Vol. I · Business, Books & Order · Price: One good idea
How to map a workflow in one afternoon
You do not need consultants to see where a process wastes effort. A pen, a wall and the people who do the work are enough.
By the Sarvlekh Desk | 4 minute read | Updated 2 November 2026
The best process maps are drawn by the people who do the work, not by those who imagine it.
Set up
Pick one process — say, a customer order from enquiry to payment. Gather the people who touch it. Use sticky notes and a long wall or table.
Walk it step by step
Write each step on a note, in order. Mark every handoff between people and every wait. Add where information is typed again.
Count what hurts
For each step note roughly how long it takes and how often it goes wrong. Circle the ones that make people groan.
Ask three questions
- Does this step need to exist?
- Could it happen at the same time as another?
- Could it happen automatically?
Choose one change
Resist redesigning everything. Pick the single change that removes the most wait or re-typing and try it for two weeks. Measure, keep what works and repeat.
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