Creating Swim Lanes to document where processes cross functional boundaries

[TheyGaveMeTheQ]

I'm trying to find some saged advice on creating swim lanes to document where processes cross functional boundaries. How much detail is enough? I can read the responses now...but I am looking to provide enough detail to show the interaction/interrelated processes, but not map the whole world.

Is there any FREE solutions like a plugin for MS Excel that I can use to toy with?

Thanks

 

[Jim Wynne]

Re: Swim lanes

I'm trying to find some saged advice on creating swim lanes to document where processes cross functional boundaries. How much detail is enough? I can read the responses now...but I am looking to provide enough detail to show the interaction/interrelated processes, but not map the whole world.

Is there any FREE solutions like a plugin for MS Excel that I can use to toy with?

Thanks

Welcome to the Cove, TGMTQ

Swim lanes? Did I sleep through another lecture? I think the key is to just walk the process (either physically or mentally) and stop where there's an obvious boundary line--a shift in responsibilities--and look around. What you should be trying to do is look for potential errors or problems in the flow of the process. Talk to people. Find out if they understand how their process affects processes downstream, and how upstream processes affect them. Look for conflicting priorities, which is the prime bugaboo in processes that overlap departmental boundaries. If, for example, the priority for one department is the number of products produced--a raw count--and the priority for an overlapping process is how many good products are produced, you're going to have trouble.

The goal should not be to just identify process streams, but to use the knowledge gained to consolidate priorities. There's no Excel plugin that will help. You have to go out there and do it.

 

[Claes Gefvenberg]

Re: Swim lanes

Welcome to the Cove

Is there any FREE solutions like a plugin for MS Excel that I can use to toy with?

Swimlanes? I haven't seen anything for free. Personally I use Visio. I created the example below (Our internal audit procedure) with it. The amount of detail depends among other things on how much supporting text you use, and my example is not supposed to be graphics only.

/Claes

 

[Martijn]

I'm using Visio 2003, theres a template called cross functional flowchart under "flowchart" shapes, basically it's the same as Claes made.

 

[JRKH]

First off - Welcome to the cove.

I used visio to create the crossfunctional chart attached. I then copied it into a word document for posting on our intranet to assure security of content.

Hope this helps.

James

 

[TheyGaveMeTheQ]

Thanks for the welcome and responses. They gave me some ideas to chew on.

 

[darcithompson]

Re: Swim lanes

You note the example below, but I don't see it. Is it something that you are willing to share to save me starting from scratch. I have to flow our new hire process for internal system audits

 

[JaneB]

I'm trying to find some saged advice on creating swim lanes to document where processes cross functional boundaries. How much detail is enough? ...... I am looking to provide enough detail to show the interaction/interrelated processes, but not map the whole world.

How much detail is enough? That's THE big question, to which there just isn't a simple answer. It depends on many things, particularly:
- purpose (what's it to be used for?)
- audience (who'll use it? eg, how much do they know, how much can be assumed, how much can be left out, etc)

I can suggest that:
- try to fit it on 1 page, or at most 2 (few people can concentrate on something that goes longer than that)
- try reviewing drafts with various people to get their feedback
- if there are bits where there's a LOT of detail, perhaps break those down into sub-processes.

How will you know when it's 'enough'? When it's generally acknowledged to be useful for its purpose and most common audience. This should generally be more than just you and an auditor!!

But I'd encourage the approach. I used it recently & successfully with a large organisation where things were consistently 'falling between the cracks' when they crossed functional boundaries. Each of the units involved had their own view of how things were/should be. But putting things together in a swimlane chart helped a lot of discussion and realisations about the end to end process. These included a realisation of the parts that other teams played, and the time required to pass things back and forth (complex process).

PS - sorry, but there isn't any freebie program I know of. I use Visio. I'd hate to try drawing something like this up in any program that wasn't designed for such uses.

 

[Marcelo]

There´s a open source alternative to Visio called Dia https://www.gnome.org/projects/dia/ (although it obviously does not have all the options).

Fot other open source alternatives to commercial programs take a look at this link

https://www.damicon.com/resources/opensoftware.html