A visual documentation technique that creates detailed flowcharts or diagrams showing the steps, decisions, inputs, outputs, and responsibilities involved in a business process. It helps identify inefficiencies, bottlenecks, and improvement opportunities.
Combines 'process' (Latin 'processus' meaning 'advance' or 'progress') with 'mapping' (Latin 'mappa' meaning 'cloth' or 'chart'). The business application emerged in the 1960s as organizations grew complex and needed systematic ways to document and analyze their operations.
Process mapping is like creating a GPS for your business operations - it shows not just where you are and where you want to go, but reveals all the wrong turns, traffic jams, and shortcuts that people have been taking! The 'aha moment' usually comes when teams see their process mapped out and realize they've been doing things the hard way for years.
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