A process map is an incredibly useful tool when managing projects. 💡
It helps you break down complex tasks and processes into easy-to-understand visuals. With a process map in tow, you have less trouble identifying areas of improvement as well as potential bottlenecks in any given project.
A wide range of tools can be used to create process maps, including ClickUp, Excel, or even Word. 💻
The good news?
You never have to start from scratch when creating a process map that’s visually appealing, shareable, and editable. And in this article, we provide an overview of 10 process map templates to get you started mapping out your processes.
10 Process Map Templates
- What is a Process Mapping Template?
- How to Create a Process Map
- 10 Process Map Templates to Outline Your Next Project
- 1. ClickUp Process Map Whiteboard Template
- 2. ClickUp Process Map Flowchart Template
- 3. ClickUp PDCA Process Map Template
- 4. ClickUp Process Mapping Task Template
- 5. ClickUp Simple Process Map Task Template
- 6. ClickUp Swimlane Process Map Template
- 7. ClickUp Simple Mind Map Template
- 8. Excel Process Map for Basic Flowchart Template
- 9. Slide Team PowerPoint Business Improvement Process Map Template
- 10. TemplateLab Swim Lane Process Map Template
Summarize this article for me pleaseWhat is a Process Mapping Template?
A process map template is a diagram that visualizes a process and details the individual steps involved in the task. It’s designed to help project managers—in whatever capacity—identify areas of improvement and potential bottlenecks in their project workflows.
What makes a good process mapping template?
A solid process mapping template is everything you’d expect it to be—a clear, concise, and visually organized way to view your teams’ workflow. It should be easy to read and understand and include all the necessary information to get a project from start to finish.
A great template uses process mapping symbols, arrows, and boxes to represent the different steps from end to end. Process maps need to be optimized for their specific use case.
For example, as a manager, you’d likely want to use a swimlane process map to visualize who on your team is responsible for each step in the process. 🏊
On the other hand, creating a flowchart process map—complete with process mapping symbols—would help you visualize all the steps in a process that solves a specific problem.
Summarize this article for me pleaseHow to Create a Process Map
Creating a process map starts with determining the project scope. This includes pinpointing the project goals and key objectives, important stakeholders, and tasks to be done. 📝
The next step is to break down each task into smaller steps and analyze which steps are connected and how. From there, use a process mapping tool to create the map.
ClickUp comes with built-in tools to provide shapes, labels, and arrows to help visualize the task flow and illustrate the connections between tasks. You’re able to add colors and labels to your business process mapping template too.
Now, how do you do this?
Creating a process map with ClickUp Mind Maps is easy and intuitive. First, select + View at the top of your ClickUp workspace and click the icon to create a new mind map.
From there you’ll choose between two options: Task mode or Blank mode.
Task mode
This mode displays all of the tasks within your Mind Map. This makes it easy to rearrange your workspace because it facilitates dragging branches to adjust your nodes.
You’re also able to create, edit, and delete tasks as you go. In terms of business process mapping, the task mode helps identify bottlenecks, key steps involved, and all the tasks involving the multiple team members working across your department.
Blank mode
If you’d rather work with Blank mode, you can create mind maps with disconnected nodes. With Blank mode, you’re able to create as many nodes as you want and then easily convert them to tasks in a list of your choice.
Then, starting with the main mode, click on + Task to begin building your mind map. Add a name for each task and press enter to create it.
As you add branches and nodes, you can use color coding to accurately illustrate each step. When you’re finished, it’s easy to save and share your process map with the rest of your team.
Summarize this article for me please10 Process Map Templates to Outline Your Next Project
Look—we love a detailed process map. And we also love templates that help you track the entire process. And there are plenty of options to choose from when mapping out your next project process flowchart.
That’s why we gathered the 10 best process map templates to consider—including different use cases for each one.
1. ClickUp Process Map Whiteboard Template
The ClickUp Process Map Whiteboard template is a great resource for project managers and creatives alike. The process map template helps them clearly visualize the flow of tasks throughout each process stage. This way, you unearth the most important activities at each stage so you prioritize the tasks that’ll move you forward.
This is a beginner-friendly template. With ClickUp Whiteboards, you’re able to add to or edit the process map as you see fit. Instead of toggling between tools to create a shareable process map, you can use this template to create a process map, save it, and easily share it with the team.
The template includes a colorful, visually organized column format and is optimized for tracking the flow of a project. It also has labels for each stage of the process, including goals, activities, and action items.
It comes with two statuses, one custom field, and three view types—so you have plenty of flexibility there.
2. ClickUp Process Map Flowchart Template
A flow chart is a simplified visualization of how business processes happen. This is usually denoted by certain shapes, labels, and connecting lines from beginning to end in your process maps.
This ClickUp Process Map Flowchart Template is great for understanding the logical sequence of a task or process. It helps you break down large projects into smaller, more manageable components. Once finished, this process map template makes it easy to rearrange and optimize as you visualize a project from beginning to end.
This template is especially useful for visualizing complex workflow diagrams, and it’s adjustable with color, shapes, labels, and lines to suit the needs of any project.
With two statuses and two view types, you don’t have to start a flowchart from scratch.
3. ClickUp PDCA Process Map Template
Plan, Do, Check, and Act. Those are the four phases of the PDCA Process Map Template. With it, projects become easier to execute—making business processes a lot easier.
The detailed process map is built around each of the four phases, so tasks within them become more manageable. Once you’ve broken down and categorized your tasks, it becomes much easier to tell which tasks are most important.
The PDCA process map is a great way to take your process mapping up a notch because it gives you a different view of your overall project. If you’re leading a team and need an easy visual to work from, use a PDCA process map.
When managing a project, there are a ton of tasks to juggle—no surprise there. However, it helps to remember that process mapping breaks down the entirety of a project into small, workable pieces. Who doesn’t love simplicity?
4. ClickUp Process Mapping Task Template
With process mapping, you standardize the repetitive tasks that come together to run your business. This ClickUp Process Mapping Task Template is ideal for those looking to break down and track the individual tasks involved in any process. It includes customizable columns, such as Time, Resource, and Cost.
This way you accurately measure the time, cost, and resources associated with each task. Additionally, each task is assignable to a particular team member, which makes it easy to track and manage complex projects.
One of the great things about process mapping is that you don’t only get clear on tasks and project stages, but you’re also clear on who is responsible for what. Using this ClickUp process mapping template adds visibility to project responsibilities.
And more times than not, tracking these responsibilities is a headache to keep straight without a shared breakdown with the team. So give your team (and yourself) more insights into your process flowchart to help nail down your current process.
5. ClickUp Simple Process Map Task Template
Imagine having a clear map that shows the flow of activities per stage of a particular process. That’s why you can create a process map with ease by using ClickUp’s Simple Process Map.
Project managers use a process map template to break down complex tasks for a project into simple, easy-to-follow steps. It helps to identify areas in your current process where the workflow can be streamlined.
For example, your high-level process map could help cut down on tasks to stay within a project budget and find areas of logistical improvement.
Much like the rest of ClickUp’s templates, you’re able to assign tasks to team members, track progress, and measure success without ever having to start from scratch with process mapping techniques.
6. ClickUp Swimlane Process Map Template
As we previously discussed, swimlane process maps are an excellent tool for project management. And the ClickUp Swimlane Process Map Template is a must-have if you want to denote who is responsible for certain tasks within your workflow.
This template works to keep everyone in their lane so the process flow shows the subtasks and events that fall into their specific lanes. Using a business process mapping template like this is great for complex processes needing to be simplified.
Worried about assigning too much responsibility to one team member and not spreading resources more evenly? A swimlane process map helps you visually redistribute responsibility as you see fit.
It’s a great template for those looking to start a swimlane process and it comes with two statuses and view types.
7. ClickUp Simple Mind Map Template
Starting a project? Don’t forget to do some brainstorming! Use the ClickUp Simple Mind Map Template to jot down notes and off-the-top-of-your-head ideas with ease. Brainstorm those ideas collaboratively, so projects don’t happen in a vacuum.
Along with two statuses and three view types, this mind map template makes it easy to create nodes, connect ideas, and rearrange your workflow management process until you land on something that works.
8. Excel Process Map for Basic Flowchart Template
When all else fails, there’s always Excel to turn to. There’s no telling what’s possible with it, including creating process maps that help you cut out repetitive tasks or establish new ones with a well-mapped point of reference.
This Excel Process Map Template lets you ditch the need to explain a process over and over again, so you can actually save some time. ⌛
With its intuitive interface and ability to easily create and format tables, Excel’s template enables you to effectively map processes quickly in just a couple of clicks. The template offers different shapes, lines, and arrows to denote the flow of a process.
While there are a lot of Excel alternatives out there, some of its templates can be a good starting point.
9. Slide Team PowerPoint Business Improvement Process Map Template
Did you know there’s a slew of process map templates to create PowerPoint presentations too? The PowerPoint Process Map template simplifies the process of creating an effective and visually engaging presentation on business process improvement with just a few edits.
It uses intuitive icons, shapes, and arrows to illustrate each step of the process analysis like define, measure, analyze, improve, and control. This provides an easy-to-understand visual representation.
Of the high-level process maps in this list, it has a library of predefined images and custom elements to dress up the slides and make them look even more professional.
10. TemplateLab Swim Lane Process Map Template
TemplateLab provides a great Swimlane Process Map Template that can be used in Microsoft Word or PowerPoint.
With it, you’re able to identify potential areas for improvement, such as eliminating waste, increasing efficiency, and reducing costs. This swimlane template is great for visualizing and monitoring performance metrics, ensuring customer satisfaction, and improving overall process performance.
Once you find the more complex steps in a process, the process map helps you simplify or even eliminate them for a cleaner system.
Summarize this article for me pleaseTemplates Are Only the Tip of the Process Mapping Iceberg
Process maps provide a handy visual for teams that want to stay organized while making processes and working efficiently. However, process mapping templates are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the tools that help streamline any project from beginning to end.
With ClickUp’s automations, customizable workspaces, assignable tasks, time tracking, and other workflow diagram features, you create a much smoother experience managing a complex process or different projects across your team.
If you want more examples, visit the ClickUp Template Center for hundreds of options that can provide an easier and more intuitive way to get started on your projects. The possibilities are limitless!
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