WHAT IS PROCESS MAPPING AND HOW MAPPING YOUR COMPANY’S PROCESSES CAN HELP YOUR BUSINESS.
Process mapping is a term used to describe all of the activities involved in identifying what a company or department does, who is responsible for doing it, the standards to which it should be done, and how results will be measured. This process is used in many types of businesses to help companies optimize their production, increase profitability, reduce waste, and more.
The activities used for process mapping are part of overall business quality management. When done correctly, the process map will analyze the company’s overall objectives to ensure that all work performed helps achieve business goals. In short, anything that is not contributing to a company’s main goals is considered waste and will therefore be eliminated.
Why Map your business Processes.
When people think of process mapping, they often think of it as a good way to document processes so everyone knows how things are done. While this is certainly one of the benefits of this strategy, it is not the only one. The following are some of the many reasons why business process mapping is so important and every company should strive to implement it in their facilities.
- Training - Process maps can be an essential component of new employee training. Maps can be given to them so they can see how things should be done.
- Problems solution - When there are problems in the process, it will be much easier to see exactly where they are occurring. This can help you find solutions to problems much faster.
- Standardization - Standardization is a great way to eliminate waste and ensure consistency across every shift, every facility, and anywhere else where there would otherwise be variation.
- Overview - When a good process map is in place, everyone can see the big picture. This helps each individual department, or even each employee, see where they fit into the overall scheme of activities/tasks.
- Conformity - A process map can be used to ensure everyone is always compliant with requirements. The map itself can even be given to auditors/inspectors to show how things are done to prove compliance.
- Team involvement - When creating a process map for a company, all employees need to contribute by working through the steps they are involved in. This team involvement can help keep people involved and even identify opportunities for improvement that may exist.
In short, all company processes need to be mapped to ensure maximum productivity efficiency, profitability and cost reduction for the company.