A glance at some flowchart drawing packages is sufficient to appreciate the many types of flowchart notation in use – data flows, document flows, system flows, program execution, network-diagrams, ER diagrams, mind-maps and more. Visio boasts of more than 250 shapes in its “ecosystem”. If they were all in use in your organisation, you’d have more chance of getting everyone to communicate in Esperanto than to understand processes.
UPN is Universal
Both the methodology of mapping and its notation are based upon clear, universally relevant, questions – “what, who, when, why and how” – neither over-complicating nor over-simplifying what takes place.
For the same reason, UPN diagrams are compact and readable. The first time anyone looks at a UPN process diagram, they’re able to quickly understand what it’s depicting.
UPN Speaks a Language Everyone Understands
By contrast, alternative notation standards such as BPMN (Business Process Model and Notation) are often harder to read, despite being designed for similar purposes.
This is not to say BPMN is without advantages in some areas – its more complex notation may enable more comprehensive modelling of IT system development for example. For the broader purpose of business process management, though, we believe that users like to be presented with content that they can immediately see is about their role as they understand it themselves.
By focusing on the actual “manual” steps that are required in a process rather than on logical abstractions, UPN inspires everyone to collaborate in their improvement.
Clear diagrams also enable them to take a step back from what they do day to day and easily identify where there are wasted opportunities, duplicated efforts or avoidable delays.
As soon as that crucial first step has been taken, the development of better processes is already underway.
If you want to transform the way your organisation documents their processes, then why not contact us for a no obligation demonstration of our mapping services?