Discover · Add-on
Map the current process and its pain points
Before changing how an organisation works, understand how it works today, including the workarounds people rely on.
About 3-10 daysEvergreenLast reviewed 5 November 2026
Who this applies to
- Skills it builds
- Discovery and research
- PM types
- Transformation
- Product types
- All
- Starting points
- All
- Ways of working
- All
- Experience
- All
- Size of organisation
- All
Steps, by experience
Beginner (under 1 year)
- Pick the process to map and its start and end points.
- Watch people do the work, not just what the procedure says.
- Map each step, who does it, which systems they use and how long it takes.
- Mark pain points, delays, rework and workarounds.
- Check the map with the people who do the work.
Intermediate (1 to 4 years)
- Observe and map the as-is process.
- Measure time, cost and errors.
- Validate with staff.
Experienced (5+ years)
- Map across departments to find hand-off problems.
- Quantify the cost of pain points.
- Use the map to build the case for change.
Who can do this
Owner: Product manager
Can be delegated to
- Business Analyst: Map the process and systems
- User Researcher: Observe staff doing the work
Reviewed by: Business Analyst
Tool examples
- Miro
- Draw a swimlane map with a lane per role.
- Mural
- Map the process with staff in a workshop.
Definition of done
- Current process mapped from observation
- Pain points and workarounds marked
- Map validated with staff
Common pitfalls
- Mapping the official process, not the real one
- Skipping the people who do the work
- Jumping to solutions
If you lead the team
What good looks like: Change starts from a clear picture of how work happens today, including workarounds.
Ask your PM
- Have we mapped how the work really happens, not just the official process?
- Which pain points matter most to the people doing the work?
Warning signs
- The new design is based on the documented process alone.
- Frontline staff weren't involved.