Before you can improve a process, you have to understand it. The Document phase is where that work begins. You map the process as it actually exists today, not as it was designed or as anyone assumes it works. That map becomes the foundation for everything that follows.
Why Documentation Comes First
Most process problems are invisible until someone takes the time to draw them out. Work gets done in fragments, handoffs break down, and steps that add no value accumulate over time. Documentation makes those problems visible. You cannot assess what you have not captured, and you cannot improve what you do not understand.
For a deeper look at why documentation matters, download the UC Berkeley Process Optimization Guide.
What Is a Process?
A process is a group of related activities that together create value for a customer. Every process has six basic components:
TRIGGER
The event that starts the process.
INPUT
The information or data needed to begin.
WORK
The sequence of tasks and decisions that transforms inputs into outputs.
ACTORS
Every person, team, or system that touches the work.
OUTPUT AND RESULT
What the process produces and the value it delivers.
CUSTOMER
The person or group that receives and benefits from the result.
Tools and Templates
Nintex Process Manager: UC Berkeley's official tool for process documentation is Nintex Process Manager. It is available to all UC Berkeley departments at no cost through the BPMO. Contact us at bpmo.berkeley.edu to get started.
Process Map Template: Not ready for Nintex Process Manager yet? Download the BPMO current state process template at...
UC Berkeley Process Optimization Guide: A comprehensive practitioner guide to documenting, assessing, improving, and managing processes at UC Berkeley. Covers methodology, tools, and best practices across all four phases of the Process Management Lifecycle. Download the guide at...
How to Document a Process
The BPMO uses a four-step approach to process documentation. Each step builds on the last. Work through them in order.
STEP 1: Define the scope
Establish boundaries before you do anything else. Know what triggers the process, what it produces, and what is in and out of scope.
STEP 2: Talk to the people who do the work
Walk through every step with the people who actually perform it. Pay close attention to workarounds, informal steps, and manual fixes that never made it into any official document.
STEP 3: Map the current state
Organize what you learned into a visual. A swimlane diagram works well for cross-functional processes because it makes handoffs visible. Capture the trigger, steps, actors, decision points, handoffs, systems, and end result.
STEP 4: Validate and refine
Bring the draft back to the people who do the work. Walk through it with them. Close the gaps before moving on.
Process Documentation Checklist: A checklist covering process name and owner, trigger, inputs, steps, actors, decision points, handoffs, systems, time estimates, volume, pain points, end result, and performance measures. Download the full checklist at...
Where to Start
Not sure which process to document first? Start with processes that are high pain, high volume, high visibility, or connected to a current campus priority. If a process has been identified as a candidate for automation or AI, documentation is the mandatory first step.
The BPMO can support this work directly. Reach out at bpmo.berkeley.edu.