processwhat

Processwhat is a term used in discussions of process analysis and management to describe an approach that concentrates on identifying and articulating the essential components of a process—the 'what' of the process—its activities, inputs, outputs, and the value created, rather than the actors, locations, or tools involved.

While not widely standardized, the term has appeared in recent writings on process modeling and process mining to contrast the core process logic with contextual or organizational factors. It is sometimes presented as a heuristic for simplifying complex processes by isolating the sequence of tasks and data handling from roles and environments.

Practitioners using a processwhat perspective typically employ process mapping, data-flow diagrams, and event logs to capture tasks, decision points, inputs, and outputs. They may use lightweight notations focused on data and control flow rather than organizational plots. The goal is to create a representation that remains valid across different contexts and teams.

Applications include business process improvement, software workflow design, and educational tools for teaching process thinking. Processwhat is often discussed in relation to process mining, process discovery, and value-stream analysis, as a complement to methods that emphasize roles and resources.

Critics argue that an overemphasis on the 'what' can overlook critical human, cultural, and infrastructural factors that influence process performance. Proponents respond that clarifying the core process logic can serve as a neutral baseline for comparing variations.