· Minh Tran
Mapping work without copying the org chart
Org charts describe reporting lines. Analysis maps should follow work, handoffs, and wait states — even when they embarrass the chart.
Beginners often redraw the org chart and call it a system map. That hides queues sitting between teams that do not report to each other.
In the Systems Analysis Studio we ask participants to follow a single request from intake to closure, timing each wait. The map almost never matches the hierarchy slide.
When a sponsor insists on the org chart, keep it as a separate appendix. Do not let it replace the flow of work.
If you cannot measure wait time yet, mark unknowns explicitly — invented numbers damage trust faster than blank boxes.