Minimum Mapping Standards

File Naming Convention

• Process map names must be unique i.e. no two process maps should be named the same. The name of a Process map and the name of the file should be identical. The process map should be saved in the maps store.
• When saving a process map with sub-processes, the sub-process maps should be saved as separate files. NOTE: It is important that Activity shapes that link to a sub-process are not renamed without also renaming the title of the lower level map.
• Process map names and filenames must never include version numbers or sequence numbers, as these will break hyperlinks when the version/sequence numbers increase.

NOTE: You can create a customised property for capturing a process number if required. It can then be captured with the map but not within the Node or file name.

Look and Feel

Many organisations have a customised stencil and template (see your Process Governance Framework, where the colours and style of each shape are pre-defined. Shapes from other Visio stencils must not be used. Working With Shapes shows how the shapes are used.

Level of Detail Required

It is expected that Authors will map processes to no more than three levels of detail. This should be sufficient to represent the processes at an appropriate level.

Layout

Process maps are scaled to fit the designated page size. The auto-layout function should be used (where practical) when creating process maps. You should ensure that all shapes are centred, evenly spaced and easy to read. Process maps will be created above the level of work instruction which give more specific detail of how to carry out each task.

• Process maps to flow left to right of the page not top to bottom.
• Only use the shadow function for showing a drill down on activities.
• Activities must only be connected to Deliverables and Deliverables must only be connected to Deliverables.
• On a map, the process must begin and end with deliverables, otherwise the maps will be unable to link together.

Shapes

• Use sentence case. This includes process map titles. For example ‘Complete supplier assessment’ not ‘Complete Supplier Assessment’.
• Activities and Nodes should be described using verbs; Deliverables are described using nouns.
• A Node must not have the same name as an activity that it contains (e.g. the Node ‘Complete risk assessment’ cannot contain an activity called ‘Complete risk assessment’).
• Use only one space between words and ensure there is no additional space after the last character as the system is SPACE sensitive.
• Do not use punctuation marks. The symbol ‘&’ and ‘—‘ (the extended hyphen) are explicitly banned (as these cause issues with maps being displayed correctly). The only exception is the ‘?’ (Question mark).
• Do not change colour or style of any shape as each shape has its own meaning (see Look and Feel above).
• Check the spelling of all shapes on each process map by using the F7 spell check function before saving the file.
• Resolve all Orphans within process maps prior to publishing to the production environment. There are occasions when Override Orphan is appropriate.
• Swimlanes should:
  • Only be added after laying out the process or after using auto-layout.
  • Not have colour associated with them.
  • Be used to identify responsible departments or timelines only.
• Place Hyperlinks relating to the entire process in the top left corner of the map. For example, top level processes can link to the policy to which they refer.
• Use the Activity Hyperlink to create links to work instructions, Procedures and other documents associated with activities.
• Place a Feedback email on every map page and include an email address for the feedback for that map.