Process map template (Excel swimlane)
A process map is a diagram of how work flows: the steps, who does each one, the decisions, and the handoffs between people. This free Excel template uses swimlanes (one row per role), standard flowchart shapes and a step list, so you can map a process in software you already have.
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The download has a worked example, a blank map with six lanes, a step list for the detail (inputs, outputs, systems, timings and pain points) and a key to the symbols.
What a finished map looks like
The example in the template maps order to cash for a fictional wholesaler. Each lane is a role; arrows that cross lanes are handoffs, which is where delays and errors usually happen.
The symbols
| Shape | Means |
|---|---|
| Rounded box (green) | Start or end of the process |
| Rectangle | A step: one action by one role |
| Diamond | A decision with yes/no (or several) answers |
| Arrow | The order the steps happen in |
| Swimlane | The person, team or system responsible for the steps in it |
| Document shape | A document or report created or used |
The step list
| Step | Lane | Step | Type | Input | Output | System | Time | Pain point |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Sales | Check credit limit | Decision | Order | Approved order | Accounts | 10 min | Limit data a week old |
How to map a process
- Name the process and fix its start and end, for example "from customer order received to cash in the bank". Without clear edges, maps sprawl.
- List the roles involved. Each becomes a lane. Include the customer if they act in the process.
- Walk it with the people who do the work. Fill in the step list first; draw the map second.
- Draw the normal path first, then add the decisions and the exceptions that happen often enough to matter.
- Mark every handoff between lanes and ask what can go wrong there.
- Add timings and pain points, agree what to change, then turn the agreed version into an SOP.
Questions to ask at every handoff
Handoffs, where an arrow crosses from one lane to another, are where work waits and mistakes creep in. For each one, ask the people on both sides:
- What does the next person need before they can start, and do they always get it?
- How do they know the work has arrived: an email, a system status, a shout across the office?
- What happens when it arrives wrong or incomplete, and how often does that happen?
- Who chases if it doesn't arrive at all?
The answers usually point to the fix: a checklist before the handoff, a status in a shared system instead of an email, or one person owning the whole step.
As-is and to-be maps
Map the process as it runs today (as-is) before designing the improved version (to-be). Teams that skip straight to the to-be map tend to miss the workarounds people rely on, and the new process breaks the first week it's used.
Common mistakes
- Mapping the official process instead of what actually happens.
- Mixing levels of detail. Keep the map at one level; put keystrokes and settings in a work instruction.
- No start or end, so the map never finishes.
- Leaving out the customer's lane, which hides the waiting they experience.
- Maps that never become SOPs or changes. A map is a means, not the result.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a process map and a flowchart?
A process map is a flowchart of a business process, usually drawn with swimlanes so you can see who does each step. Every process map is a flowchart; not every flowchart is a process map.
What software should I use?
Excel or PowerPoint is enough for most maps. Dedicated diagramming tools help with very large processes. For a formal standard notation, see BPMN (below).
How detailed should a process map be?
Detailed enough that someone new could follow the flow, and no more. If a single box hides ten steps, map it separately.