Process mapping with BPMN: how to get started

Before you automate anything, you need to know how the work is actually done. Process mapping makes it visible: who does what, in which order, with which systems and where the information goes. BPMN is the international standard for drawing processes so that both the business and the developers understand them.

What is BPMN?

BPMN stands for Business Process Model and Notation. It is a standard for describing business processes graphically, maintained by the Object Management Group. Version 2.0.1 is also established as an international standard, ISO/IEC 19510:2013.^[1] The aim is to provide a notation that is easy to understand for everyone involved: the business analysts who draw the processes, the developers who build the support and those who manage and monitor the work.^[1]

You do not need to know the whole standard to get started. A handful of symbols takes you a long way:

• Events (circles) show where the process starts and ends, for example "order received" and "order delivered".
• Activities (rounded rectangles) are tasks, such as "register order" or "send invoice".
• Gateways (diamonds) are decision points where the flow splits, for example "is the item in stock?".
• Swimlanes show who performs each activity: a role, a department or a system.

Step 1: Choose and scope the process

Start with a process that is important and that many people find complicated. Decide where it starts and where it ends. A common trap is trying to map everything at once. A well-scoped process, such as "from enquiry to quote sent", gives faster results and teaches you the method.

Step 2: Map the current state as it actually is

Talk to the people who do the work, not just the people who describe it. Interview staff, go through the systems and look at real examples. Draw the process as it looks today, with all the detours and exceptions. It is precisely the detours that reveal the improvement potential.

Step 3: Look for the waste

Once the current state is drawn, patterns that are otherwise invisible become clear. Look especially for:

• Double data entry: the same information is entered into several systems.
• Handovers: every time a case changes hands, the risk of waiting and errors increases.
• Waiting times: steps where the case sits still waiting for a reply or approval.
• Manual decisions that follow simple rules and can therefore be automated.
• Information gaps: decisions made on incomplete information.

The need is great. In MuleSoft's survey of more than 1,050 IT leaders, the average company had 897 applications, but only 29 percent of them were integrated with each other.^[2] In practice, the gaps between systems are filled with manual work.

Step 4: Draw the target state

The target state describes how the process should work. Remove unnecessary steps, move decisions closer to whoever has the information and mark which tasks can be automated or supported by AI. It is important to simplify before you digitize. Automating a complicated way of working only makes it faster to get things wrong.

Step 5: Prioritize by impact and effort

Not all improvements are equally valuable. Place each action according to how much impact it has and how much work it requires. Start with what gives a large impact for a small effort, measure the result and then take the next step.

Common mistakes

• Drawing the process as it should work instead of how it actually works.
• Making the model so detailed that nobody can be bothered to read it.
• Mapping without involving the people who do the work.
• Choosing a system first and adapting the process afterwards.

Summary

Process mapping with BPMN gives a shared picture of how the business works and a concrete basis for where technology, automation and AI are most useful. Start with a well-scoped process, draw the current state honestly and let the target state guide the choice of technology.