Process mapping: drawing how work gets done before you automate

Definition

Process mapping is the practice of writing or drawing each step of a task, who does it, what information it needs and where it gets handed on, so the whole flow can be understood and improved.

How to do it simply

You need a whiteboard or a shared document, not special software. Pick one process, such as handling a new enquiry. List the trigger, then every step in order, noting who acts, which tool they use and how long it usually waits. Mark the places where work stalls, gets retyped or depends on one person's memory. Ask the people who do the job, since the official procedure and the real one often differ.

The map shows what to fix before you build workflow automation. Automating a confused process only speeds up the confusion. It also reveals where an integration would remove retyping, and it forms part of any honest check of AI readiness. Follow the full steps in map a process before automating.

A hypothetical example

Imagine a bookkeeping practice mapping its new client onboarding. The map shows the same ABN and address are typed into four places. That finding, and not a clever tool, produces the first improvement.

Mapping is the first step in our workflow automation work.