No matter how long you have been working with BPM, doubts will still arise in its stages, especially in the process modeling stage.
Modeling is a graphical representation of how activities and the business itself function. It’s considered the crucial stage of the entire BPM cycle; if not successfully developed, it’ll impact the other stages and routine activities.
Most of the articles and content we find on the subject describe exactly what to do to complete process modeling effectively, but it’s also necessary to consider what not to do or what to avoid.
Main Mistakes in the Process Modeling Stage
1 – Not Knowing the Process
What do you know about the process that will be modeled? How well do you know and understand its objective?
All organizational processes need to be aligned with the strategic planning objectives; otherwise, they are unnecessary and need to be reevaluated or even eliminated.
The people involved in the activity also need to clearly understand its objective, so the person responsible for modeling can convey it through this stage.
2 – Not Knowing the Company
Not having an in-depth knowledge of the company or its Value Chain limits the overall vision, which consequently reflects on process modeling.
The Value Chain differentiates business, support, and management processes, also showing the boundaries between their relationships.
Without this context, the modeled process will not be able to reflect everyday reality.
3 – Not Defining Boundaries
Since we mentioned boundaries in the previous point, we also remind you that every process needs to have predefined start and end points, as well as boundaries between activities from other areas, avoiding it becoming an extensive and confusing process.
With this, the modeled diagrams will present a complete and defined scope, avoiding redundancy among processes within the same company.
4 – Confusing Should Be with As-Is
To recap, the As-Is is the description of the current state of a business process before any improvement interventions. Meanwhile, the Should Be expresses how the process should be executed, considering suggestions and optimizations.
Thus, in the initial stage, the correct approach is to model the As-Is; otherwise, it will not be accurate and will not pass the validation stage.
5 – Lack of Team Involvement
The lack of engagement from the involved team and leadership is a crucial point for the success of process modeling.
After all, changes are only possible when all participants understand and share this need and the proposed modifications.
Remember to adopt clear and efficient communication among the teams, highlighting the importance of the stages and processes for their daily activities and for the organization as a whole.
Extra Tip
Besides learning from mistakes, here is an extra tip: choose the BPM technology that best suits your company’s needs.
Consider its specifications, capabilities, and also check market trends, evaluating if the chosen technology can be used in the long term.
If you already use other software, check for compatibility with the new technology and the possibility of synchronizations.
Interact, for example, has a BPMS capable of mapping, optimizing, and automating the execution and results of business processes. Among the applications that facilitate Process Management, the SA Process Manager includes a process repository, BPI and process analysis, reports, automations, error management, heat maps, process simulation, and more.
Want to know more about the solution? Then visit our website and, if needed, contact one of our consultants.
Author:
Bianca Wermann
Journalist, Communication and Marketing Analyst at Interact Solutions.
