Mapping how work moves through a team

In a small team, one piece of work can pass through several hands before it's done. Drawing that path out, step by step, is called process mapping.

Map what happens now

A study of eight quality improvement projects in the NHS looked at how teams used process mapping. Researchers at Imperial College London published it in 2018. People in those teams told them the map helped them agree on how the work really happened. They said it also helped them spot where it could improve, and brought the people involved into the project.

The same study found that the maps that worked best used a simple drawing. They drew on information from several of the people involved. The teams came back to the map more than once as the project went on.

Ask the people who do each step

HSE's advice on managing risk at work asks employers to involve their employees, because they will usually have good ideas. Ask the person who does each step where it slows down, and where it goes wrong.

Before the new way starts

An employer must protect employees, and others, from harm. Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, HSE says the minimum is to identify what could cause injury or illness, decide how likely and how serious the harm could be, and act to remove or control it.

HSE asks employers to review their controls when something changes that could bring a new risk. That could be a change to staff, to a process, or to the substances or equipment the team uses. Hazards to health include manual handling and the causes of work-related stress.

If you employ five or more people, you must record the significant findings. That record covers the hazards and what you are doing to control the risks.

Some changes to a process also change someone's terms of employment. Acas says any change to an employment contract must be agreed by both the worker and the employer. It says employers should avoid "fire and rehire", and must consult before dismissal.

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