Transitions · Process mapping workbook

Process mapping workbook

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Introduction

At this point, you have a thorough understanding of who is doing what at each step of your process. Now, we will focus on flow and communication. How will contributors know one stage has been completed and the next can begin? How will they know when it is their turn at bat?

We call this movement from one step to the next a “transition”.

Every transition has two attributes: how it is done (method) and what signifies it’s time for it to happen (trigger).

Methods

The handoff method describes what is done during a handoff and how the recipient knows the handoff has occurred.

There are two methods:

Inferred: This is when a contributor is not told something has moved into a phase they are involved in. Rather, the contributor knows that is something meets certain criteria, it now needs their attention. Example: Manager knows that all tasks marked “needs review” require their feedback and the manager routinely checks the task list to check for tasks in need of their attention.

Explicit: This is when a contributor is explicitly told that it is their turn in the process, usually in the form of a notification. The contributor does not routinely check for things that need their attention, rather they wait to be told it’s their turn. Example: When team members mark a task as “needs review”, they send a heads up email to their manager letting them know something is ready for their feedback.

Triggers

A transition trigger describes what must occur for one step to end and the next to begin.

There are two types of triggers:

Time based: The step has a deadline. Once the deadline has passed, that step is over and the next begins. Example: Before a meeting, team members vote on topics to discuss. Once the meeting had begun, the voting is over.

Criteria based: the step has certain criteria that must be met before the step is considered complete. Once the criteria is met, the step is over and the next begins. Example: A project is marked “needs review” when it is ready for the manager to provide feedback.