Creating Processes

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If you want to understand a process, the best place to start is by mapping it out.
The simplest way of doing so is creating a workflow diagram with a distinct start and end of what needs to be done and what variations could occur.

While this form of explaining a process is good, it does not show all of the details.
A good place to begin when creating processes is thinking of "Handoffs"

A handoff in a process occurs when responsibility passes from one person to another.

A good way to display a handoff in a process map is by creating "Swim-lanes" or distinct horizontal lines in the chart where responsibility is handled by specific people, if the objects in the chart enter someone's swim-lane, the responsibility has been handed to that person.

During a handoff it is crucial that all information is passed onto the next person with responsibility, failing to do this properly will cause issues further down the line in the process.

This important information includes:

• Project due date
• Current project status
• any other important notes specific to this project, for example; If someone is tasked to purchase a laptop for a new hire, important information during handoff would include the budget, specification requirements and a preferred brand.

A sign that a handoff has not been performed successfully is a constant stream of questions and being asked back and forth, this shows that the receiving party has not been given all of the information required.

A common result of a poor handoff is errors, using the example of the laptop purchase, this may include going over budget, getting a device with too poor or too high specifications, or purchasing the wrong brand.

During the creation of a process, it is important to list all of the important information that must be transferred during every handover, doing so will ensure everybody has the correct information and processes can be completed with minimal errors. This is called a "Handoff agreement" or "Handoff Design".

A handoff agreement isn't anything formal and it just needs to include all the information requirements required for the handoff to be completed successfully.

Finally and most importantly, processes are always improving. Expect to be constantly making small adjustments to processes as mistakes happen and lessons are learned.