Detailed process mapping

Learning objectives

• Map actual flow, not the ideal SOP flow.
• Reveal decisions, loops, handoffs, delays and rework paths.
• Mark measurement points for Y and candidate Xs.

Detailed maps versus SIPOC

SIPOC gives boundaries; a detailed map exposes what really happens between them. Deployment maps show who does what and when handoffs occur.

Record queues, inspections, rework loops and system transactions. These are where measurement points and hidden factories live.

Garment-factory example

A measurement-repair map follows a garment from end-line detection through segregation, unpicking, re-sewing, remeasurement, bundle re-marking and release — a loop absent from the standard flow chart.

Method

1. Walk the process during a normal and an abnormal shift.
2. Draft on paper with the operators present.
3. Mark data-collection points and rework loops.
4. Validate the map with a second walk.

Common mistakes

• Mapping the SOP instead of reality.
• Excluding night-shift or rework paths.