RS Glossary
Process Map
A process map is a visual representation of how work moves through a process. It can show steps, decisions, handoffs, actors, inputs, outputs, delays, and the relationships among them.
- Review state
- Reviewed in POC
- Freshness
- Current
- Version
- 1
- process-map
Remember it this wayPut the work on the page so the team can see it together.
In plain language
It puts the work on a page so people can see what happens, in what order, and who or what is involved. A simple flowchart is one common kind of process map.
Why it matters
Teams often describe the same process differently. Mapping the current work creates a shared object that can reveal hidden steps, unclear ownership, bottlenecks, rework, and differences between the documented process and actual practice.
Example
A team maps a service request from intake through triage, approval, assignment, completion, and follow-up. The map shows that requests wait twice for the same approval and that no role owns the final customer update.
Common misconception
A process map is not automatically the official, ideal, or complete process. It represents a chosen scope and level of detail. A useful map should say whether it depicts current practice, a proposed future state, or both.
Related terms
Sources
- American Society for Quality, “Flowchart”process maps as visual representations of steps, decisions, inputs, outputs, people, time, and measures.
- American Society for Quality, “Process Analysis Tools”process visualization as a tool for understanding and improving work.
Learn more
Public history
24 recorded events · 24 public summaries
Candidate vocabulary was imported from the Learning Lab discovery queue.
The captured candidate received a complete initial draft and entered section-level human review.
Radar reviewed the initial definition draft for human consideration.
Radar reviewed the initial plain-language-explanation draft for human consideration.
Radar reviewed the initial why-it-matters draft for human consideration.
Radar reviewed the initial example draft for human consideration.
Radar reviewed the initial common-misconception draft for human consideration.
Radar reviewed the initial remember-it-this-way draft for human consideration.
Radar reviewed the initial related-terms draft for human consideration.
Radar reviewed the initial sources draft for human consideration.
Radar reviewed the initial learn-more draft for human consideration.
A proposal was opened for section-level human review while preserving the current version.
A human reviewer opened a proposed revision while preserving the current approved or captured version.
definition approved by a human reviewer.
plain-language-explanation approved by a human reviewer.
why-it-matters approved by a human reviewer.
example approved by a human reviewer.
common-misconception approved by a human reviewer.
remember-it-this-way approved by a human reviewer.
related-terms approved by a human reviewer.
Radar issue process-map-boundary was accepted-as-is by the human section decision.
sources approved by a human reviewer.
learn-more approved by a human reviewer.
All section gates are approved; content version 1 is now a fully approved term.
Source: vault/Glossary/terms/process-map/term.md · sha256:e4078de0478e9d1fb3c51d7caea68e52b0367c9ba7e484c6da0661959e514027 · Release: rs-glossary-glossary-team-poc-0.5.5-2026-09-02