Process modeling explained: Definitions, benefits & examples

At a glance

Process mapping is a visual method that illustrates the steps, decisions, and outcomes in a workflow.

Common tools include flowcharts, SIPOC diagrams, swimlanes, and value stream maps.

Following as-is → to-be steps ensures clarity, efficiency, and process improvement.

Emerging trends, such as AI-driven mapping and BPMN standards, make process mapping more accessible.

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Why process mapping matters today

Nearly 60% of business leaders admit they do not fully understand their own internal processes. The result is inefficiencies, duplicated effort, missed deadlines, and frustrated employees.

Process mapping addresses this by taking what resides in people’s minds and making it visible in a clear, structured way. When workflows are mapped, organizations gain a single source of truth that everyone can follow. This clarity delivers several benefits:

• Identify inefficiencies: Spot bottlenecks, unnecessary steps, or redundant approvals that slow work down.
• Enable faster onboarding: Give new employees a clear roadmap of how tasks are handled, reducing training time.
• Support compliance: Ensure processes align with regulatory requirements and provide a documented audit trail.
• Facilitate automation: Provide a foundation for workflow platforms like Moxo, where maps are directly tied to live execution.
• Improve accountability: Make roles and responsibilities transparent, reducing confusion around ownership.
  

Practical applications make these benefits tangible:

• A finance team can use a flowchart to map expense approvals. By visualizing each step, they uncover where requests stall with managers and can automate reminders to speed up approvals.
• An HR team can use swimlane diagrams to assign responsibility in onboarding. Each lane clarifies whether IT, HR, or the hiring manager is accountable, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.
• An IT support team can build a SIPOC diagram to define ticket resolution workflows. This makes boundaries between requestors, inputs, and outputs clear, helping them prioritize and deliver faster.
  

Across industries and functions, the outcome is the same: fewer delays, smoother hand-offs, better compliance, and a stronger foundation for scaling operations.

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Common challenges and misconceptions

While process mapping is straightforward, beginners often stumble in a few areas:

• Overcomplication: Overcomplicating the process by documenting every minor step can make maps unusable.
• Skipping the “as-is” process: Skipping the “as-is” process and jumping straight to designing the ideal future overlooks the importance of understanding the current reality.
• Symbol overload: Using too many symbols can overwhelm and confuse, rather than clarify.
• Focusing on tools first: Prioritizing tools over methodology places form over function—methodology should always come first.

By avoiding these common pitfalls, process maps can remain clear, precise, and actionable.

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Steps to create a process map

Creating an effective process map involves a structured approach:

Define the scope

Decide where the process begins and ends. Without boundaries, maps can become overwhelming. For example, you might frame an order management process from “Customer places an order” to “Order shipped and confirmation email sent”.

Gather stakeholder input

Talk to the people who actually run the process. Managers see the big picture, but frontline staff reveal hidden delays and workarounds. An accounts payable clerk, for instance, may point out that approvals stall whenever managers travel.

Map the as-is process

Document the current reality using standard symbols: ovals for start/end points, rectangles for tasks, diamonds for decisions, and arrows for flow. Don’t optimise yet; capture the process honestly, even if it includes bottlenecks, duplicate steps, or manual hand-offs.

Design the to-be process

Refine the map into a more efficient version. This is where you cut duplicate steps, streamline hand-offs, and identify areas for automation. For example, instead of relying on three separate email approvals, you might redesign it as a parallel workflow with automated reminders.

Validate and iterate

Share the draft with stakeholders to confirm accuracy and gather feedback. Expect to revise the map until it reflects reality and has broad buy-in. The best maps are co-created, not imposed from the top down.

Maintain and update

A process map is a living document. Review it every six to twelve months, or sooner if the workflow changes due to new tools, regulations, or structures. Platforms like Moxo simplify this by tying maps directly to live workflows—so updates happen naturally as processes evolve.

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Types of process maps and when to use them

Flowcharts

The most common type. Ideal for straightforward processes, such as purchase requests or support ticket resolution.

SIPOC Diagrams

High-level view showing suppliers, inputs, processes, outputs, and customers. Great for understanding boundaries before diving deeper.

Swimlane Diagrams

Separate responsibilities into “lanes” for different roles or departments. Useful when multiple teams are involved.

Value Stream Mapping

Originating in lean manufacturing, this highlights waste and inefficiencies in material or information flows.

BPMN (Business Process Model and Notation)

A standardized language with specific symbols, often used in enterprise settings or when automation is planned. Each format offers a different lens, so choose based on your goals.

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Process mapping vs process modelling

While related, process mapping and process modeling serve different purposes:

• Mapping captures the current state of how work gets done.
  
• Modeling simulates or designs how work should get done.

Think of mapping as drawing a map of your city’s traffic and modeling as redesigning the city grid for better flow. Both are valuable, but they serve different stages of improvement.

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Trends shaping the future of process mapping

The field is evolving quickly. A few key trends:

AI-powered mapping

Advanced tools that automatically create process maps from textual descriptions.  

Seamless integration with automation platforms

Directly connect process maps to workflow engines for streamlined operations.  

Standardization with BPMN

An increasing number of organizations are adopting BPMN to promote consistency and alignment across processes.

Modern process mapping software also supports collaboration. Platforms like Moxo enable distributed teams to build, edit, and review maps in real time, reducing friction in capturing and improving workflows.

Modern process mapping software also supports collaboration. Platforms like Moxo enable distributed teams to build, edit, and review maps in real time, reducing friction in capturing and improving workflows.

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How Moxo bridges mapping and modeling

Moxo is more than a static process mapping tool. It ties the clarity of mapping with the execution of process modeling by offering:

• Workflow builder: Drag-and-drop workflows that can evolve from “as-is” maps to “to-be” optimized processes. Explore workflows
• Document management: Secure collection, sharing, and approvals directly tied to mapped steps. See document collection
• Automation triggers: File requests, reminders, and e-signatures that keep mapped workflows running in real time.
• Integrations: Both inbuilt and third-party connections ensure process models are not isolated. View integrations
• Security and compliance: SOC 2, GDPR, role-based access, and audit trails that support regulatory processes. Learn more
• Mobile-first experience: Give teams and clients fingertip access to mapped and modeled processes anytime.

By combining these capabilities, Moxo ensures that what starts as a process map can seamlessly evolve into a live, scalable, and compliant process model that organizations actually run every day.

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Start small, improve continuously

Process mapping is not about creating perfect diagrams. It’s about clarity, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Start with one process. Capture the as-is state, refine it into the to-be state, and let your maps evolve as your organization does. The result: fewer misunderstandings, smoother workflows, and a foundation for smarter automation.

Explore more resources on digital transformation in accounting to see how firms like yours are staying ahead. Book a demo with Moxo to see how.

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FAQs

What is the difference between process mapping and business process modeling?

Process mapping documents current steps, while process modeling designs optimized workflows for future improvements. Platforms like Moxo help teams bridge both stages by linking mapped processes to live execution.

What are the common process mapping symbols?

Ovals (start/end), rectangles (tasks), diamonds (decisions), and arrows (flow). Moxo’s workflow builder uses these standards in a simplified way for business users.

Which process map should I start with?

Begin with a flowchart or SIPOC for simplicity before moving into advanced formats like BPMN. Moxo provides templates to help teams get started faster.

What is an as-is vs to-be process?

“As-is” captures the current reality, while “to-be” shows the improved version. Moxo supports documenting both and updating them as processes evolve.

Do I need software to create a process map?

No, you can start with pen and paper. But platforms like Moxo make maps collaborative, scalable, and directly tied to daily execution.