process flow
What It Means
A process flow is a visual map that shows every step in a business process from start to finish, including decision points, alternate paths, and what happens when things go wrong. It's like a detailed roadmap that documents exactly how work should flow through your organization, capturing not just the happy path but also exceptions and edge cases.
Why Chief AI Officers Care
For AI implementations, process flows are critical because AI systems need to understand and integrate with existing business processes, and any gaps or unclear steps can cause AI deployments to fail or create compliance issues. They also help identify where AI can add the most value and ensure that automated decisions align with business rules and regulatory requirements.
Real-World Example
A customer service process flow might show: customer submits ticket — AI chatbot attempts resolution — if unresolved, escalate to human agent — agent categorizes issue — if technical, route to IT — if billing, route to finance — resolution provided — customer satisfaction survey sent. This flow helps an AI system understand when and how to hand off conversations appropriately.
Common Confusion
People often confuse process flows with simple workflow diagrams, but process flows must include exception handling and decision logic, not just the basic sequence of steps. They're more comprehensive than a basic flowchart because they capture the messy reality of how work actually gets done.
Industry-Specific Applications
See how this term applies to healthcare, finance, manufacturing, government, tech, and insurance.
Healthcare: In healthcare, process flows are critical for documenting clinical pathways, patient care workflows, and administrative ...
Finance: In finance, process flows are critical for documenting transaction lifecycles, risk management procedures, and regulator...
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Includes:
- 6 industry-specific applications
- Relevant regulations by sector
- Real compliance scenarios
- Implementation guidance
Technical Definitions
NISTNational Institute of Standards and Technology
"The defined representation of the overall progression of how a process is intended to be performed, including all exceptions."Source: IEEE_Guide_IPA
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