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Process mapping before automation: where SMEs should start
Process mapping means drawing out, step by step, how a piece of work actually gets done. It is one of the most useful things an SME can do before automating a process or applying AI to it. A map shows which steps are worth automating, which need fixing first, and which can be removed altogether.
The short answer
What a process map is.
A process map is a simple picture of how work flows from start to finish: who does each step, what information they use, and where the work passes from one person or system to the next.
Process mapping is a long-established technique, used in quality management, lean operations and systems design. It does not need special software. Many useful maps are drawn on a whiteboard or with sticky notes.
In our view, mapping should come before any automation or AI project. Automating a process that is unclear or inefficient does not fix it. Instead, the same problems happen faster and more often. They also become harder to spot, because fewer people are involved in the work.
Why map first
What mapping shows you.
Most people who work in a process know their own part of it well. Few can see the whole flow. Mapping puts the whole flow in one place, and it usually reveals four things.
Steps that add no value
Tasks that exist only because of an old problem. An example is printing a document to have it signed and then scanning it back in. Steps like these should be removed, not automated.
Delays and hand-offs
Points where work waits for someone else, or passes between teams. These are often where most of the time is lost.
Workarounds
Places where staff use a spreadsheet, a phone call or a personal note to get around a gap in the system. These show where the current tools do not fit the work.
Different ways of doing the same thing
Two staff members may handle the same task in different ways. The business needs to agree one standard way before the task can be automated.
How to map
How to map a process in five steps.
You can map a process in a few hours with the people who do the work. The steps below work for most processes, from taking an order to paying a supplier.
- 01
Choose one process and set its limits.
Pick a process that matters, such as taking an order through to payment. Agree exactly where it starts and ends, for example from “customer places an order” to “payment is received”.
- 02
Bring in the people who do the work.
Invite the staff who carry out each step, not only their managers. Managers tend to describe how the process should work. Staff describe how it actually works.
- 03
Lay out the current steps in order.
Write each step on a card or sticky note and place them in order. For each step, note who does it, which system or document they use, and roughly how long it takes.
- 04
Mark the problems.
Highlight the delays, errors, re-entered data and workarounds. Ask where things most often go wrong, and why.
- 05
Agree the improved version.
Remove steps that add no value, simplify the hand-offs, and agree one standard way of doing the work. Only then decide which steps to automate or support with AI.
What to automate
Deciding which steps to automate.
Once the process is mapped and improved, some steps will be good candidates for automation or AI, and others will not. The table shows how to tell them apart.
| Type of step | Good candidate? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Repetitive and rule-based, such as copying data between systems | Yes | The same rules apply every time, so automation is reliable. |
| High volume, such as matching hundreds of invoices to payments | Yes | Automation saves the most time where the work happens most often. |
| Needs judgement, such as approving an unusual discount | Partly | AI can gather information and suggest an answer, but a person should make the decision. |
| Rare, or changes often | Usually not | The effort of setting up automation is unlikely to pay back. |
| Unclear, or people disagree on how it should work | Not yet | Agree how the step should work first. Automation would follow only one version, and the disagreement would remain. |
Common questions
Questions about process mapping.
Do we need special software to map a process?
No. A whiteboard, sticky notes or a simple drawing tool is enough for most SMEs. Specialist software becomes useful only when you have many processes to document and keep up to date.
Which process should we map first?
Choose one that happens often, affects customers or cash flow, and causes regular problems. Taking an order through to payment, and buying stock through to receiving it, are common starting points for distributors, retailers and F&B businesses.
How detailed should the map be?
Detailed enough to show each hand-off, system and decision point, but not every click. If the map does not fit on one wall or one page, it is probably too detailed for a first version.
Is process mapping the same as writing SOPs?
They are related but different. A process map shows how work flows across people and systems. A standard operating procedure (SOP) gives step-by-step instructions for one part of that work. Mapping usually comes first, and the SOPs are then written from the map.
How does process mapping relate to AI readiness?
In our approach to AI readiness, processes are the first of three foundations, followed by systems and data. A mapped and agreed process gives AI a consistent pattern to work with. It also shows where the data that AI needs is created. Our guide to what AI readiness is explains this in more detail.
Find out where you stand
See how ready your foundations are.
The free Readiness Snapshot takes about five minutes. It emails you a PDF report showing where your processes, systems and data stand on the path to AI, and which gap to close first.