Do you have a thorough understanding of the work you’re managing? Often the managers we meet don’t have a firm grasp of the work or business process that runs through their department. A process map forms the foundation for strong management and consistent business improvement. Here are five simple reasons you will become a better manager using a process map and why you need one in your manager toolkit.
Five Simple Reasons You Will Become a Better Manager using a Process Map.
1. Understand how your business works
Processes not defined are the single largest opportunity for improvement in most organizations. A process map provides a complete and understandable picture of how work flows. Managers are often unaware of how their work relates to another part of the business. A process map helps all employees find opportunities to work together and break down department barriers, bringing teams together in a productive way.
2. Gain insight into your customer’s experience.
If you have unhappy customers, there is likely there a broken process as the cause. Mapping illustrates the processes that produce the customer experience and give insight into the customer’s perception of value provided by your organization. A process map identifies areas of improvement that lead to solutions that provide a better customer experience.
3. Educate and train employees.
Onboarding and training new employees can cost your organization a lot of time, money, and resources. This is of particular concern when it is a long-term employee whose valuable knowledge has not been documented. A process map provides the foundation for how work gets done so that new employees can be trained quickly and effectively.
4. Measure performance.
We sometimes see organizations set high goals, which isn’t necessarily bad, only to later realize they are unattainable. By using defined and standard business processes, you can accurately diagnose what is most important to the organization and measure accordingly. By building well-developed business processes, goals and standards will be more attainable, creating employees who are more engaged in the Company.
5. Effectively use automation tools.
Purchasing software to automate a process is often viewed as the solution to a business challenge when it’s really just a Band-Aid. Without first understanding and then simplifying the process, you’re just making a bad process worse by executing it faster. Unfortunately, organizations often spend time and money on assets required to deliver their value proposition while few invest in understanding the process that turns those assets (people, equipment, technology) into profits.
Becoming a better manager means having a clear understanding of the processes you’re overseeing in order to make decisions about onboarding new employees, educating and training current employees, setting performance goals, and automating processes. A process map is a valuable tool for the leader who understands your business, executes in a repeatable and effective fashion, and consistently measures and improves your operating performance.
Continue Reading: Process mapping can be powerfully transformative for your organization, but how much does it cost? We wrote an article that talks about the cost of business mapping and what's included in the mapping process.