I believe the best software solutions start with a clear understanding of how your business works. One of the most effective ways to achieve this is through an Event Storming workshop. This is a structured session that helps us uncover key processes & identify challenges. It means that the software we build aligns with your business goals.
But what is Event Storming, and how does it work? In this article, I’ll walk you through our approach to the process step by step, so you know exactly what to expect.
What is Event Storming?
Event Storming is a collaborative workshop where we map out your business processes with the help of visuals.
At the beginning of any project, it’s important to get to know you and your goals. Unlike traditional documentation methods, which can be time-consuming, Event Storming uses sticky notes and diagrams to build a shared understanding between business experts and technical teams.
The goal is simple:
✅ Understand how your business works before we start designing software
✅ Identify gaps, inefficiencies, and opportunities for improvement
✅ Ensure that business and technical teams are aligned from day one
When should you use event storming?
Event Storming shines in complex business scenarios where clear understanding is crucial before technical implementation.
Event storming is perfect for:
- Starting new custom software projects
- Modernizing legacy systems
- Mapping complex business processes across departments
- Aligning teams with different perspectives
- Planning system integrations
- Scaling operations
- Discovering unclear processes in your organization
Why do we use Event Storming?
Many software projects fail because of miscommunication between business and technical teams. A company might have a great idea, but if developers don’t fully understand the why behind the requirements, the end product can miss the mark.
Event Storming helps by:
- Bringing all key stakeholders into the same conversation (business teams, technical teams, and decision-makers). It also aligns both you and our team on definitions & terms.
- Making complex processes easy to understand using a visual approach
- Identifying potential problems early, saving time and costs later in development
What happens during an Event Storming workshop?
An Event Storming workshop typically happens in two key stages.
Big picture Event Storming, understanding the whole system
Think of this as looking at a city from a bird’s eye view. Below is a simple example of an Event Storming workshop.
The big picture Event Storming phase helps us get an overview of your entire business process. We focus on:
- What happens in your business? (e.g., “A customer places an order”)
- Who is involved? (e.g., customers, employees, suppliers)
- Where are the bottlenecks or pain points?
How does it work?
- Everyone writes down key business events on orange sticky notes (physical or digital using tools like Miro)
- We arrange these events in chronological order to see the full flow
- We identify missing steps, inefficiencies, or areas that need improvement
- Additional sticky notes are added to capture any overlooked events, ensuring nothing important is missed
- Events are placed on a timeline to reflect the correct sequence, helping everyone see how things progress over time
- The process is validated by working backward to check if certain events must happen before others, ensuring the sequence makes sense and nothing is missing.
- User roles are added to show who is taking the action in the process.
- Risks and known policies are documented to highlight constraints, business rules, and potential challenges that could impact the process
- Events are grouped into bounded contexts or group domain events. Organizing related events into clear modules makes it easier to manage complexity and define system boundaries
Below is an example of how a big-picture Event Storming session could look.
Process-Level Event Storming, focusing on specific areas
Once we understand the big picture, we zoom in on the most important processes, much like focusing on a specific neighborhood.
Here, we break things down into detailed steps, including:
- Who performs each action? (e.g., “Warehouse worker marks the order as shipped”)
- What are the rules and conditions? (e.g., “If payment is not received within 24 hours, cancel the order”)
- How does data flow between systems? (e.g., integration with payment providers, inventory management)
How does it work?
- We select a key process to analyze in detail (e.g., “Handling product returns”)
- Experts and users of the system describe how it works step by step
- We identify any gaps, risks, or potential improvements
Who should take part in an Event Storming workshop?
To get the best results, we invite a mix of business and technical experts, including:
- Business stakeholders: those who define business goals and processes
- Subject matter experts: people who work with the system daily and know it inside out
- Technical team: developers and architects who will build the software
- Process owners: anyone responsible for specific workflows (e.g., customer support, finance)
A well-balanced group means that all perspectives are covered, from high-level business objectives to day-to-day operational details. However, because each meeting will have a different focus, it’s best to have the right person for the workshop’s aim. For the first part, it would be good to have people who understand the big picture of the project. And, for the process level, it should be a small group of experts related to the specific process. That’s why we separate meetings.
How long does a workshop take?
The duration depends on the complexity of the project, but typically:
- Big Picture Event Storming: 4-8 hours
- Process-Level Event Storming: 2-4 hours per process
Some workshops are completed in a single day, while more complex projects may require multiple sessions to cover all details. Typically, it takes 1 big picture session and 4 process level meetings. In total, this takes about 12-24hrs.
What happens after the workshop?
At the end of the Event Storming session, you’ll receive:
- A visual map of your business processes. This is a clear picture of how everything works
- A list of key insights. These identify inefficiencies, risks, and opportunities
- A detailed action plan. A guide to the next steps for the project
This documentation helps us translate business requirements into technical specifications, This means that our development team builds a solution that truly meets your needs.
Summary of Event Storming workshops
| Phase | Big Picture Event Storming | Process Level Event Storming |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Understand high-level business operations | Analyze a specific process in detail |
| Who’s Involved | Executives, department heads, business owners | Process specialists, technical leads, users |
| Duration | 4-8 hours | 2-4 hours per process |
| Key Focus Areas | Revenue streams, key workflows, organizational structure | Step-by-step process breakdown, responsibilities, dependencies |
| Outcome | Broad system map, improvement areas, priority list | Detailed workflow breakdown, implementation plan, risk assessment |
Your next steps
If you’re planning a custom software project, an Event Storming workshop is a great way to start. Now that you understand what Event Storming is and how it works, the next step is to start thinking about who should be part of the workshop. Consider involving key people from your team who know the goals you’re aiming for.
If you have an idea for a system and want a clear structure and action plan, let’s explore how Event Storming can help bring your vision to life.
In the meantime, feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
