Here’s What You Need To Know…

What Is Process Mapping:

The purpose of Process Mapping is for organisations to improve efficiency. It is the gathering and documentation of the current processes represented in flow or diagram. The Process Mapping should gather any potential issues of the current process, as well as the opportunities for process improvement.

Process mapping focuses on the work rather than on job titles or hierarchy

Process Mapping:

• Describes the flow of information, documents and materials in a process.
• Shows the various steps contained within a process and their dependency’s.
• Clearly Identifies Inputs and Outputs of each step.
• Clearly Indicates the decisions that need to be made at each step in a process.
• Is an Annex 11 Requirement
• Helps identify Data Integrity gaps

Why Is Process Mapping Important to your Company?

The main reason for mapping out your processes is for organisations to improve efficiency through transformation.

Benefits:

Big Picture View

• Process Mapping will help everyone see the big picture of the process.
• Visual representation of the process makes it easier for other departments to understand the process.
• Seeing the big picture helps clarify how each step in the process impacts the overall process. This can help make people aware of how certain delays at certain steps can impact the subsequent steps in the process.
• Employees can understand complex processes very quickly
• Identify bottlenecks, capacity issues, delays or waste.

Process Insight: Everyone’s opinion is important

• Collaboration during the Process Mapping will help empower employees to make positive changes to their work environment.
• People need to be aware that their opinion is important and will aid in rolling out any changes.
• Gathering people physically in a room to perform a process mapping creates a sense of urgency and equality.

Refine your Processes: Identify which steps are really needed

• When mapping a process and analysing all steps there is an opportunity to gauge how important each step is.
• Identify which steps are really needed? What is they value versus the effort?
• Identify steps where similar actions occur in multiple steps.
• Use critical thinking to identify cost benefit improvements.

Control

• If you do not measure a process, you will not be able to manage it effectively
• Aid in Risk Management.
• Aids in Process Control.

How to perform a Process map

Bring everyone together, collaboration from multifunctional teams is key.

• The very first step for mapping a process is making sure everyone’s on the same page when it comes to input, process, and results. If people are expecting different results or a different type of execution, they won’t possibly be able to agree on the same steps.
• Select the Process – Identify the start point and end point of the Process.
• Map the As-Is process (current) without considering what the “ideal process” should be. All the steps of the process should be listed.
• Consider decision processes, resources, non-routine workflows (deviation etc) and other factors that may interrupt the process from performing effectively and efficiently.
• Process Map should be reviewed by a cross functional team to identify:
  • Redundancies
  • Unnecessary steps
  • Bottlenecks
  • Delays
  • Source of Approvals (Additional Resources etc)
  • Waste
  • Potential Risks
• Evaluate the current process performance.
• Complete a Process Improvement Plan and have the stakeholders sign off.

Example:

Current Process Flow

The Current Process Flow Diagram (Figure 1 below) shows that System A has an output that is manually entered into excel, this manual transfer of data requires a 2^nd person to verify the data entry is correct. The data then from step 5 is manually transferred to System B, this manual transfer of data also requires a 2^nd person to verify the data entry is correct. The data is eventually inputted into System B following two separate 2^nd person verification checks.

Figure 1: Current Process Flow Diagram

Improved Process Flow

After analysing the old process from Figure 1 above, it was assessed that steps 3,4,5,6 & 7 could be removed in favour of an automatic transfer of data from System A to System B directly.

Using the Process Map as a guide it was identified that the automatic transfer of data from system A to System B would remove the need for resources (Two separate 2^nd person reviews no longer required), increase the integrity of the data transfer process and streamline the overall process, increasing productivity.

Figure 2: Improved Process Flow Diagram

Our team of experienced engineers can help you to enable greater efficiencies, improved quality and compliancy within your industry.

Dataworks provides a full range of Data Integrity services as part of our offering including: Data Integrity assessment, Process Mapping, Remediation of Software and Validation services.

If you would like to discuss how we can help you with your Data Integrity projects please Contact Us or call us today on 051 878555.

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