| Methodology
Use the method called Five Ws (WWWWWH) when you model business processes. This method uses organised questioning in order to collect necessary information to analyze and map business processes.
Question |
Sub questions |
Examples |
| WHO? | From whom, with whom, for whom | Responsible, participant, subject, target |
| WHAT? | What, with what, in relation to what | Action, object, objective, task |
| WHERE? | Where, which way | Location, service |
| WHEN? | All “when” questions, from when, until when | Dates, periodicity, duration |
| WHY? | Cause, reason, aim | Justification, purpose |
| HOW? | In what way, under what conditions, by which process | Procedure, material means, technical methods |
| HOW MUCH? | To which extend, how often, how long | Quantities, hours, minutes, weeks, etc. |
CREATION RULES
Chart: Use type of chart Cross-Functional Flowchart. Then in the Design tab, select Simple theme.
Page Setup: The use of Letter US size (8X11) and landscape orientation are recommended to allow easy-reading when you insert a chart in PowerPoint.
To set the page size:
Click the Design è Page Setup to display the Page Setup window. Under the Print Setup tab, select Letter US printer paper then click the Landscape option. Go to Page Size tab, click Pre-defined size and select Standard. Click Apply and OK to save. Now resize the design so it fits the new setup.
Font: Process title: Calibri 16 pt; Job position: Calibri 12 pt; Activities: Calibri 8 pt.
Document properties: Access the Properties window by clicking File è Properties è Advanced Properties.
Under the Summary tab, fill in the following fields:
Title/File Name: Name of main process.
Name the file as follows: Process (space), process name (dash, space) department (dash, space) division.vsdx
Example: Purchase Order Creation – Stock Purchasing – Experimental
Author: Name of the person who is documenting the process.
Manager: Team to which the author belongs.
Company: XXX inc.
Comments: Creation date; Project no./name.
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DOCUMENTATION RULES
Job positions/Department: Represented by swim lanes on each page of the process even when they are non-active.
Start/End: A process starts with shapes and ends with . Shapes are linked by an arrow to the process first or last activity/task.
Activities: Activities/tasks performed by the user. Always use Activity and Transaction to describe the activity/task (example: Enter data, MM01). Then link the activity with an arrow. Arrow line allowed: 0,24 or 1/4pt)
Activity sequence: Stagger activities (from left to right) to reflect time progression, otherwise activities will be considered as performed simultaneously. In a situation where it is not possible, add a note in the process.
Activity performed by several responsibles: When a task is performed by two employees at the same time, the shape should overlap the job positions split line.
Document: When a form or paper document that is not produced by the systems is required to execute a task, use the shape and insert it in the chart on the lower right corner of the task shape.
Example: Employee Pay Form .
Off-page reference: Use the shape
between tabs of a same process. When you insert the shape, select Existing page. In the dropdown list, select the current tab then check the Keep shape text synchronized box. Click OK. A shape will be added in the selected tab. Use letters to link the shapes.
Sub process: A group of activities present in a different tab of the main process constitutes a sub process. In a situation where a sub process is present in several main processes, it will be documented in a separate file. Sub processes are represented by the following shape
.
Link between sub process shape & tab: Select the sub process shape. Right-click and select Hyperlink. At Sub-address, click Browse. Select the desired tab and click OK. Note: Avoid naming the tabs “page 1”, “page 2”, etc.
As a result, when you double-click the link, Visio brings you to the right page (tab). This is useful when you create complex processes.
System: The last functional swimlane is reserved to systems (bold characters) and transactions. Use an oblong shape and enter transaction codes, reports, etc. The font allowed is Calibri 8 pt and the dotted line is used to link the shapes (line format: 0,24 or 1/4 pt; no end arrow).
Examples:
Interface: Interface between two systems is illustrated by an arrow that connects the two systems.
Example: SAP Excel
ENSURE TO:
- Create one process per file.
- Save the document in a PDF format before you send it for review.
- At the end of a project, send a request to the Change Management Team (Montreal IS) to have final processes loaded on your Business Process Library (SharePoint).
DIAGRAM SHAPES TO USE
To access shapes, click the appropriate shapes list on the left column.
| Basic Flowchart Shapes:
Process start/end
|
| Activity/task or transaction
|
| Reference to another process or sub process
|
| Choice, question or decision
|
| Link to another page
|
| Hard copy or form
|
| Reference on the current page to identify a loop between activities.
|
| Cross-Functional Flowchart Shapes:
|
| Job position/department swim lane
|
|
Cut-off information |
| More shapes/Visio Extras/Annotations:
|
| Annotation
|
Terry Vermeylen
President
World Class Supply Chain