Where are your Process Maps?

Well crafted business process maps should be designed to make work flow visible, understandable, and measurable. An important consideration when mapping your business processes is to view them through the eyes of your customers.

Here are some areas to consider when you are mapping business processes:

Identify Your Organization's/Project's Business Processes

What are the processes in your organization that your project will impact?

What new processes will be created once your project is implemented?

What are your customers understanding of your processes?

What are the key trigger points of your processes?

Gather required information

Who are the process owners?

What are the processes you've identified trying to accomplish?

What is the level of quality required? Risk?

What are the control points?

Documenting the Processes

What are all the steps of the processes?

What are the objectives of the processes?

What are the inputs and outputs?

What tools or techniques are applied in each process step?

Where does the process begin and end?

Who owns the process?

Who monitors the process?

How we will know it is working?

Analysis (post mapping)

Is the process efficient?

Does it make sense?

What steps are unnecessary?

Is the process in line with departmental or enterprise objectives?

Are there too many approvals or too much rework?

Are there too many delays or bottlenecks?

Is the process efficient? How do you know?

What measures will be put in place to ensure the process is as efficient as possible?

There are many opportunities for problems to occur when mapping processes, but getting started will help your organization become more effective. Once you become good at mapping your business processes everyone in your organization will begin to understand their role in the organization, what the organization it trying to accomplish, and feel like they are part of the effort to help drive improvements and efficiencies.

There are plenty of books on the subject to help your get started. Click the link below for books that can help - Process Mapping Books

Weekend Break

Kayaking at Bird Key Park, Sarasota, Florida

The Project Sponsor

A project sponsor's role is to help make project decisions (formal authority), and additionally, he or she is ultimately responsible for the project's success. The sponsor comes from the executive or senior management ranks (depending on the size of the project) and should be influential, a respected politician, and have a track record for getting things done.

The sponsors authority and stature should be such that they are independent as much as possible of the project's goals and objectives so they can cut through the political landscape to get critical project decisions made.

Sponsors don't just support projects; they support the project manager and project team. They are the project champion and won't allow others to sabotage the project manager, the project team, or the project's goals. They have authority that comes from their title and position within the organization. In order for sponsors to be effective they must have organizational respect, proven leadership qualities, and be honest in their dealings.  They aren't political sharks and they are adept at rallying the troops (project team and stakeholders), presenting a clear message, and are supportive of the project manager.

Ideal Sponsor Responsibilities

Writes the Project Charter

Help to define project team roles and responsibilities

Acts as an advisor to the project manager

Removes obstacles

Has control of project funding

Reviews and Approves any Statements of Work/Contracts and Planning Documents

Bad Sponsor Characteristics

Always too busy to meet with the project manager and project team

Doesn't have time to write a project charter

Won't get involved in assigning project roles and responsibilities

Doesn't have time to approve documents, or delegates all sponsor responsibility to others.

Blames others when things go wrong, and/or won't work to resolve project issues

Always takes credit for any project success

Is surprised when the project's deliverables aren't what they expected

A bad sponsor is a project manager's worst nightmare. Avoid them at all costs if possible.