Map the Process Before You Write the Backlog
Map the Process Before You Write the Backlog
In consulting I spend a lot of time mapping AS-IS and TO-BE processes, using frameworks like APQC, SCOR and BPMN. As a product owner I spent a lot of time writing user stories. Over the years I have found that the second job goes much better when the first one is done properly.
The AS-IS map is where the real requirements hide
Stakeholders usually describe the process as they think it should run. Walking through it step by step shows how it actually runs: the manual workarounds, the spreadsheets kept on the side, the approval that happens over email. Those details are where the inefficiencies are, and they are also where the real requirements come from.
Frameworks help you ask complete questions
I do not use APQC or SCOR because the client needs a diagram with a standard label. I use them because they remind me of the parts of a process people forget to mention. A supply chain conversation that skips returns or supplier onboarding is easy to have and expensive to discover later.
The TO-BE map is a decision, not a drawing
A TO-BE process only means something when the business has agreed to it. That includes who owns each step, what information they need and what changes for their team. Once that agreement exists, gap analysis becomes simple: the gaps are the work.
Then write the stories
With both maps in hand, user stories almost write themselves. Each story points to a step in the TO-BE process, and its acceptance criteria describe what the business will see when the step works. Prioritising the backlog also gets easier, because you can see which steps carry the most pain today.
Keep the maps alive
Processes change during delivery. The maps should change with them, or they quickly become documents nobody trusts. A map that is still accurate at go-live is also the best training material you will have for users.
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Rahul skipped presentations and built real AI products.
Rahul Shaw was part of the August 2026 cohort at Curious PM, alongside 24 other talented participants.