Untangling the twists and turns of workflow in a process can be frustrating. Have you ever tried to visualize the flow of a process, from start to finish? In most organizations, it can be convoluted and complex. The goal, of course, of any workflow, it to try and use the most direct flow from point A to point B. That is what exists in an ideal world! The fact remains in organizations, there are silos and protected turf. Everyone wants to ‘touch’ the product or process in the flow. The question then becomes whether those ‘touches’ are valid and provide value to the end result. Simplification of the flow and allowing ‘touches’ from various departments only when necessary to the success of the end result should be required.

Clarity With a Spaghetti Diagram

A Spaghetti Diagram will provide an overhead view or visualization of all the stops or ‘touches’ the product or process encounters before the delivery of the end result. When you can see it, touch it and feel it, you can then start to untangle the mess involved in workflow.  As you trace along the workflow line, you can quickly begin to understand and analyze the value of each ‘touch’ along that flow. Does that ‘touch’ bring bring value to the end product or product? Each touch along the way can then be broken down and evaluated for the value it brings to the process or product. Once a proper and thorough evaluation of those ‘touches’ have been undertaken, you can then eliminate the unnecessary stops or create additional ‘touches’ that are required to add value or quality.

Simplifying For Quality

When applied properly, the Spaghetti Diagram can provide clarity and understanding of the complexities of workflow. Simplicity is the key to success. You can now comfortably eliminate redundancies and unnecessary touches to the flow, which drain quality and increases costs. The tool is valuable in helping break down silos in an organization for better efficiencies. You may not go directly from point A to point B, but your journey along the flow will become much more efficient and cost effective, ultimately delivering a higher quality product or process for the customer.

If you’d like to learn more about Spaghetti Diagrams, check out our podcast episode called “Unappetizing Spaghetti Diagrams“