ABSTRACT
A process cannot be improved without first being well understood. By displaying the activities occurring during the operation of a business process, an analyst or project team will set the stage for effective analysis. Process maps can change the focus of an analysis from assessing blame to finding solutions due to their objective and impersonal nature. By identifying the activities that deliver value and uncovering activities that are wasteful, the project team can effectively make changes that improve its ability to satisfy customers. A process map can take many forms; its usefulness is enhanced when the format highlights the types of problems that typically exist. The analysis of a process map should focus on the activities that add value as well as the activities that are wasteful. Wasteful activities fall into categories; knowing these categories is helpful for analysing a process map. To supplement the analysis of business process activities, the use of data can help focus attention on where problems have the largest effect. Useful data analysis methods include check sheets, fishbone diagrams, Pareto charts, and scatter plots.
