12 core process maps every ops team should have
Drawn once for an audit, then never touched
The people who do the work were never in the room
They live in a format no one can edit without a licence
By Jack Finnegan · Updated 6 June 2026
Change management
A change management process rendered as a BPMN 2.0 process map: a change request is assessed for impact and risk, planned with a rollback, taken to the CAB for approval, then implemented and reviewed. Rejected plans loop back for revision.
Procure-to-pay
A procure-to-pay (P2P) process rendered as a BPMN 2.0 process map: from raising a requisition through approval, purchase order, goods receipt, three-way match, and supplier payment. Discrepancies loop back until the match is clean.
Invoice approval
An invoice approval workflow rendered as a BPMN 2.0 process map: validate the invoice, match it to the purchase order, approve within authority limits, and schedule payment. Mismatches are queried with the supplier; over-limit invoices are escalated.
Employee onboarding
An employee onboarding SOP rendered as a BPMN 2.0 process map with four swimlanes (HR, IT, Hiring Manager, New Hire). A parallel gateway splits pre-boarding into IT account provisioning and the hiring manager preparing the day-one agenda; an exclusive gateway at the day-seven checkpoint loops the new hire back to resolve any outstanding tasks before the 30-day check-in closes onboarding out.
Incident management
An incident management process rendered as a BPMN 2.0 process map: detect, log, triage and prioritise, then either invoke the major-incident process or resolve directly, followed by a post-incident review.
Complaint handling
A complaint-handling process rendered as a BPMN 2.0 process map: acknowledge the complaint, investigate, decide whether it is upheld, then remediate or explain, and send a final response within the SLA.
Returns (RMA)
A returns / RMA process rendered as a BPMN 2.0 process map: check eligibility, authorise the return, receive and inspect the goods, then either refund or replace. Ineligible requests are declined.
Month-end close
A month-end close process rendered as a BPMN 2.0 process map: reconcile accounts, post accruals and adjustments, review variances, approve the close, and publish financial statements. Unexplained variances are investigated and re-reviewed.
Sales process
A sales process rendered as a BPMN 2.0 process map: capture and qualify the lead, run discovery, send a proposal, and close. Unqualified leads are nurtured; lost deals are recorded.
Customer onboarding
A customer onboarding process rendered as a BPMN 2.0 process map: kickoff, provisioning, training, and a success-criteria check before handing off to Customer Success. Blockers loop back to training and support.
Order approval
A five-lane BPMN 2.0 process map showing how an incoming customer order is reviewed, credit-checked, approved, fulfilled and shipped — with two distinct end events (Order Shipped on the approved path, Order Declined on the rejected path).
AS-IS → TO-BE redesign (the method for improving any of the above)
A process-redesign flow rendered as a BPMN 2.0 process map: map the as-is, identify waste, design the to-be, validate with stakeholders, then pilot and roll out. Unvalidated designs loop back for revision.
What’s inside
A ready BPMN map for each of the 12 core processes
Editable with mouse + keyboard — no BPMN training needed
A 1-page "is your map any good?" checklist (PDF + DOCX)
A RACI starter you can drop onto any of the processes
Open and edit any of them in one click — no install, no licence
Download the files
One zip with 2 document files and 12 maps (PNG + BPMN + SVG). Free to use and share — no sign-up.
Frequently asked questions
Which 12 maps are included?
Eleven everyday operational processes — change management, procure-to-pay, invoice approval, employee onboarding, incident management, complaint handling, returns (RMA), month-end close, sales, customer onboarding and order approval — plus an AS-IS → TO-BE redesign template you run against any of them when you want to improve one.
Can I edit them?
Yes. Click any map to open it in BA Copilot and edit it with mouse and keyboard — change the steps, add lanes, rename tasks. No Visio licence and no BPMN training required.
Are they really free?
Yes — free to use and share. No sign-up required to view or open them.
More free packs
Open any of the 12 maps in BA Copilot
Pick the process you need, open it in one click, and adapt it to how your team actually works — editable with mouse and keyboard.