Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Streamlined Workflow Analysis Using Swim Lanes, Janetta Waterhouse

University Libraries Faculty Scholarship

This is a case study on the workflow analysis process utilized by the technical services departments at the University at Albany SUNY in preparation for a migration from a legacy library system to a library services platform. The focus is not on specific technical services functionality but rather on the efficient, bottom-up methodology. Tasks were identified, sequenced, and entered into a spreadsheet. Responsible persons or units were marked in the appropriate cell to complete the swim lane diagram. The resulting documentation served as a simplified process diagram for the workflow that can be easily maintained on an ongoing basis.