If your firm is juggling disconnected apps, duplicated tasks, or unclear handovers, the issue often isn’t your software. It’s the way your systems are set up. AppVentory is built for accounting and bookkeeping firms that want visibility into how their tech stack is actually performing. It maps internal workflows, flags waste, and shows where adoption is falling short.
In this session, Bethanie Hawkins, Product Evangelist at AppVentory, showed how firms can take control of their internal operations using process mapping — and how AppVentory helps them do it faster.
What is process mapping?
Process mapping (also known as business process mapping) is a technique for visually documenting how work flows through an organisation — step by step, from start to finish. It lays out who does what, when, and how: the tasks, decisions, inputs, outputs, and transitions between systems or roles.
By turning workflow into a clear map (often shown as a flowchart or swim-lane diagram) process mapping makes invisible work visible. It helps teams identify inefficiencies, bottlenecks, redundant tasks or tools, and opportunities for optimisation.
In short, process mapping transforms messy, unclear operations into structured, analyzable workflows, providing a baseline from which transformation or technology rationalisation can begin.
How to untangle your tech stack with process mapping
Step 1: Find where your firm is losing time and money
Bethanie opened with a familiar scenario: teams jumping between email, Google Drive, and e-sign platforms to complete basic tasks. These aren’t just software overlaps — they’re signs your systems aren’t working together.
AppVentory helps firms uncover:
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- Manual steps that could be automated
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- Workarounds caused by system gaps
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- Redundant tools draining budget
Every one of these issues adds friction to your team’s day and weakens your client experience. Process mapping inside AppVentory makes them easier to see.
Step 2: Map your firm’s workflows before choosing new apps
Process mapping isn’t just drawing boxes on a whiteboard. Inside AppVentory, firms can document their current workflows, highlight where things break down, and align on what needs to change.
Bethanie recommends sitting with your team and using AppVentory to:
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- Document key steps and who owns them
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- Identify blockers and duplications
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- Highlight where automation could help
“By mapping out your internal processes, you’ll be able to see down to an activity level where there is the most opportunity for improvement.”
Step 3: Prioritise with data, not guesswork
AppVentory shows you which tools are actually being used, what they cost, and where they overlap. That means you can stop relying on assumptions and start prioritising based on facts.
Use AppVentory to:
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- Spot low-engagement apps with high costs
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- Flag tools that don’t integrate with core workflows
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- Focus on issues that impact turnaround time or profitability
Process mapping paired with usage data helps you make the business case for change.
Step 4: Pick tools that support the way your firm works
Bethanie pointed out that tech decisions often go wrong because firms are focused on features, not fit. AppVentory helps firms evaluate new vendors with the bigger picture in mind.
Use AppVentory to support vendor evaluations with questions like:
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- Will this integrate with our existing stack?
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- Does it support multi-entity workflows?
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- Is training included for everyone who needs it?
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- How does pricing scale as we grow?
These questions are easier to answer once you’ve mapped out your core processes.
Step 5: Monitor adoption, not just implementation
It’s one thing to roll out a new app — another to make sure it’s actually being used. AppVentory tracks engagement across teams and flags drop-off points, so you know where extra support is needed.
“Change management doesn’t stop at go-live. You need to check in with teams after one week, three months, six months. That’s how you build confidence and momentum.”
Process mapping gives you the baseline. AppVentory helps you measure what’s improved.
Bonus: Use the same process externally with clients
Bethanie wrapped the session by challenging firms to use what they’ve learned internally as the basis for a new advisory service. With AppVentory, you can run discovery sessions with clients, assess their current stack, and offer practical recommendations.
AppVentory gives you a way to:
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- Standardise how you review client systems
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- Back up your advice with real data
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- Deliver advisory services with clear ROI
“You might have someone who’s just really great with people, really curious, loves getting into the weeds of a problem — that’s a perfect starting point.”
Whether you’re using it for your firm or your clients, AppVentory and process mapping help you run better systems and deliver better outcomes.
