There’s little point in writing in a language no one else can read, so why would you model critical business processes in notations that aren’t understood by all?
Many organisations find they have a variety of maps in use in different departments, or left by different employees at different times, that are neither consistent in approach nor in notation, many of which are not even stored in the same file formats (if they’re in a format at all and not hand drawn). There are as many ways of mapping a process as there are of drawing boxes, so whilst it’s great that your teams are documenting their procedures, the lack of a universal approach inevitably leads to inconsistency.
You’ll soon encounter numerous problems – symbols that mean different things in different maps, employees fazed by collaboration problems with other departments, auditors having to be inducted into new dialects in each office – and to update them all, you need a variety of different software.
The complexity of grasping the whole picture from these incompatible parts may even deter management from trying to make use of them at all. Inconsistency is therefore a barrier to change.
Being able to show auditors, regulators and clients a consistent set of process diagrams demonstrates that you’re in full control of all the different elements that make up your company, and have the springboard from which to rapidly meet new challenges.
A process mapping consultant works with clients to identify the best way to document all their processes, including identifying the best software to adopt for future consistency. A key step in this engagement is to establish a standard mapping notation, such as UPN (Universal Process Notation), that will ensure the delivery of consistent, easily understandable diagrams going forwards.
Maps should never become a collection of disparate curiosities in the filing cabinet. Consistent process maps are the tool that allows a business to mobilise itself in a process of constant adaptation to new circumstances and opportunities.
Contact us for a demonstration of the process mapping options that we can provide.