Process Walk-through Checklist of Questions to Ask

Every team depends on processes to stay organized, productive, and aligned. But over time, even the best processes can start working against the people using them. Bottlenecks show up. Work gets duplicated. Approvals slow everything down. Before you know it, a system that was meant to make life easier becomes the very thing holding your team back.

That’s why taking an honest walk-through of your workflows matters. By asking the right questions, we can identify what’s helping—and what’s hurting—our ability to move work forward. Below are some of the most important areas teams should evaluate to understand whether their processes still support their goals.

Start With the Basics: Do These Steps Even Need to Exist?

A good process begins with purpose. So the first question we should always ask is:

Why does this step exist? Is it necessary? Does it add value?

If the answer isn’t clear, the step may no longer serve its original purpose. Teams should also look at whether certain actions can be eliminated, automated, or simplified. If a task is labor-intensive but delivers little benefit, it’s a sign that the process needs refinement.

Check Accuracy and Efficiency: Are We Doing More Work Than Needed?

Data-related tasks often reveal hidden problems. Ask yourself:

• How accurate is the data?
• Is the same information being keyed into multiple places?
• Are we duplicating work? 

Re-entering data across multiple systems, spreadsheets, or databases drains time and increases the risk of errors. When accuracy is uncertain or effort is repeated, inefficiency becomes built into the process itself.

Look at Time and Participation: Who Is Involved and Why?

Another important area to review is how many people participate in a process and whether it takes excessive time to complete. If a workflow requires too many handoffs, it usually increases delays and miscommunication. 

Teams should also ask:

Are roles and responsibilities clearly defined and appropriate?

Unclear ownership often leads to missed deadlines, backlogs, and unnecessary slowdowns. When everyone touches a task but no one owns it, progress stalls.

Assess Outputs and Inputs: Are They Actually Being Used?

A surprising number of processes create outputs no one needs—or uses. So it’s important to ask:

• Is the output necessary?
• Who uses it?
• How often?

The same goes for inputs. If certain data or documents aren’t essential, they only add clutter and complexity. Sometimes removing one unnecessary input can streamline an entire workflow.

Identify What’s Causing Delays: Where Are Things Getting Stuck?

Every team faces moments when work piles up. To understand why, review questions such as:

• What is slowing down the process?
• Are there needless reviews or approvals?
• Does a backlog exist?
• How often are deadlines missed?

These answers help pinpoint patterns—like recurring “fire drills,” sudden rushes of activity, or frequent rework caused by inaccurate inputs or outputs. Knowing how these issues are initiated and who or what triggers them gives teams a clearer view of what needs fixing.

Review Tools and Materials: Are We Stuck in Old Habits?

Many organizations still rely on physical paper or manual tasks long after digital alternatives exist. So one simple but powerful question to ask is:

Is the physical piece of paper necessary?

If not, removing it can reduce delays, errors, and storage challenges. Likewise, spotting whether anyone is performing similar tasks can help consolidate work and reduce duplication.

Consider Timing: When Do Problems Occur Most Often?

Understanding the busiest times of the day, week, month, or quarter can reveal pressure points in a process. Peaks in activity may strain the system, causing recurring slowdowns or last-minute scrambling.

Key Takeaways

A process should support your team—not slow it down. By asking these thoughtful questions, we can identify inefficiencies, remove unnecessary steps, and build workflows that truly help us work better. Regular review keeps processes relevant, effective, and aligned with what the team actually needs.

Question Every Activity - Always Ask Why

1. Is the step or process necessary?
   
   
2. Does it add value?
   
   
3. Can it be eliminated?
   
   
4. Is it labor intensive?
   
   
5. Can it be automated?
   
   
6. How accurate is the data?
   
   
7. How many people participate in the process?
   
   
8. Does it take excessive time to complete?
   
   
9. Are too many handoffs occurring?
   
   
10. Is there a duplication of effort?
    
    
11. Is the output necessary?
    
    
12. Is anyone using the output?
    
    
13. How often do they use it?
    
    
14. Is the input necessary?
    
    
15. Are roles and responsibilities clearly defined?
    
    
16. Are roles and responsibilities appropriate?
    
    
17. What is slowing down the process?
    
    
18. Are there needless reviews or approvals required?
    
    
19. Is the physical piece of paper necessary?
    
    
20. Is anyone performing similar tasks?
    
    
21. Is the same data being keyed into multiple places? (For example, the accounting system, an Access database, spreadsheets, etc.)
    
    
22. Does a backlog exist?
    
    
23. How often are deadlines missed?
    
    
24. What are the routine “fire drills”?
    
    
25. How are they initiated?
    
    
26. Who/what causes them?
    
    
27. How accurate are the inputs/outputs?
    
    
28. What are the busiest times of the day, week, month and/or quarter?