Introduction to

Business Process Mapping

About Idealware
Introductions

Karen Graham
Executive Director
Idealware
karen@idealware.org
@karentgraham
Vivian Hessel

Director of Technology
for Advocates
LAF
vhessel@lafchicago.org
Susan Zielke

Managing Attorney
Eastern Regional Office
Land of Lincoln Legal
Assistance
What We’ll Cover

• New Offices, Old Processes

• What Is Business Process Mapping?
• How Does Process Mapping Work?
• Getting Started
• Panel Discussion
New Offices, Old Processes
The Move Downtown

LAF had neighborhood

offices scattered throughout
the city. It decided that, to
be more efficient, it had to
consolidate into one
downtown office.
Client Intake Became Less Efficient

At the new office, the lines were long and moved slowly. The
process became unwieldy and frustrating.
The Process Needed to Change

LAF decided it needed

to undertake business
process mapping.
What Is Business Process
Mapping?
Mapping Is Part of Process Improvement

Choose the
process you
want to
improve

Gather
Evaluate and stakeholder
continue to input
tweak

Document the
process
Make changes visually
(mapping)

Analyze and
find areas to
improve
How Is Mapping Helpful?
You Can Increase Efficiency

The visual format

reveals redundancy
and bottlenecks.
You Can Improve Service

It can help you see areas

of confusion or frustration
for your clients and can
reveal opportunities to offer
more value.
It Can Help You Standardize Processes

• Use it for repetitive

processes.
• You’ll make it easier
for new staff and
volunteers to learn.
• Standardization can
improve quality.
But Have Realistic Expectations

Mapping alone won’t

improve things. It’s just
one step in process
improvement.
How Does Process Mapping
Work?
Start With Stakeholder Input

• What’s working well?

• What drives you
bonkers?
• Where do you think
there could be
improvement?
 Map it Step by Step

Use sticky notes on a wall—they’re easy to move around and change.

Making Timothy’s Lunch

Pack in
lunch box
Decide
Field
what kind Assemble Place in
trip
of sandwich backpack
day?
sandwich

Pack in
paper bag
Escrow Process

Copyright 2013 SeyfarthLean Consulting,

used with permission.
A Few Tips

• Answer who, what,

how, and why.
• Walk through the
actual process.
If You Want to Get Fancy

• Use shapes for

different kinds of
steps, e.g. diamond
for decision point.
• Add swim lanes.
• Convert to a digital
flow chart.
Keep going

Find quick wins, then

move to deeper analysis.
Remember to implement
and evaluate your
changes.
Getting Started with Process
Mapping
Who Should Be Involved?

Go beyond your
organization’s
leadership. Include
staff, volunteers,
and clients.
How Do You Choose Where to Begin?

Start with what annoys

people the most.
Avoid These Mistakes

• Don’t get too

granular.
• Beware the
naysayer.
• And don’t
underestimate
clout.
Jump In

Don’t put it off. Just

jump in and see
what you learn.
Panel Discussion
Questions?