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Best practice for linking processes - through outputs or through a process link in the procedure?


Hi Promapp Community

 

I'm just wondering what is the best practice around creating a link from one process to another?

 

I've noticed there are two ways of doing this:

 

1. In the Outputs, when defining the Output you can create a link to the "To Process". The person viewing the procedure may not necessarily see this up front as they need to click on the Outputs in the map to see the linked process, or they need to find it in the Procedure view. I'm not sure regular users would always think of this.

 

2. In procedure, you can add a process link as the last activity. This to me is a good option as it will show up nice and clearly in the process map and procedure that the last step is in fact the next process. However, this means that the Outputs don't show up on the map and I see them as a bit redundant as the process never points to them, so would they even need to be defined?

 

 

Please let me know what you see as best practice here, or when you might use one option over the other. Let me know if you need any further information as well.

 

thanks

Mandy.

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Best answer by Noala 14 July 2021, 03:57

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Userlevel 3
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Hi Mandy


The way I explain this to our Promapper is:


 


If this process is a sub-process of a larger process, and the process(es) either side must occur 100% of the time, then add a process link on the map as well as linking in the input and outputs.



  • This means if someone is looking at just this process, it is immediately obvious from the process map there are pre- and post-requisites for this process.


 


If there are only two or three processes that can occur either before or after this process then it can be useful to add a link on the map as well as in the inputs/outputs.


 


If there are many (4 or 5+) processes that could trigger this process, or many (4 or 5+) processes that depend on the output of this process, then adding all those links to the map is going to clutter it up and detract from the simpleness we are trying to achieve with our Promapps, so only link in the inputs/outputs.     



  • Eg.  We have over 100 process maps that impact the data in our HR system and affect the calculation fortnightly pays (eg new staff commencements, all types of leave, allowances, entitlements etc).  There is no value in adding them as process links on the map of our process 'Pay fortnightly salaries'.


 


So for me, it comes down to how critical the linkage between the processes is, and how much value is added by including a link on the map, whilst not detracting from being able to see the flow of the process easily at the map view.


 


Hope that's useful.

Userlevel 1
Thats a great way to explain it. Thanks
Userlevel 3
Badge +8
PS. Our general instruction to map editors is to *always* link in the inputs and outputs.

In the last case (where there are many related processes) I don't include links in the inputs at all (because there are simply too many), but each of the 100 processes impacting HR salary data should include a link to the Pay fortnightly pays process in their outputs (and therefore appear in the Dependencies section of the Pay fortnightly pays process).

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