Breakout: Process Maps Demystified: Clues to Finding Problems Within 

Creating a process map is one of the first steps to process improvement. What processes, you ask? Processes such as: the check in and shelving of materials; planning, scheduling and promotion of programs; delivery routes and work of between-branch couriers; acknowledging receipt of patrons’ title purchase requests, research and decision making, placing orders and holds, and sharing your decision with patrons; and, the receipt, cataloging and processing of new items received from vendors, and more. 

Developing the map is easy but, once you’ve charted your process, what does it say? Aye, there’s the rub!   

 In this hands-on session, we’ll focus on using a practical set of questions to analyze sample process maps and interpret what you see. Once you’ve discovered the problems, you’ll learn about possible next steps in your quest for process improvement.  

Best of all, you will walk away with handouts to support you when you get back to work, including: common flowchart symbols; tips for successful process mapping; process analysis cheat sheet; 10 definitions of quality; the eight wastes of lean; samples of five variations of process maps (flowcharts, spaghetti map, value stream map, swim lane map, and customer journey map); and, a list of resources.