Process Maps as the Knowledge Bridge (Part 3 of the Lithe IT KTA series)
Blog: LitheIT
Over the years IT and the business have tried to find new ways of understanding each other. We’ve seen increasing effort to bridge the gap using methodologies such as Waterfall or Agile, with ever increasing sophistication (and in many cases documentation) to reduce the knowledge chasm that all too often exists.
No matter the methodology adopted or the type of business problem under review, in my experience, both groups are drawn to the power of a process map to act as a modern day Rosetta Stone.
Maps offer a common language or a “Knowledge Bridge” between both sides, as they provide a visual translation of the written requirement. The IT developer wants maps to help them understand the flow of their application. For the business, maps provide a way to describe their process in a much clearer way than words alone can offer.
But why are these maps not updated after the project completes? (Or in many cases as requirements change throughout the project) Failure to keep up to date process maps leads to erosion of the knowledge bridge, and creates the need to re-map the next time a change is requested.
If you agree in the benefit of the process map, you should also see the benefit in keeping the maps current. But will this require more effort during the project?
With Kofax TotalAgility, the answer is No. Instead of writing code to implement maps, TotalAgility uses the maps directly to execute business processes.
Remember a project you have worked on in the past where process maps were used to describe the desired business process. There was probably a series of workshops to create the map, with a document circulated at a later stage asking for a collective sign-off before IT commenced on the implementation.
You probably only looked at the map again if the IT team delivered an application that didn’t meet your wishes, and you were arguing over whose interpretation of it was correct.
Contrast this with a Lithe IT project, where we build, execute and verify your process map in Kofax TotalAgility during the workshop sessions. We automatically build user input screens and integrate these into the process (with zero code) to allow data entry to drive the direction individual process instances take.
With TotalAgility, Lithe IT will bring your process map to life. When the workshop is complete we will have created a working version of your process and will have had the opportunity to verify the flow.
As workshops continue, maps become a living and breathing version of your desired process. They encapsulate the SLA’s, process escalations, resource allocation rules, quality controls and much more, so that managers have the ideal support to create efficiencies and improve service.
This sophistication is created with zero code, and provides the knowledge bridge between IT and the business as both sides communicate at the process map level.
If you would like to experience the transformational capability of Kofax TotalAgility, as implemented by Lithe IT, give us a call on UK +141 314 3707 or email AnthonyMurphy@LitheIT.com. We would love to hear from you.
Lithe IT is a Kofax Gold Partner based in Scotland and recognised TotalAgility experts. We operate globally with recent engagements in Africa, South America and Europe.
For more information on Lithe IT visit http://www.LitheIT.com
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