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Process Flow Mistakes: Part I
Process flow diagram basics
A process flow is not the only diagram in business analysis, but it is the most popular. It is considered the table stakes of business analysis, an analyst’s bread-and-butter. Browse through any project documentation or a requirements document: if there are any diagrams in it, a process flow is the most likely diagram you will find.
Process flows are used for business analysis, process improvement and waste reduction initiatives to visualize how things get done, and to determine what can be done better.
What is a process flow diagram? Simply put, it shows a sequence of essential process steps (read this article if you are new to process modelling).
Process diagrams may or may not indicate who is doing what, and may or may not include all possible variations of the process. Just like with any other diagrams, they can be done at any level — from a high-level sequence of three steps to an intricate BPMN diagram stretching across multiple pages.
Business students, management consultants, Sig Sigma gurus and business analysts all create process flows to support their analysis of business operations. It is a well-known diagram with a logical organization that we understand intuitively: do this, then do this, and wait until this is completed before…
