Mind-Mapping

1. Challenge

I am a process excellence professional and work with an insurance firm. As a part of our job,

my team often come across the task of facilitating the process owners in re-engineering

their existing processes to achieve better efficiency and meet customer needs. In one of the

recent assignment, we had to facilitate the operations team to improve their new retail

business process for better customer experience. The existing process was highly

complicated and almost 60% of it was manually done. During the journey mapping and value

chain exercise of the existing process it was realized that a technology oriented solution can

address the gaps in the current process. Although realizing that technology can be helpful,

the real challenge was to re-engineer and create a new process that is simple and thus can

be automated using a technology. The biggest challenge was to ensure that we don’t end up

automating the wastes and complexities in the existing process. This is a cross functional

process with 6 departments working in the chain to produce the final service for the

customer.

2. Selection

The need of the hour was to overcome the usual panic instinct of human brain when

confronted with a complex design problem. With symptoms of intense fear it was difficult to

get into a problem solving frame of mind. Instead of forcing the mind to come up with

solutions which can create stress, mind map opens up possibilities and calms the team. Mind

map turns the problem into a positive challenge and brings more clarity to find answers.

3. Application

Multiple mind maps were created by the cross functional team to come up with the revised

design of the process. But broadly two types of maps were created. Firstly gaps in existing

process designs were taken as a central theme of the mind map and all the aspects and

causes of the problems were investigated. Detailed maps with sub-branches to each

problem and their interrelations were created. This made the team realize why the problems

occurred and what they need to consider while designing the new process. Next, a second

set of mind maps were created with solutions as a central idea. All the ideas about new

design were encouraged, discussed and noted down. Each of the idea was discussed in detail

and sub-branches were made to understand the commonality between the ideas. These

ideas were then regrouped as various possible solutions. Each of the solutions were then

further evaluated under various feasibility criteria like efficiency, time-saving, cost-effective,

customer experience, etc.

4. Insight & Approach

Mind-mapping activity helped the user participants remain calm at the time of problem

solving. Mind Mapping allowed the team to think more creatively and logically in a stable

framework. This ‘big picture’ way of looking at problem opened up limitless possibilities and

engaged the brains, stopping the panic instinct! Other two alternate approaches that helped

the team during mind mapping activity were (a) to “Take a Walk” – talking a walk while

solving problem helps you disconnect physically from the problem, take in fresh air and

become creatively inspired and (b) to “Daydreaming” – taking off your mind from the

problem and engaging into focused daydreaming. This makes the team feel more positive

and creative.

