Process Modelling: Setting Yourself Up For Success. A Pragmatist’s Guide (Part 3)
In the third and final part of this article, we move on from objectives, and techniques, to some caveats, and a summary view of a successful process modelling exercise.
Common Pitfalls
In articulating the success criteria, and the key “how” factors of successful process modelling, I’ve already covered several of the main pitfalls, others are the corollaries of these practices. If you avoid these hazards below, you’re well on your way to a successful modelling exercise and improvement program:
Not being clear on the start and end of the process(es) in scope
Not being clear on external sub-processes being in or out of scope
Capturing too much detail and/or covering too many trivial exception paths (making process models confusing or unintelligible)
Not having enough detail and/or not covering impactful (yet infrequent or lesser-known) exception paths (glossing over factors that are in fact important)
Not capturing your process in a clear, easy-to-understand and transferable business format, such as basic BPMN
Not incorporating the input, and validation, of all relevant stakeholders
Spending too little or too much time and resources on process modelling. Depending on the scope, a few days to a few weeks should be sufficient.
Confusing or blurring “As Is” aka Current State, and “To Be” aka Future State, models
Modelling for the sake of modelling, rather than as a precursor to action such as improvement, automation, innovation
Recurrence of the subjective “not too little, not too much” theme is again indicative of the “art as well as science” nature of process modelling.
Conclusion: What Good Looks Like
Process modelling is one of those things that often take a lot of hard effort to end up with something that looks simple, often intuitive, sometimes even obvious.
Drawing on the success criteria above, the “how to” practices, and avoiding the pitfalls, a successful process modelling initiative might look something like the following.
The initiative is kicked off by an organisation as a first step towards creating new processes, and/or improving existing ones
The process(es) selected are highly likely to have problems and/or opportunities to be addressed through the process lens
An independent, objective and experienced process practitioner is there to facilitate stakeholder interaction
Processes are modelled via facilitated workshops, ideally geographically co-located. Additional follow-up interviews may be conducted with other stakeholders
Processes are modelled using a commonly understood, standards-based notation, ideally “simplified” BPMN and swim lane format
The “Happy Path” and key escalation paths are modelled, these models have clear flow, handoffs, key tasks and decisions.
Additional information, concerning “corner cases”, keystroke-procedure level detail, problems and opportunities identified along the way, are faithfully documented and retained as supporting documentation
Business language is used, where necessary this is more fully explained in the supporting documentation
The relevant stakeholders review and validate the models and documentation
By participating in the process of process modelling, these stakeholders have a better, more common shared view and appreciation of the process, its problems, and opportunities. These stakeholders are therefore already aligned to any following projects and change management thereof
Overall, the initiative will have taken the stakeholders along a journey of analysis, introspection, and ideation, and there is now a set of valuable assets for the organisation to move forward to the next logical stage.