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In order that business processes can be improved they must first be illustrated. The hardest task in business process mapping is getting everyone to agree what the process looks like. The starting point is an illustration of the process. The production of a process illustration is an iterative activity. The more widely circulated the draft illustrations then the more accurate the final, first off, illustration.

A form of business process illustration is the flow-chart.

In business process illustrations it is not necessary to use conventional flow-chart symbols. Simple task boxes will usually suffice, however there are standardized notations, which make the task easier: Business Process Modeling Notation