• support@bizmanualz.com
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Help
  • My Account
Policies and Procedures Manual Template WordPolicies and Procedures Manual Template WordPolicies and Procedures Manual Template WordPolicies and Procedures Manual Template Word
  • Policy
    Procedure
    Manuals
    • CEO 9-Manual Set-45% Off
    • CFO 5-Manual Set-34% Off
    • Policy Procedure Software
    • Accounting Manual
    • Finance Manual
    • IT Policy Manual
    • HR Policy Manual
    • Sales Marketing Manual
    • ISO 9001 Quality Procedures Manual
    • AS9100 D Quality Procedures Manual
    • ISO 22000 Food Safety HACCP Manual
    • Production Operations
    • Medical Office Procedures
    • Nonprofit Procedures
    • Construction Procedures
  • Document
    Management
    Software
    • Product & Benefits
    • OnPolicy Software Overview
    • On-Policy – 30-Day Free Trial
    • Testimonials
    • Resources
    • Subscribe to OnPolicy
    • Software, Procedure Manual Bundle
    • OnPolicy Help Introduction
  • Free
    Procedure
    Samples
    • Free Sample Policies and Procedures Template
  • How To
    Business
    Articles
    • Save Time Writing Procedures
    • Write Better Policies
    • Writing Procedure Manuals
    • Write Better Procedures
    • Strengthen Your Financials
      • Set Better Objectives
      • Tighten Accounting Controls
      • Improve Company Governance
      • Simplify Compliance
    • Obtain ISO Certification
      • Make a Process Map
      • Implement ISO Quality
      • Improve Quality
      • Improve Management Systems
      • Increase Customer Satisfaction
      • Make Your Business Lean
    • Solve Business Problems
      • Organize Your Business
      • Improve Business Communication
      • Be a Better Boss
      • Empower Employees
      • Making Change Easier
      • Grow Your Business
      • Find Business Improvements
      • Improve Business Processes
      • Increase Innovation
      • Better Sales and Marketing
      • Better Project Management
    • Leverage Technology
      • Automate Policy Management
      • Improve Your Social Media
      • Increase Productivity
  • Lean ISO
    Consulting
    Training
    • Improve Your Training
    • Customer Testimonials
    • ISO 9001:2015 Classes | Internal Auditor Training | Virtual
    • ISO 9001:2015 Classes | Lead Auditor Training St Louis MO
    • ISO 9000 Help | Lean Consulting Training St Louis MO
    • ISO Writer | Writing Policies and Procedures Training Class
    • Lean Training Class St Louis MO
    • FREE Quality
      Audit* Offer
0

Build Stronger Communication and Understanding Through Process Mapping

Categories
  • Improve Business Communication
  • Make a Process Map
Tags
  • business process
  • communication
  • mapping
  • process
  • process map
  • process mapping
process map

Did you know that it is a “best practice” to create a process map for every procedure or system of procedures that you develop? And did you know that, like a table of contents, process mapping will create stronger communication and better understanding in your organization?

Process maps are not required by the ISO 9001 standard. They are one way to satisfy requirement to determine the process needed, the sequence and interaction, documents to ensure effective planning and control, and they are helpful to communicating responsibilities, internal communication, product realization planning, and monitoring and measuring. Process mapping is not required, but it is considered a “best practice” and is used by all advanced quality systems. How do you do use a process map?

It’s important to identify your business’ core processes. Let’s take a further look at how to create a process map and see how it creates knowledge to benefit you and your organization.

Process Mapping as a Communication Toolprocess mapping

A process map is a flow diagram of the primary processes within an organization. It very specifically shows you both who and what is involved in a process, as well as the requirements for that process to be effective. The primary goal is to use the process map as a communication tool. It is to show the sequence of interactions of the elements involved in the process. And so process maps are drawn and used by organizations to achieve several benefits:

  • Increase process understanding
  • Clarify process boundaries, ownership, and effectiveness measures
  • Identify process sequences
  • Isolate core processes, bottlenecks, and opportunities for improvement
  • Clarify the interaction of Customer, Supplier, Management, and Operations processes
  • Provide a tool for training and discussion

In other words, a process map details what happens first, second, and third in a process. It shows what happens in each step along the way, and it’s drawn in graphical form for easier communication and understanding.

Let’s take a look at a “big picture” process map, taken from Bizmanualz How to Create Well-Defined Processes class.

This type of map shows the “big picture” of ten to twenty core processes within the organization. The map also shows the critical elements within each section and its importance within the whole management system. And these sections, or bands, are what relate the processes to each other AND to the outside suppliers and customers.

Process Maps Link Suppliers and Customers

ISO 9001-2015 Process Map

Figure 3: An Example of Organization Processes

Although there are several ways to draw a process map, the basic diagram is typically constructed in four bands. And these four bands link together Customers, Primary Processes, Secondary Processes and Suppliers.

You improve effectiveness by showing the specifics of a process. And sometimes we’ve learned the hard way that the development phase of a project or a process is far more expensive than the planning phase. And so by thinking through and perfecting your processes beforehand, you decrease waste in development time. With a detailed process map, you identify and decrease such waste wherever it occurs in the process.

Here are a few key points to keep in mind while mapping a process:

  • Identify core processes to support mission and goals
  • Determine how to create value for the customer throughout the process
  • Map ownership and performance metrics along with the process
  • Engage your people in process mapping to define problems and solutions

Now, let’s break down the process map even further.

Define the Steps of the Process

We’ve just defined the big picture process map as a sequence of interactions of multiple processes. These multiple processes consist of multiple steps. As we’ve discussed, the benefits are better communication and understanding and a decrease in waste. And this offers a great “big picture” view of your organization’s processes. But…

When you go to write your organization’s procedures, you need more detail. You’ll need a method to define the sequence of interactions of each step. And you do this with a procedure map. To the right, there is an example of a typical procedure map.

With this refined procedure map, you can see the steps that go into an organization’s competency process, including the suppliers and customers for each of those steps. This is also called the SIPOC method. Using this method identifies the Suppliers of the specific data used as an Input for the Process to create Outputs for the Customer. The map also gives you both effectiveness and performance criteria for this process’ owner(s). With such measurement criteria, you set the mark for continuous improvement of the process.

And so by creating a procedure map, you will further increase communication and understanding within your organization. Procedure maps become a strong tool in training, either to familiarize new employees to their jobs or to increase efficiency and performance with current employees.

Communicate, Understand, and Apply KnowledgeSOP Writing Work Flow

Both process and procedure maps are crucial in an organization. And so as a rule of thumb, never develop a procedure or system of procedures without first creating a process and procedure map. Acting like a table of contents, a process map helps organize the chapters of a complex book in a way that this knowledge can easily be communicated, understood and applied.

More Articles from Bizmanualz...

  • What Is Business Process Mapping?What Is Business Process Mapping?
  • Do You Make the 7 Process Mapping Mistakes?Do You Make the 7 Process Mapping Mistakes?
  • How to Identify and Improve Your Core ProcessesHow to Identify and Improve Your Core Processes
  • What Quality Tools Are Used for Process Improvement?What Quality Tools Are Used for Process Improvement?
  • What Is a Process Map?What Is a Process Map?
  • What Is Business Process Management?What Is Business Process Management?
  • What Drives the Choice of a Third Party Logistics Provider?What Drives the Choice of a Third Party Logistics Provider?
  • How Do You Write a Strong Press Release?How Do You Write a Strong Press Release?
  • How to Become an Effective Business Leader in a CrisisHow to Become an Effective Business Leader in a Crisis
  • How to Achieve Consistency In Remote and In-House ProcessesHow to Achieve Consistency In Remote and In-House Processes
Share

3 Comments

  1. Robert says:
    September 27, 2019 at 6:16 am

    Very useful tool. Thanks!

    Reply
  2. doreen says:
    October 3, 2019 at 9:30 am

    The bizmanual has helped me a lot. I am grateful for what your doing.
    I have put together a few manuals with two having been reviewed y the larger team.
    Thank you so much and please keep those suggestion coming!

    Reply
  3. ALP ARSALAN SABIR says:
    May 19, 2020 at 10:18 am

    It is very important to Map a process in the first stage > In our company we have written a process as well as a process map in VISIO this will help to understand the whole process and working easily Great subject for everyone.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Products

  • AS9100 D Quality Procedures Manual AS9100 Quality Procedures Manual Rev D | ABR217M Aerospace Quality Procedures Manual $ 395.00 $ 297.00
  • Accounting Policy Procedure Manual MS-Word Template Accounting Policies and Procedures Manual
    Rated 4.60 out of 5
    $ 495.00 $ 397.00
  • Finance Policy Procedure Manual Finance Policies Procedures Manual | ABR42M
    Rated 4.75 out of 5
    $ 495.00 $ 347.00
  • it standard operating procedures IT Policies and Procedures Manual
    Rated 4.40 out of 5
    $ 495.00 $ 397.00
  • Human Resources HR Policy Procedure Manual HR Policies and Procedures Template | ABR41M
    Rated 3.89 out of 5
    $ 495.00 $ 347.00
  • Sales Marketing Policy Procedure Manual Sales Marketing Policies and Procedures Manual | ABR44M
    Rated 3.67 out of 5
    $ 495.00 $ 347.00
  • Security Policy Procedure Manual Security Policies and Procedures Manual $ 395.00 $ 297.00
  • Disaster Recovery Policy Procedure Manual Disaster Recovery Planning Manual
    Rated 4.00 out of 5
    $ 395.00 $ 297.00
  • ISO 9001 Procedures ISO 9001 2015 Procedures | ABR211M
    Rated 4.60 out of 5
    $ 495.00 $ 347.00
  • ISO 22000 Food Safety Procedures Manual ISO 22000 Food Safety Procedures Manual | ABR213M
    Rated 3.83 out of 5
    $ 395.00 $ 197.00
 Free Sample Policies Procedures

Get to Know Us

About Bizmanualz

Our Customers

Our Contributors

Featured Products

Free Policies and Procedures

Privacy Policy

FAQs

Risk Free Guarantee

Process Improvement

Contact Us

Recent Posts

  • What Are the Customer’s Requirements?
  • How Small Businesses Can Attract Top Employees Online
  • How Can Businesses Improve Cybersecurity?
  • How Can Digital Marketing Help Businesses?
  • How to Cope with Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic?
  • What are Financial Internal Controls?
  • What Drives the Choice of a Third Party Logistics Provider?
  • What are the Most Effective Interview Questions?

Business Procedures

Accounting Manuals Template

Finance Procedures

HR Procedures

IT Policies and Procedures Templates

Sales Marketing Procedures

Quality Assurance Policy Statement and Procedures

Medical Office Procedures

Employee Handbook Manual

Aerospace Procedures

Food Safety Procedures

Security & Disaster Plans

Production Procedures

Procedure Writing Guide

Featured Manuals

  • Alt Text CEO Bundle and Document Management Software Package $ 3,485.00 $ 2,847.21 now,
    then $ 990.00 / year
  • St. Louis ISO auditor training class ISO 9001:2015 Classes | Lead Auditor Training St Louis MO $ 2,395.00 – $ 3,270.00
  • 9-Manual CEO Company Policies and Procedures Bundle | Save 45%
    Rated 4.50 out of 5
    $ 2,495.00 $ 1,997.00
  • CFO Responsibilities Financial Accounting Procedures 5-Manual CFO Internal Control Procedures Bundle| Save 34%
    Rated 4.64 out of 5
    $ 1,695.00 $ 1,497.00
  • AS9100 D Quality Procedures Manual AS9100 Quality Procedures Manual | ABR217M Aerospace Quality Procedures Manual $ 595.00 $ 499.00
Copyright ©1999-2020 Bizmanualz, Inc. All Rights Reserved | Sitemap | Privacy Policy
0
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Help
  • My Account