process-mapping

name	Process Mapping
description	This skill should be used when the user asks to "map this process", "create an AS-IS process map", "design the TO-BE process", "build a RACI matrix", "identify process bottlenecks", "document a business process", or needs to analyse and improve an existing workflow.
version	1.0.0

Process Mapping

Document current and future business processes with precision. Identify bottlenecks, handoff failures, and improvement opportunities using structured AS-IS / TO-BE analysis.

Overview

Process mapping reveals the gap between how a process is supposed to work and how it actually works. Apply this skill before designing any system that automates or supports an existing business process.

AS-IS Process Mapping

Step 1: Identify Process Boundaries

Define:

• Process name: concise, verb-noun (e.g., "Customer Onboarding", "Invoice Approval")
• Trigger: what starts this process
• End state: what condition marks the process complete
• Scope: what is included and excluded from this mapping

Step 2: Capture Process Steps

For each step, capture:

• Step ID: sequential (1, 2, 3...)
• Step name: verb-noun (e.g., "Validate Customer Identity")
• Actor: who performs this step (role, not person)
• System: what system or tool is used (if any)
• Input: what does this step receive
• Output: what does this step produce
• Decision points: if/else branches with conditions
• Pain points: what makes this step slow, error-prone, or frustrating

Step 3: RACI Matrix

Map responsibilities across roles:

Step	Role A	Role B	Role C	System/Tool
[Step 1]	R	A	I	[System]
[Step 2]	I	R	A	[System]

R = Responsible, A = Accountable, C = Consulted, I = Informed

Step 4: Pain-Point Heatmap

Rate each step for:

• Effort: Low / Medium / High
• Error rate: Low / Medium / High
• Delay: Low / Medium / High
• Automation potential: Low / Medium / High

Steps with High ratings across multiple dimensions are improvement priorities.

TO-BE Process Design

After mapping the AS-IS:

1. Identify which steps can be eliminated (no value added)
2. Identify which steps can be automated (high effort + high automation potential)
3. Identify which handoffs cause the most delay (redesign the handoff)
4. Identify where decisions could be moved earlier (shift-left)
5. Redesign the process with the improvements applied

For each improvement, document:

• Change type: Eliminate / Automate / Simplify / Resequence / Add check
• Steps affected
• Expected benefit: time saved, error rate reduction, cost saving
• Implementation effort: Low / Medium / High

Output Format

Produce:

1. AS-IS process narrative + step table
2. RACI matrix
3. Pain-point heatmap table
4. TO-BE process narrative with improvement recommendations
5. Improvement summary table (prioritised by benefit vs. effort)

Additional Resources

• references/process-notation-guide.md — BPMN notation guide for formal process diagrams
• assets/process-map-template.md — Blank AS-IS / TO-BE template