Last week we offered five reasons a process map will make you a better manager. Well, we've found five more we'd like to share. Your business is filled with valuable knowledge, opportunity and risk that can go unnoticed by managers who aren’t documenting the business processes running through their departments. Mapping these processes provides organization insights that lead to competitive advantage. Are you ready to improve your organization? Listed are five more reasons a process map will make you a better manager.
1. Comply with third-party requirements.
Whether mandated by industry or governmental authority, most organizations operate under a form of third-party governance. While these requirements may seem to slow business, they are necessary to compete. Process maps provide a more effective and efficient method for compliance documentation. They are more easily created, maintained and are very useful when explaining a process or series of tasks to an independent auditor.
2. Drive improvement.
The most effective way to drive improvement through an organization is by defining, analyzing and changing business processes. Understanding and collecting tribal knowledge across departments can help the whole organization reduce risk and duplication of effort. All enterprise work goes through business systems and processes and therefore should be systematically measured and improved for the most valuable and sustainable outcome.
3. Capture your firm’s intellectual property.
A firm’s intellectual property (IP) is a valuable asset that should be treated as such by the organization. Leaders should always know where IP is located and how it’s being used. Process maps can serve as the organization's repository for intellectual property by identifying what IP exists, where the IP is used, who uses it, and when is it needed.
4. Productively use resources.
Is your organization using its resources productively? For many organizations, the answer is no. Business process mapping identifies how resources, including people, facilities, information technology, equipment and budget, are used to accomplish their purpose in the most effective and efficient way possible, delivering the greatest investment value.
5. To create a competitive advantage.
Business process development and improvement holds the key to competitive advantage. By understanding and continually improving the business processes that deliver the customer value proposition, an organization creates a sustainable capability that, over time, builds an investment that widens competitive advantage. While most organizations spend resources on what is needed to deliver their value proposition, many don’t invest in understanding the process that turns inputs into valuable outputs. That leaves them at a competitive disadvantage. Becoming a better manager means not only dealing with day-to-day issues, but also having an understanding of the processes that deliver the work.
As a manager with valuable enterprise responsibilities, investing in building strong processes will make you an effective leader who drives improvements and delivers greater organization value.