Audience: Consider the audience who will be using the process map. Some diagrams, such as flowcharts, are easier to understand for non-technical audiences, while others, such as BPMN diagrams, are more suitable for technical audiences.
The Kanban Method
This guide is targeted at people new to Kanban and interested in learning about the basics of the method. That is why we included an introductory metaphor (Kan-Bahn) to help people connect to the concept. Our hope is that this guide provides an easy entry into the vast Kanban body of knowledge.
For alumni of Kanban University classes for instance who want to review certain aspects, we recommend the “Essential Kanban Condensed” e-book as a reference.
What is Kanban?
Maybe the simplest way to put it is: With Kanban, you can manage work. It is a method to manage all types of professional services, also referred to as knowledge work.
Using the Kanban method means applying a holistic way of thinking about your services with a focus on improving them from your customers’ perspective.
With the Kanban Method, you visualize invisible knowledge work and how it moves through a workflow. This helps to effectively operate your business, including understanding and managing risks in delivering your services to the customers. With Kanban, you and your business will develop an adaptive capability over time to respond better and
faster to changes in your customers’ needs and expectations or within your business environment.
Kanban is widely known for usage within teams, to relieve overburdening and to (re-)gain control over the work done by the team. While this usually brings quick benefits, applying the Kanban Method at a greater scale, e.g., for a line of service usually encompassing the work of multiple teams or different parts of organizations, brings even greater opportunities. Used with a service focus in mind, Kanban is an effective organizational development tool.
Kanban University ( www.kanban.university ) is “Home” of the method and the global community of Kanban trainers, coaches and consultants who continue to evolve the method and develop its related body of knowledge.
Principles & Practices
Principles and Practices of the Kanban Method
When using Kanban, the scope of application (e.g., single team, multiple teams, departments, divisions, etc.) can influence the way the method’s principles and practices are applied.
If you have a look at a basic scope within a team for instance, you might find a relatively simple Kanban board with maybe 5 columns indicating the workflow, a few simple metrics and diagrams, a daily held coordination meeting and regular reviews of the team’s work and performance.
Now imagine a whole internal services department within an enterprise, which is managed by a set of Kanban boards relating to each other, placed at different levels of granularity, covering different workflows. The amount of work in progress is limited at different levels.
Both instances are proper usage of the Kanban method. There is no “right or wrong” in Kanban, rather more or less appropriate adoption of practices given the business context and cultural environment.
The following two sections describe the general Kanban principles and practices.
What is a Process Map?
A process map visually shows the steps of a work activity and the people who are involved in carrying out each step. They are commonly used in process improvement initiatives, such as Lean Six Sigma or business process reengineering, to help organizations streamline their processes by identifying inefficiencies, bottlenecks, and areas for improvement.
When mapping a process you simply draw a box for each step and connect them with arrows to show a flow. You can use an online tool to easily create a Process Map. A basic process map would look like this;
Process Map Symbols
Each step in a process is represented by a shape in a process map. These shapes are also called flowchart shapes.
There are nearly 30 standard shapes that you can use in process mapping. However, we think for most people, using a handful of the most common shapes will be easier to understand.
| Symbol | Name | Use |
|---|---|---|
 |
Activity/Process | To represent a step/ activity of a process |
 |
Decision | To represent a decision that has to be made |
 |
Start/End | To represent the start and end of a process |
 |
Arrow | To represent the connection between two steps and the direction of flow |
| Document | To represent data or information that can be read by people |
The full set of process map/flowchart shapes are at the bottom of this guide.
How to Create a Process Map
Now that you know what process mapping symbols are and what types of process maps are out there, are you ready to create a process map? Here are the steps you need to follow,
Step 1: Identify the Process You Need to Map
Decide where you want to start. Is it with the process that is underperforming? Is it with the process that is important to your new strategy? Or is it with the process that directly makes an impact on customer satisfaction?
And then give it a name.
Step 2: Bring Together the Right Team
The input of everyone involved in the process is necessary to make sure that you cover every aspect of the process when mapping it. The right team should include those who do and manage the process and provides the input.
Step 3: Gather All the Necessary Information
- Where does the process begin and end?
- What are the steps in between these two points?
- What are the inputs and the outputs of the process?
- Who does what? When, where and how?
Step 4: Organize the Steps in a Sequential Order
Get your team to arrange each step in a sequential order from the beginning to the end.
Step 5: Draw the Baseline Process Map
Draw a process map that shows the map as it is currently. Keep in mind the process mapping best practices.
Step 5: Analyze the Map to Find Areas for Improvement
Identify inefficiencies and bottlenecks within the processes. What are the steps that should be eliminated? Where can you make improvements?
Step 6: Implement Improvements and Monitor Them
Implement the improvements on a smaller scale at first. If they work better, you can apply it on a larger scale. Monitor the new and improved process to see how it is functioning and whether it needs further optimization.
Process Map Templates
Following are a few process map templates you can edit online with the Creately editor.
Template 1
Click the template to edit it online
Template 2
Template 3
