BA ACADEMY / LESSON
AS-IS and TO-BE process analysis
Map handoffs, decisions and failure paths before designing a better flow.
The idea
An AS-IS map records what really happens, including workarounds. Mark actors, triggers, decisions, systems, wait time and rework. Validate it with people who perform the work. A TO-BE map should make a specific improvement hypothesis and show how ownership, controls and measures change.
Example
For a payment retry, map the customer, gateway and operations handoffs. A retry rule that looks simple in the UI may create duplicate-charge risk unless idempotency and reconciliation are defined.
Illustrative BA scenario
Fictional insurance example: tracing a rejected policy payment across the customer portal, gateway and policy system reveals that a stale eligibility flag—not the payment method—is the cause.
Try it yourself
- Sketch a five-step AS-IS flow with one exception path.
- Name two measures that would show whether the TO-BE process is better.