Current State/As Is

Once you have defined your business process, the first stage in reviewing it is to record the process in its current state. This is sometimes known as 'As is' analysis. This is a stage that can potentially be very time consuming when you are considering a complex process with a number of sub-processes. There is no hard and fast rule about how much detail you should go into at this stage. This depends very much on the nature of the process and the degree of control you have over it.

Sometimes a very rough analysis can reveal a fundamentally flawed process where the best approach is to start again from first principles. In a case like this it may not be worth devoting a lot of time to detailed recording of how you do things now. A note of caution however - if you decide on a 'quick and dirty' approach to this stage you must be very confident that you understand your information and data needs. For example, suppose you decide that the process of Admitting Students is actually 10 sub-processes, depending on the type of student, and having recorded five of these sub-processes you realise you want to start the process design from scratch. This may be a perfectly valid approach so long as you are fully aware of the information and data needs of the other five sub-processes. Student admissions is an example where process design may be constrained by statutory obligations, the need to link to other systems, such as external clearing houses, and the timing of data availability.

The rule of thumb is to understand your data inside out but don't get so detailed about the mapping that you are bogged down and suffering 'Paralysis by Analysis'. Going back to the composition of your project team you will often find that insiders tend to record a lot of detail whereas outsiders abstract to a higher level so the right mix of people can help you find the optimum approach. This Kit includes a template for initial data collection about a process.