Start with a real category of work, not a list of departments. “Finance approves things” does not explain what happens to a particular invoice. “The invoice waits until its purchase order is matched” gives you something to observe.
Set two boundaries
Name the event that starts the journey and the event that ends it. For a fictional print shop, start might be receipt of an approved design; finish might be pickup of an acceptable printed order. Customer design revisions before approval belong outside this version of the map, although they may deserve a separate map.
Also choose a unit. One order with 500 copies is different from one printed page. If the purpose is to improve order lead time, track orders and distinguish their sizes rather than mixing both counts into one rate.
Build a first map from a small sample
Follow several recent orders, including one with an exception. Ask the people doing each step what they receive, what must be true before work can begin, and where the item goes next. Compare their explanation with timestamps or records.
A basic sequence might be:
Approved design -> file check -> print -> quality check -> pickup
^ |
|--- correction -----|
The correction loop matters. A diagram with only forward arrows can make a repeated task disappear. Mark whether the return is caused by incomplete input, a production error or a changed customer requirement; those causes call for different responses.
Add time without confusing work and waiting
For one fictional order, the team records the following:
| Step | Hands-on work | Waiting before work |
|---|---|---|
| File check | 10 minutes | 50 minutes |
| Printing | 20 minutes | 100 minutes |
| Quality check | 5 minutes | 15 minutes |
| Total | 35 minutes | 165 minutes |
From these boundaries, elapsed time is 200 minutes if the steps and waits are sequential and nothing overlaps. The table is one observation, not a stable average or proof that the printer is the capacity constraint. A long wait could come from batching, schedules or a missing approval.
Put responsibility on the handoff
For each arrow, name what information or material must be ready. A print task may require a file version, quantity, material and due date. If an item arrives without those, the next team cannot start even when its equipment is free.
Choose an owner for exceptions. Otherwise everyone can see a red item in a dashboard while nobody is responsible for making the decision that releases it. The map should clarify the work, not create a surveillance score for individuals.
Use the map to choose one investigation
Ask where work waits most often, where it returns and which stage limits good completed orders. Verify capacity separately with the capacity measurement guide. Then select one change and define its expected effect using the small-experiment guide.
A good map changes when evidence changes. Date it, record the sample and keep the important exception paths. Review it with the people who actually perform the work before automating it.
Sources and limits
ASQ's flowchart guide describes process maps and their use in understanding a sequence of work. The print-shop map and times are original fictional HBW examples. A map is a description to investigate, not a causal diagnosis by itself.