Types of Flowchart — Overview
ConceptDraw defines some flowchart types, divided into ten categories
Every flowchart type has specific shapes and examples
There are a plenty of flowchart applications in almost every imaginable field from business processes to cooking recipes. In addition, there are many special software tools, such as ConceptDraw DIAGRAM, using which you can create flowcharts easy and fast, which is a great advantage since you can spend your time more efficiently. When describing a process, or writing a manual, you should try just for once, not to write a long paragraph of complicated text, but to draw an illustrative diagram, which can be more explanative. There are a few tips, which help to create understandable flowcharts.
First, you need to keep in mind that flowcharts have to be easy to follow, so order your shapes in logical order and use unambiguous instructions. Choose one direction for the flow of the elements on your diagram: from left to right, or from the top of the document to the bottom. If your flowchart gets complex, use connectors to reduce the quantity of flow lines. You can also add a circular node and move a part of the flowchart to the next page to make your diagram look more tidy.
Remember, the more neat and orderly your flowchart is, the more users will thank you for that. To avoid a visual mess, keep three things in your mind: scale, proportion and space. Save an equal space around the elements of your flowcharts, so that your document would be easy to read. Keep the size of the objects proportional to the text written in them and to the rest of the objects in the flowchart. Be sure to use appropriate symbols for different cases to avoid mistakes and inconveniences. To have an easy start with developing flowcharts, take a look on examples listed below.
Should a business or government agency need to show a solution model for a some purpose of their activity, a resulting diagram will take the form of a flowchart. They are an irreplaceable tool when charting a business process — they give you the opportunity to picture and understand the process, and serve to highlight any issues or bottlenecks that might cause threats in the workflow.
Basic Flowchart
is often used to define and document basic work and data flows, financial, production and quality management processes to increase efficiency of you business.
Business Process Modeling Diagram
is a graphical representation for specifying business processes in a workflow.
Process Flowchart
is also known as the system flow diagram or SFD. The main reason of using process flowchart is to show the relation between major parts of the system. A Process Flow Diagram may present a range of symbols that represent different appliances.
Cross Functional Flowchart
is often used to show the relationship between a business process and the functional units (such as departments) responsible for that process.
Procedure Flowchart
involves creating a flow chart model that illustrates and analyzes the overall flow of activities in producing a product or service.
Data Flow Diagram
is a significant modeling technique for analyzing and constructing information processes.
IDEF Flowchart
is used to apply structured methods to better understand how to improve manufacturing productivity.
IDEF2
is often used to represent the time varying behavior of resources in a manufacturing system, providing a framework for specification of math model based simulations.
List
is used to draw commonly used list, block list, picture list and table list.
Process
is used to show a progression or sequential steps in a task, process, or workflow.
SDL Diagram
is widely used to model state machines in the telecommunications, aviation, automotive and medical industries.
Document Flowchart
is commonly used to trace the movement of a document, such as internal memos, payroll information and interoffice mail, through a system.
Program Flowchart
is a graphic representation of an algorithm, often used in the design phase of programming to work out the logical flow of a program. It demonstrates how a program works within a system.
Workflow Diagram
is use to create diagrams of information flow, business process automation, business process re-engineering, accounting, management, and human resources tasks.
Value Stream Mapping
is a mechanism to improve cycle times and productivity by visually separating value-adding from non-value-adding activities.
System Flowchart
help understand how complex systems work. Systems analyzed may be anything from businesses, through biological population models, to the impact of social policy, etc.
Highlight Flowchart
is used to create good looking style flowcharts.
Sales Flowchart
allows to draw a sales process.
Discover why ConceptDraw is the best flowchart software.
Pic.1. Process flowchart. Human resource management process
TEN RELATED HOW TO's:
The most worked out and commonly used methodology of business processes description is IDEF methodology. Besides business processes it allows to describe functional blocks, for example production and marketing. ConceptDraw lets creation of business processes description using IDEF0 and IDEF2 methods.
Picture: Business Processes
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Structured-systems analysis and design method uses data flow diagrams to represent the process of data flowing through a system. Talking about this might be useless without a proper example of DFD for online store (Data Flow Diagram). This DFD example shows all the distinctness that a diagram can bring into a scattered data structure.
Data flow diagrams are used to show how data is processed within some business processes. Making DFD is a common practice for business process modeling and analysis. This diagram represents the online store business flow. It describes inputs and outputs within online selling process and depicts the interactions between its participants. This DF diagram can be used by system analysts to create an overview of a business, to study and discover its inherent strengths and weak points.
Picture: Example of DFD for Online Store (Data Flow Diagram)
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Using diagrams, you can visualize the flow of the information or build a detailed data structure. There's no need to have a degree in software and database design with ConceptDraw DIAGRAM , because this software has all the tools needed in developing models and diagrams. Project planning, designing and prototyping was never so easy.
This UML diagrams can be used to visualize a model of the data base development process. A UML diagram shows a graphical view of a structure of software system: components and relationships.
Using Unified Modeling Language helps to depict logical and physical elements of a data base, visually represent requirements and sub-systems. UML diagrams allows developers to organize and predict critical issues, as well as collaborate data base information.
Picture: Software and Database Design with ConceptDraw DIAGRAM
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Talking about interior design, we usually mean apartments, houses or establishments. But there’s much more to this, for instance, interiors in warehouses, storage and distribution departments and machine shops also require designing. You can find all the necessary design elements such as cranes and forklifts in Plant Layout Plans solution ConceptDraw Solution Park.
This picture represents content of the Storage and Distribution library, providing the collection of vector images designed to plan layouts of industrial storage facilities (warehouses). Warehouse is a premises and equipment intended for the reception, distribution and storage of products manufactured at the plant, as well as to preparation the product for shipment to the consumer. This vector images library is supplied with ConceptDraw Plant Layout Plans solution. it will help to industrial architects and planners to design plans for industrial storage and shipping facilities.
Picture: Interior Design. Storage and Distribution — Design Elements
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A Virtual network is a computer network that consists of virtual network links, i.e. between the computing devices there isn't a physical connection.
Well known forms of network virtualization are virtual networks based on the virtual devices (for example the network based on the virtual devices inside a hypervisor), protocol-based virtual networks (VLAN, VPN, VPLS, Virtual Wireless network, etc.) and their combinations.
This example was created in ConceptDraw DIAGRAM using the Computer and Networks Area of ConceptDraw Solution Park and shows the Virtual network.
Picture: Virtual networks. Computer and Network Examples
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Flowcharts can be used in designing and documenting both simple and complex processes or programs and, similar to the other types of diagrams, they can help visualize what happens and so help understand some definite process, and, as a result, find flaws, bottlenecks and other features within it.
Picture: Flowchart Programming Project. Flowchart Examples
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The Flowchart is a very popular type of diagram, it is widely used for analyzing, designing, managing and visualizing the business and technical processes, various software algorithms. But how to create Flowchart quick and easy?
Flowcharts solution from the Diagrams area of ConceptDraw Solution Park helps you to design the professional looking Flowchart Diagrams quick and easy using the ConceptDraw DIAGRAM diagramming and vector drawing software.
Picture: Create Flowchart - Making a Flowchart
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Create your own Linux audit flowcharts using the ConceptDraw DIAGRAM diagramming and vector drawing software extended with the Audit Flowcharts solution from the Finance and Accounting area of ConceptDraw Solution Park.
This flowchart example describing auditd, the linux audit tool.
Picture: Linux Audit Flowchart Example. Flowchart Examples
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