6 key steps to define your business processes

When we are part of an organization, we interact with different areas, each composed of teams, systems, and workflows that collectively contribute to achieving the company’s objectives. These areas do not operate in isolation; rather, they function as interconnected units that rely on efficient communication and collaboration. This synergy enables the seamless execution of tasks that ultimately result in a product or service delivered to various customers. However, ensuring that each business process runs smoothly without unnecessary delays, bureaucracy, or outdated methodologies requires a deep understanding of operational workflows and a commitment to continuous improvement.

Therefore, it is essential to recognize that processes are a structured sequence of tasks related to each other, where inputs are transformed into an expected outcome. Every Business Process plays a crucial role in achieving organizational efficiency, and a process survey becomes a fundamental tool in documenting, defining, and refining these workflows. A process survey consists of identifying, mapping, and structuring the step-by-step activities carried out within an organization, providing a clear framework that highlights its identity, characteristics, and objectives. As organizations grow and evolve, the increasing demand for structured workflows and cross-functional collaboration makes it imperative to establish processes that not only optimize day-to-day operations but are also easily understood, measurable, and adaptable for continuous improvement.

Index

• Process Mapping, what is it?
• How can a process be defined in only six steps?
• Advantages
  
  
  
  

What is it?


As mentioned above, process mapping allows organizations to understand the various activities, routines, and procedures. These processes range from operational, support, and strategic ones. An adequate process survey is a valuable tool; you should execute it with periodic reviews, easy to understand, establish action plans and make relevant improvements. You can capture these surveys in flowcharts, process maps, SIPOC, or in a standard procedure.

How can I build a process in just six steps?


Once we know what a process is and the importance of doing a process survey, how should I start? Who are the parties involved? We can be overwhelmed by these and many other questions. With these 6 points that I will describe below, we are ready to jump into the water and take the reins in this great work:

1. Involvement in all areas and various positions: Everyone in the organization must participate and raise their processes in their respective departments. Work sessions, brainstorming, commenting on the most perceived pains, and establishing indicators that allow the evolution and new approaches to the processes, are part of this start and teamwork. Therefore, from managerial roles, analysts, managers, and other organizational profiles must be part, be aware and orchestrate them according to their role in the organization.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Designate those responsible for this survey: Once the work teams and the tasks of the previous step are established, proceed to take the ideas. Know-how of the process and prepare a questionnaire with the most substantial questions regarding the process and how it is currently done. Establish the suppliers of each stage, constraints, systems, inputs and outputs, responsible parties, and stakeholders.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Choosing a tool to capture the survey: Currently, many tools can be handy to us. The vital thing to choose between is to know what works best for my organization, which is more useful, what resources I have, and the practicality and good understanding that this generates. Flowcharts, for example, give a vision of the levels in terms of the number of activities the process has and show the logic that guides people in stages. In addition, there are process maps and SIPOC, to name a few. Whichever tool is chosen, it should be simple to understand but not undermine the most crucial details of a process.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Validation and fieldwork: When reaching the draft version of the process, it is essential to hold team meetings to validate that this is indeed the As-Is, in other words, the current process as it is being executed at that moment. All parties involved and interested parties must agree with the stipulations of the process and then conduct working sessions where the process is explained and simulated.
   
   
   
   
5. Approval of the process mapping: In their key role, management must ensure that the definition is in line with the organization's overall objectives and that it reflects value for our customers. Established indicators allow showing results according to the goals set. With the approval of the management, the process becomes official and gives rise to training and coaching in the relevant areas.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. Measurement and continuous improvement: The process surveys should be an exercise that is part of the DNA of any organization. Contemplate them in schedules and review them periodically. In this way, the measurements will be accurate, and the action plans to be developed will allow us to improve continuously to take us to other stages. 
   
   
   
   
   

We cannot overlook going further if you have the As-Is processes survey ready. It is necessary to get closer to our objectives with more mature processes, going into the To-Be processes. The processes where you want to go, where the organization is going.

Advantages

By collecting all the processes, the information generated, besides being very valuable, allows you to:

• Listen and attend to your client's needs
• Be at the forefront of the competition
• Develop systems and applications
• Innovate in products and services
• Merge, separate, and expand areas in the organization.
• Efficiency in time and execution of tasks
• Measurements by establishing key indicators 

Taking the time to elaborate on this exercise will give us a good definition, able to provide us with a global and interrelated idea of all the areas and their processes, leaving aside the erroneous notion of working in silos without the cooperation and participation of all.


Of course, each organization has its challenges, assignments, and day-to-day workload. So you can contact us for a consultation. We will be pleased and willing to help you with your doubts in this exercise. You can visit our website icx.co