Before you can improve how something works, you need to see how it works now. A process map is a simple drawing of the steps in a task, who does each one, and where things go wrong. Business analyst roles at banks, telecoms and manufacturers in Ghana often ask for business process analysis, and NGOs use the same skill to improve field work.
What a process map shows
- Steps. Each action, in order: "Officer writes name in register", "Officer sends photo of page on WhatsApp".
- People or roles. Who does each step. Drawing a column or lane for each role makes handovers obvious.
- Decisions. Points where the path splits: "Is the household already registered? Yes or no."
- Handovers. Where work passes from one person to another. Delays and errors love handovers.
- Pain points. Mark steps that are slow, repeated, error prone or frustrating.
You can use boxes for steps, diamonds for decisions and arrows for flow. Formal notations such as BPMN exist and some employers mention them, but clear boxes and arrows are enough to start.
How to map a process
- Pick one process with a clear start and end. For example, "from a customer placing an order to receiving it".
- Watch or ask someone who does it. Do not rely on how managers think it works. Reality is usually messier.