Get AI-Ready: How to Run a Process Discovery Workshop

Many businesses are sitting on a goldmine of potential efficiency gains, but they simply cannot see it. Why? Because their internal processes have grown organically over time, often cobbled together in ways that might have worked once, but are now holding them back.

At nocodecreative.io, we believe that before you jump into automation or AI, you need to understand your processes. And the best way to do that? A well-structured, people-first process discovery workshop.

This guide will show you exactly how to run your own workshop, while also highlighting where expert facilitation can make all the difference.

Why processes fall apart (and what it’s costing you)

Processes don’t fail overnight. They erode slowly. What starts as a quick workaround becomes embedded in your business DNA. Over time, these clunky processes lead to:

Frustrated employees bogged down by repetitive admin
Leads slipping through the cracks
Slow response times eroding customer satisfaction
Mistakes creeping in through manual tasks and poor accountability

The result? Wasted time, lost sales, and opportunities missed.

These are classic signs you need a process health check, and a process discovery workshop is your fast track to identifying and fixing them.

What is a process discovery workshop (and why should you care)?

Let’s strip away the jargon. A process discovery workshop is simply a structured conversation with the right people in the room to:

Map the process from start to finish
Identify who touches each part of the process
Surface pain points, inefficiencies, and risks
Prioritise which problems need fixing first

It’s not about pointing fingers or blaming staff. Often, the real issue is the process itself, not the people following it.

At the end of the workshop, you’ll have a clear, visual picture of where your processes are letting you down, and a prioritised list of where automation could deliver the biggest wins.

Recognising the warning signs early

You might be too close to the day-to-day to spot the cracks. Here’s what to look for:

Leads go cold after initial enquiries because no one owns the follow-up process.
Customer complaints spike, especially about delays, poor communication, or clunky online forms.
Tasks take longer than they should, but nobody challenges why, it's just "how we do things".
Teams waste hours double-checking data because they don’t trust the accuracy of the first entry.
When mistakes happen, no one knows who’s accountable, and processes are opaque and poorly documented.

If any of these sound familiar, you’re not alone. The good news is they’re often quick wins when tackled systematically.

How to run your own process discovery workshop

Running your own workshop is entirely possible, and here’s how to do it effectively:

1. Start with a focused objective

Don’t try to boil the ocean. Pick one process to explore, such as lead handling, invoicing, or onboarding. Be specific.

2. Get the right people in the room

Include those directly involved in the process and those impacted by it. Aim for cross-functional insights. Encourage openness and honesty.

3. Map the process as it is today

Use simple tools, whiteboards, sticky notes, or digital boards like Miro or Lucidchart. Step by step, capture who does what, when, and how long it takes.

4. Uncover the pain points

Ask your team what frustrates them. Where are the bottlenecks? Where do errors creep in? Where do customers complain? Encourage candid conversation.

5. Prioritise ruthlessly

Not all problems carry the same weight. Use severity voting, ask participants to vote on which pain points are costing the business most in terms of time, risk, or customer satisfaction.

6. Build a technology matrix

This is where the magic happens. For each prioritised issue, assess:

Benefit of automating or improving the step
Cost, effort, and complexity of fixing it

Quick wins? Tackle those first. Bigger wins with higher investment? Start planning now.

Don’t forget, processes evolve, and so should your workshop habits

One workshop is a fantastic start, but processes shift as businesses grow, customers demand more, and technology advances. Make process discovery workshops a regular discipline, not a one-off.

What comes next? Implement, test, refine

A workshop is just the start. The real value comes from acting on what you learn:

Implement changes
Test rigorously
Monitor results
Refine continuously

Automation and AI can only deliver value if the processes they augment are fit for purpose.

Partner with nocodecreative.io

While running your own workshops can work wonders, sometimes you need an outside eye. Someone to challenge assumptions, keep discussions focused, and bring deep experience in spotting automation opportunities.

At nocodecreative.io, we help businesses like yours: