Example · Process X-ray
Here is what a workflow looks like when written out in steps
This is a familiar workflow in many companies: from an incoming enquiry to a sent quote. Under each step I wrote what stands out once the process is laid out on the table.
Workflow: Handling a client enquiry and preparing a quote
What I notice here: The starting point is clear, yet the message sits in one person's inbox where nobody else sees when it arrived.
What I notice here: The name, company and request already sit in the email, yet a person types them a second time into the sheet.
What I notice here: The check happens through calls and questions between colleagues. The enquiry stops and waits for a reply.
What I notice here: The same figures and client details from the spreadsheet get typed once more into the quote template.
What I notice here: The quote waits until the manager is free. If context is missing, the document comes back for correction.
What I notice here: The salesperson attaches the file and sends the reply from their inbox.
The same process in the table format I use during an analysis
| Step | Who does it | Software | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
1Enquiry arrives by email | Salesperson | Gmail | |
2Client details are copied into a spreadsheet | Salesperson | Excel | typed a second time |
3Checking availability and terms | Operations team | by hand, no software | waits for a reply or check |
4Drafting the quote document | Salesperson | Word | typed a second time |
5Reviewing and approving the price | Manager | by phone | waits for a reply or checkcomes back for correction |
6Sending the quote to the client | Salesperson | Gmail |
What stands out immediately from this table
Out of six steps, two happen by hand without software, work stops and waits twice, comes back once for correction, and the same data is typed again twice. Before talking about any technology at all, you can already see clearly where the workflow gets held up.
Now write out one real process from your own company in the same way.
Describe your process