When business processes primarily rely on email threads, spreadsheets, and manual workflows, identifying inefficiencies can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. Without clear system logs or automated pathways, where should you begin? For many organizations, the answer lies in process modelling. But why is this approach more effective in these scenarios, and how can process intelligence help you transition from manual workflows to more streamlined operations? That’s exactly what we will cover in this blog.
Why Process Modelling Is Essential for Manual Workflows
Process modelling serves as a foundation for understanding and optimizing workflows that lack structured data trails. Unlike process mining, which requires system logs to analyze process performance, process modelling allows you to document how tasks flow from one step to another, even when those steps happen through email or Excel.
Key benefits include:
- Visibility: Creating a visual map of your processes reveals redundant tasks, rework, handoffs between roles or functions, and potential compliance risks.
- Standardization: Documenting workflows helps ensure consistency, especially when processes are executed differently across teams.
- Collaboration, Governance, and Compliance: Process models provide a shared reference point, making it easier to align stakeholders on process behavior and improvements. In addition, process knowledge and change is managed through the lifecycle of the process, and auditable information is available for compliance purposes.
How to Transform Email and Excel-Based Processes into Process Models
- Gather Process Information: Start by collecting emails, spreadsheets, and other documents that represent typical process workflows. Identify the sequence of tasks, decision points, and handoffs.
- Interview Key Stakeholders: Speak with employees involved in the process to understand variations, exceptions, and pain points that may not be evident in the documents.
- Map the Process: Use a process modelling tool like iGrafx Process360 Live Design to create a visual representation of the workflow. Clearly define each step, the individuals or teams responsible, and the information exchanged.
- Identify Improvement Opportunities: Highlight areas where manual tasks could be automated, handoffs streamlined, and delays reduced.
- Validate the Model Improvements: Engage stakeholders to ensure accuracy and alignment before implementing any changes.
Using Process Intelligence to Enhance Process Modelling
Process intelligence platforms, like iGrafx Process360 Live, can take your process modelling efforts to the next level. By integrating qualitative insights from employees with quantitative data from available systems, you gain a more comprehensive understanding of your workflows.
Here’s how process intelligence can help when processes are primarily manual:
- Data Consolidation: Even if logs are unavailable, you can still import structured data from spreadsheets and other sources to analyze performance via task mining.
- Process Simulation: After modelling a process, you can use process simulation to test different scenarios and identify the impact of changes before implementation. You may import data from spreadsheets to refine your model with quantitative data.
- Continuous Improvement: Use process intelligence to monitor KPIs and help ensure that process changes deliver the desired outcomes.
Transitioning from Process Modelling to Process Mining
As your organization documents and systematizes (or automates) more processes, you can gradually shift from modelling to process mining. Process intelligence platforms support this evolution by enabling you to:
- Connect with system logs as they become available
- Compare actual performance to modelled processes
- Identify deviations and optimize processes in real time
Using GenAI to get Processes into a Process Intelligence Platform
Manually documenting processes can be time-consuming, but with Pia, our Generative AI-powered Process Intelligence Assistant, organizations can streamline the process of turning disparate sources of workflow information into structured process models. Pia can automatically transform SOPs, email chains, and other static documents into dynamic process diagrams, eliminating the need for extensive back-and-forth between process owners and analysts. This accelerates the transition from manual process modelling to full-scale process intelligence, laying the groundwork for automation, compliance, and operational excellence
Conclusion
When your processes are largely driven by email, Excel, and other manual tools, process modelling is the ideal starting point. It provides the visibility and structure needed to identify inefficiencies and standardize workflows. With the support of process intelligence, you can enhance this approach and seamlessly transition to process mining.
Ready to see how iGrafx Process360 Live can help you map, analyze, and optimize your processes? Discover more here.