Makigami Process Analysis can be applied to ANY business process. In fact it is basically a more structured VSM than the in the Western world commonly used
Value Stream Map.
It is designed to be used on non-visual processes (like in an office).
In a factory one can walk through the process, make observations and count stock, WIP, cycle-times etc.; in an office many things need to be simulated or grasped form in-direct obeservations or interviews.
To comfort this process of visualizing an invisible process, the Makigami supports and guides.
Makigami can be applied on all kind of levels; Some examples
- Inter company transfers between companies in a multinational
- Processes going through several devisions or departments
- Processes within a department
- Processes within a group of people.
I would suggest to use it to the extend where several people are involved; in other words where transfers occurr between several parties.
If you would like to dive deeper and analyse the process on the level of óne 'desk', I would suggest to use the
Process Structure Diagram (PSD) More info on PSD:
http://www.makigami.info/cms/psd-mainmenu-61I also use Makigami as the tool for classical VSM analyses in factories, to gain a process oriented view. In the beginning this 'feels' strange because the team usually is not acquainted to 'think in process-flows', but once taken this hurdle, it helps enormous to see where the flow has its obstacles!
Does this answer your question?