TABLE OF CONTENTS Many business processes, especially service processes, are poorly defined or totally lacking in description. Many procedures are simply described by word of mouth or may reside in documents that are obsolete. In process management, it is often that by simply trying to define and map the process, we provide a means for both understanding and communicating operational details to those who are involved in the process. We also provide a baseline, or standard, for evaluating the improvement. In many cases, merely defining and charting the process as it is can reveal many deficiencies such as redundant and needless steps and other non-value-added activities. Process mapping is a visual descriptive model for a process. "A process map is considered to be a visual aid for picturing work processes which show how inputs, outputs and tasks are linked" (Anjard 1998). Process mapping is used to develop a process map for the process under study. There are a number of different methods of process mapping; these methods include a process flowchart, IDEF0 process mapping, and value stream mapping. In this section, we are going to discuss these three methods in detail.
The flowchart is a graphic way to describe a group of activities in a process. The basic purpose of the flowchart is to provide a graphical representation of all the activities performed in the sequence in which they are actually conducted. One advantage of the graphical flowchart is the ease with which the activities in the...
