Business process mapping

Activities involved in defining what a business entity does and who is responsible

Business process mapping refers to activities involved in defining what a business entity does, who is responsible, to what standard a business process should be completed, and how the success of a business process can be determined. The main purpose behind business process mapping is to assist organizations in becoming more effective. A clear and detailed business process map or diagram allows outside firms to come in and look at whether or not improvements can be made to the current process. Business process mapping takes a specific objective and helps to measure and compare that objective alongside the entire organization's objectives to make sure that all processes are aligned with the company's values and capabilities. International Organization for Standardization or ISO 9001 : 2015 encourages a process approach to quality management. The relationship between each process within the organization and how those interactions impact Quality Management is significant.

Process mapping has overlapped with software development incorporating tools that can attach metadata to activities, drivers and triggers to provide some automation of software process coding. Quality improvement practitioners have noted that various graphical descriptions of processes can be useful. These include: detailed flow charts, work flow diagrams and value stream maps. Each map is helpful depending on the process questions and theories being considered. In these situations process map implies the use of process flow and the current understanding of the causal structure. Six Sigma practitioners use the term Business Process Architecture to describe the mapping of business processes as series of cross functional flowcharts. Under this school of thought, each flowchart is of a certain level (between 0 and 4) based on the amount of detail the flowchart contains. A level 0 flowchart represents the least amount of detail, and usually contains one or two steps. A level 4 flowchart represents the most detail, and can include hundreds of steps. At this level every task, however minor, is represented.

Flowchart is a primary type of business process mapping. It consists of some symbols such as arrows, circles, diamonds, boxes, ovals, or rectangles. The type of Flowchart just described is sometimes referred to as a "detailed" flowchart because it includes in detail, the inputs, activities, decision points, and outputs of any process. The example is Proposed Patient Appointment Procedure. It starts with "preparation of appointment book" followed by a decision whether the appointment is shore or fleet. If the appointment is fleet, inform patient they can call 1500 to make own appointments for next few days, if the appointment is shore, confirm 24 hours prior to appointment. Next confirm that the patient confirmed. If a patient did not call, the appointment is canceled, otherwise the patient is given a confirmation number. Finally confirm that the patient showed for the appointment. If not, a standby patient is placed in the appointment slot, the appointment book is marked "Failure" and a failure report is submitted from front desk to fleet liaison. If a patient showed for appointment, put "Patient showed" in appointment book.