Map one workflow bottleneck in 30 minutes

You cannot fix five bottlenecks at once. Map one chain end-to-end in 30 minutes.

Draw the chain

1. Start at trigger (lead in, client request, month end).
2. List each step and who owns it.
3. Mark wait time between steps (hours/days).
4. Circle the longest wait, that is the bottleneck.
5. Ask: policy, people, or tool?

Fix order

Tool last. Clarify policy and ownership first; then automate the repeated decision.

Use this as a working checklist inside your team first. When the same steps repeat every week and spreadsheets start breaking, that is usually the moment to scope a decision map covering product value, frequency, integration needs and ownership risk as an owned system. See the relevant Standen service · More guides · SaaS ops audit.