, or reusable.

Input

Whiteboard or Miro with swimlane layout; symbol set (activity, decision, document, start, end); stickies with activity names; stopwatch or time tracking.

Preparation

Swimlanes per role. Trigger on the left, end on the right. Activity stickies with verb for each activity (for example check receipt). Decisions as diamonds. Rule: employees describe steps, managers listen.

Agenda

1. Phase 1: Clarify trigger and end (15 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: What starts the process, what ends it. Who is the customer of the output. Expected output in writing. Hint: If trigger or end are unclear, the map sprawls. A very tight definition at the start sharpens focus. Output: Process Map

2. Phase 2: Main steps (60 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: Step by step from left to right. Per step: activity, owner role (swimlane), tool, duration. Handoffs as arrows between swimlanes. Hint: Employees describe reality, not the desired process. If there is a gap between should and do, mark both. Output: Handoff List

3. Phase 3: Decisions and variants (30 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: Add decision points as diamonds. Capture branches. Estimate frequency per variant (% of volume). Hint: If five variants exist and no volume data, the map becomes unclear. Separate main path and rare special cases. Output: Improvement Backlog

4. Phase 4: Pain points and waiting times (30 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: Mark pain points in red: waiting time, rework, handoff friction. Draw waiting times on arrows. Add data where available. Hint: Pain points make the map action-relevant. At least three pain points are mandatory. Waiting time between steps is often the biggest lever. Output: Process Map

5. Phase 5: Improvements (30 min) Owner: Owner Action: For each top pain, define improvement idea. Owner and deadline. Mark quick wins separately from structural changes. Hint: Maximum three improvements per workshop. More spreads energy. If everything is urgent, nothing is urgent. Output: Handoff List

6. Publish artifact (10 min) Owner: Owner Action: Check the artifact for completeness, define location, set version or status, and name review recipients. Output: Process Map

Closeout

• Update result artifact: Process Map
• Define location, version, and review recipients.
• Define owner, next step, and review date.

Process Map: Process Mapping

Working Question

How does the process actually run, who does what, where do waiting times and handoffs occur, and where are improvement opportunities?

Context

Process trigger, end and main steps; known problems; cycle times or waiting times if available; tools along the process.

Participants

• Owner: One facilitator
• Participants: One facilitator; process owner; one employee per role in the process; one scribe; optionally customer or recipient of the output.

Input

Whiteboard or Miro with swimlane layout; symbol set (activity, decision, document, start, end); stickies with activity names; stopwatch or time tracking.

Template

Process Mapping Working Template

Goal

Make the flow, handoffs, bottlenecks, and improvement opportunities visible.

Context

When and for what do we use this method?

Input

Which data, observations, decisions, or materials are available?

Working area

• Process boundaries:
• Main steps:
• Roles and handoffs:
• Delays and bottlenecks:
• Improvement ideas:

Output artifacts

• Process map:
• Handoff list:
• Improvement backlog:

Open questions

• ...

Next step

Owner, date, and success signal.

Completion Check

• Process Map is complete enough for review:
• Location:
• Version / status:
• Review by:
• Next step:

Next Step

• Review result
• Mark open questions
• Schedule review or decision