Techniques BABOK Guide v3, 10.34
Process Analysis
In short Process analysis looks at a business process and asks three questions: how does it create value, how well does it support the organization’s goals, and how could it be more efficient and effective? You come out with measured gaps, their causes, and a short list of evaluated improvement options.
Based on: IIBA, BABOK® Guide v3, technique 10.34 “Process Analysis”; Watermark Learning, BABOK v3 Study Tables, section 10.34; D. Paul, D. Yeates, J. Cadle (eds.), Business Analysis (BCS), 2nd ed., ch. 8.
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What it is#
Process analysis assesses a process for efficiency and effectiveness and looks for opportunities to change it. The BABOK Guide observes that most improvement efforts aim at one of three things: cutting the time a task takes, changing interfaces and handoffs to remove bottlenecks, or automating repetitive steps.
The guide’s elements form a natural sequence: identify gaps and areas to improve, identify the root cause, generate and evaluate options. It also names two common methods:
- SIPOC — a one-page table of Suppliers, Inputs, Process, Outputs, and Customers. It fixes the boundaries of a process before you go into detail.
- Value stream mapping (VSM) — a diagram of the whole flow from request to delivery, showing which steps add value for the customer and where time is spent waiting.
The BCS book adds a sharp lens: handoffs, the points where work passes from one person, team, or system to another, are the main source of process problems: queues, delays, and miscommunication. It observes that in a typical current-state process, a transaction spends most of its life waiting rather than being worked on.
When to use it#
The study tables link the technique to 3.5 Identify Business Analysis Performance Improvements, 4.2 Conduct Elicitation, 6.1 Analyze Current State, 8.4 Assess Enterprise Limitations, and 8.5 Recommend Actions to Increase Solution Value. In practice:
- a process is slow, costly, or error-prone, or customers complain about it;
- you are about to automate a process and do not want to automate its waste;
- a new strategy demands different results from an existing process.
Its strengths, per the study tables: it keeps solutions focused on the real issues while minimizing waste, and it is flexible because many methods fit under it.
When to use something else. The study tables also list the limits: the analysis can take a lot of time, choosing the right method or model is not always easy, and it may be ineffective for processes driven mainly by information or decisions. For decision-heavy work, try Decision Modelling or Decision Analysis.
How to do it#
- Set boundaries and purpose. Name the trigger, the end result, the customer, and why the process matters to the organization. A quick SIPOC helps.
- Model the current state at a useful level of detail, with one lane per role so handoffs are visible. See Process Modelling; check the model against reality with Observation.
- Measure. Elapsed time, working time versus waiting time, volumes, error and rework rates, cost. The BCS book distinguishes internal measures, which come from the organization’s own targets, from external ones, which reflect what the customer expects.
- Find the gaps. Compare the measures with goals and customer expectations. Look for waiting, handoffs, rework, re-keying data between systems, needless approvals, and duplicated work.
- Find the root causes of the biggest gaps; see Root Cause Analysis.
- Generate options. The BCS book lists improvement moves: simplify (remove steps or merge tasks), remove bottlenecks, change the order of tasks (many sequences are left over from paper-based work), redesign the process from scratch, or move the process boundary, for example through customer self-service or outsourcing.
- Evaluate options against the measures, cost, risk, and the people affected; choose and justify.
- Model the future state and define the measures you will use to confirm the improvement.
Example#
The Workshop, a fictional chain of 12 bike-repair workshops, hears the same complaint everywhere: “my bike was in for a week”. The analyst looks at the process “repair needing extra parts”.
SIPOC summary:
| Suppliers | Inputs | Process | Outputs | Customers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Customer, parts supplier | Bike, fault description, parts | Inspect → get approval → order part → repair → hand back | Repaired bike, invoice | Customer |
Measured on twenty recent jobs (illustrative): about 90 minutes of actual work, but six days elapsed. Customers expect two to three days. Almost all the time is waiting at two handoffs:
- Approval: the mechanic leaves a note for the front desk, which phones the customer; calls often go unanswered.
- Parts: each workshop manager orders once a week to reach the supplier’s minimum order value.
Root causes: approval depends on a phone call, and ordering is split across twelve managers, so each one batches orders. Options and evaluation:
| Option | BCS move | Expected effect | Cost and risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customer approves by message with a photo | Simplify a handoff | Saves 1–2 days | Low |
| One daily order for all workshops | Remove bottleneck, change boundary | Saves up to 4 days | New coordinator role |
| Ask for bike model at booking; pre-order likely parts | Change sequence | Saves days for booked repairs | Some unused stock |
The owner approves the first two now and the third for the next release. The analyst defines the measure “elapsed days for repairs needing parts” to check the result.
Common mistakes#
- Automating the current mess → analyze and simplify first, then automate.
- No numbers → measure time, volume, and errors before proposing changes.
- Optimizing one step at the expense of the whole → the BCS book shows that internal task targets can all be met while the customer still waits too long; check the end-to-end measure the customer feels.
- Jumping to solutions → find root causes before generating options.
- Too much detail → model at the level your question needs.
- Ignoring the people who do the work → involve them; they know the workarounds.
Checklist#
- Trigger, outcome, customer, and purpose of the process stated
- SIPOC or equivalent boundary agreed
- Current state modeled and checked against reality
- Working time, waiting time, volumes, and error rates measured
- Gaps compared with goals and customer expectations
- Root causes identified for the largest gaps
- Options evaluated on effect, cost, risk, and people
- Future-state measures defined
Sources and further reading#
- IIBA. A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK® Guide), version 3. International Institute of Business Analysis, 2015. Technique 10.34 “Process Analysis”.
- Watermark Learning. BABOK v3 Study Tables. 2016. (study aid for the BABOK Guide). Section 10.34.
- D. Paul, D. Yeates, J. Cadle (eds.). Business Analysis, 2nd ed. BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, 2010. Ch. 8 (handoffs, process measures, improvement techniques).