How the map works
See how work moves before you change it.
The company graph is our plain-English map of who does what, which systems they use, where work waits, and where a person decides. We use it to map one function for 10 business days and decide whether to build.
What starts the work
Customer or case input
Steps in the work
Receive · organize · prepare
Step to review
Case ready with sources
Human decision
Approve · send back · stop
Start with the whole process. Fix one step.
A company graph is simply a clear map of how work moves. We start broad enough to see the handoffs, then focus on one step where time or context gets lost.
Start with the request
Follow the customer request, case, or transaction from the moment it arrives.
Follow the work
See how people, tools, backlogs, and approvals move it along.
Look closely at one step
Pick a repeatable piece of work where time, context, or decisions get lost.
Let the owner decide
The person responsible reviews the facts and decides whether to fix, test, or leave it alone.
What we write down
We write down what each step needs.
A map is useful when someone else can check it. We record the facts, the owner, the rule, and the place where the work breaks down.
- Starts with
- What arrives, where it comes from, and how we identify it.
- Ends with
- What changes and what the next person or system receives.
- Who does it
- The person who handles the work and the person who owns the outcome.
- What rule applies
- The policy or judgment that moves the work forward.
- What stays human
- The decisions that must remain with the person accountable for them.
- Where it gets stuck
- The wait, rework, handoff, or missing information that slows it down.
Seen directly
We saw it in a record, interview, example, or system.
Likely, needs checking
We think it is true, but we still need to check.
Not yet known
Missing information that prevents a confident recommendation.
What to do next
Choose the right change—not software by default.
The map does not assume every step needs software. It helps your team choose a smaller, more accountable change.
Remove it
Cut a step that adds work but does not add value or protection.
Combine it
Put duplicate lookups, handoffs, or requests in one place.
Automate it
Let software handle a repeatable, low-risk step with clear checks.
Help a person do it
Prepare the information so the person making the decision has a better case.
Keep it human
Protect the judgment, relationship, or control that should not be delegated.
Find out more
Close an important information gap before changing anything.
Start with one workflow
Map one area before changing the whole company.
The First Workflow Map follows one business function or connected stream of work for 10 business days. You get evidence tied to source records and one decision about whether to build. If evidence does not support a build, we recommend not building yet. A named person keeps approval for high-impact decisions.