Free template
Process map template
A process map template you can copy, edit, and make your own. The example below is an order fulfillment process map built from one spoken description. Copy the Mermaid code, or describe your own version and let Wavelength draw it. See more process map examples in the gallery.
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Wavelength is a voice to diagram tool that turns a spoken process or a call transcript into an editable process map.
What is a process map?
A process map is a diagram that shows how work moves through a process, but unlike a plain flowchart, it also shows who does each step and which systems they use. A process map uses different shapes for different things: rounded rectangles for people and their actions, hexagons for systems and tools, cylinders or green boxes for data stores, and diamonds for decisions.
Use a process map when you need to show the handoffs between people and systems, not just the sequence of steps. A process map is the right tool when a process involves multiple teams and tools, when you need to identify bottlenecks, or when you are documenting a current-state process for a transformation project. A plain flowchart is simpler and works when the process is one person using one tool.
Common mistakes: mixing up people and systems (use different shapes for each), drawing every detail when a high-level map would do, and forgetting to show the data stores where information is saved. A process map should answer three questions: who does the work, which tool they use, and where the data lives.
What was said
A customer places an order on the website. The system checks inventory. If the item is in stock, the system processes payment and ships the order. If not, the system creates a backorder and notifies the customer.
The diagram
What is in this flow
- Systems: Check Inventory, Process Payment, Create Backorder.
- People and steps: Customer Places Order, Ship Order, Notify Customer.
- Decisions: In Stock?
- Size: 6 nodes and 6 connections.
Mermaid code
flowchart TD
n1("Customer Places Order")
n2{{"Check Inventory"}}
n3{"In Stock?"}
n4{{"Process Payment"}}
n5("Ship Order")
n6{{"Create Backorder"}}
n7("Notify Customer")
n1 --> n2
n2 --> n3
n3 -->|Yes| n4
n3 -->|No| n6
n4 --> n5
n6 --> n7Make this by talking
Your order fulfillment process is not generic. It has your systems, your payment provider, and your shipping rules. Open the live demo, hold the mic, and describe your version of the process. Wavelength draws the process map from your words, with your system names and your branch labels.
You can also paste a transcript from a process walkthrough or a discovery call and get the same process map. See documenting a current state process for the full method.
Step by step: use a process map template
Choose a template that fits your process. A customer journey template has lanes for the customer, the sales team, and the product team. An order fulfillment template has lanes for the store, the warehouse, and shipping. A support ticket template has lanes for the customer, the agent, and the engineering team.
Open the template in Wavelength and edit each step. Click a box to change the label, the owner, or the notes. Drag a box to move it to a different lane. Right-click to change the shape or delete a step. To add a new step, hold the mic and describe it, or type a plain English instruction.
If your process has more roles than the template, add a lane. Click "Switch to swimlanes" in the canvas toolbar to see the lanes. Each lane is a role, and each step sits in the lane of the person who does it. Arrows cross lanes when work moves from one role to another.
When the process map matches your real process, save it and export it. Share a link with the team so everyone can see the current state. Update the map when the process changes, and the diagram stays current.
More worked examples
- Website lead to CRM and Slack: A visitor fills out a form on the website, the form sends the lead to the CRM, and if the lead score is high enough, a notification goes to Slack. See the full flow at website lead to CRM and Slack.
- Invoice email to accounting: An invoice arrives by email, an automation extracts the data, and if the vendor matches an existing record, the invoice goes to the accounting system. See the full flow at invoice email to accounting.
- Data migration handoff: The source team extracts the data, the engineering team transforms it, the QA team validates it, and the operations team loads it into the target system. See the full flow at data migration handoff.
What you get with Wavelength
Wavelength builds the process map while the team describes the work. Export it as a BPMN 2.0 file with lanes by owner for Camunda Modeler or bpmn.io. Use sticky notes, a pen, and frames on the same canvas for ideas during the session. When you need a written procedure, generate an SOP from the flow in one step. See how Wavelength compares with Lucidchart.
Common questions
What is a process map template?
A process map template is a pre-built diagram that shows the shape of a common process, like order fulfillment or onboarding. You copy it, edit the steps to match your own process, and add or remove branches as needed. Wavelength also builds a process map from your spoken description, so you can skip the template and start from your own words.
Where can I find more process map examples?
The Wavelength examples page has 37 worked process and data flow diagrams, each built from one spoken description, with Mermaid code. They include order to cash, procure to pay, employee onboarding, incident management, and more.
Can I make a process map by talking instead of using a template?
Yes. Open the live demo, hold the mic, and describe your process. Wavelength draws the process map from your words, picking shapes for actors, systems, decisions, and data stores. You can also paste a transcript from a call or meeting.
What is the difference between a flowchart and a process map?
A flowchart shows the steps and decisions in a process. A process map does the same but also distinguishes between people, systems, and data stores, so you can see who does what and which tools they use. Wavelength builds both from your description.
Can I export the process map?
Yes. A free account exports to PNG, PDF, Mermaid, and draw.io. The Mermaid export is plain text, so it works in any Markdown file, GitHub README, or wiki page.
Related
See your own process as a flow
Describe it out loud or paste a transcript.
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