Flow Chart Symbols

The Flowcharts are incredibly useful and popular tool used in science, business, software development, analytics, engineering, marketing, manufacturing, administration, architecture, government, politics, and many other fields thanks to a variety of existing types of flowcharts. A Flowchart is a visual graphical representation of the process, algorithm, or the set of steps taken for problem's solution. Widely used for designing, visualizing and documenting simple and complex processes and programs, they effectively help to understand the process and to find easier the flaws if they are. Each flowchart type supposes the use of its own set of notations for drawing corresponding diagram, which includes the symbols of process, decision, data, document, data base, termination, initiation processes, processing loops, conditions, etc. It is easily design a Flowchart using the special professional flowchart maker - ConceptDraw PRO diagram software with numerous predesigned flow chart symbols grouped in libraries of Flowcharts solution from ConceptDraw Solution Park.

Basic Flowchart Symbols and Meaning

Flowcharts are the best for visually representation the business processes and the flow of a custom-order process through various departments within an organization. ConceptDraw PRO diagramming and vector drawing software extended with Flowcharts solution offers the full set of predesigned basic flowchart symbols which are gathered at two libraries: Flowchart and Flowcharts Rapid Draw. Among them are: process, terminator, decision, data, document, display, manual loop, and many other specific symbols. The meaning for each symbol offered by ConceptDraw gives the presentation about their proposed use in professional Flowcharts for business and technical processes, software algorithms, well-developed structures of web sites, Workflow diagrams, Process flow diagram and correlation in developing on-line instructional projects or business process system. Use of ready flow chart symbols in diagrams is incredibly useful - you need simply drag desired from the libraries to your document and arrange them in required order. There are a few serious alternatives to Visio for Mac, one of them is ConceptDraw PRO. It is one of the main contender with the most similar features and capabilities.

Flowchart design. Flowchart symbols, shapes, stencils and icons

A flowchart is a type of diagram which represents an algorithm, process or workflow, displays the steps as boxes of various kinds and depicts their order by connecting them with arrows. Any business graphic document will be more colorful and understandable if will use professional-looking and visual diagrams and flowcharts. Flowchart design gives versatile presenting and explaining of the process. ConceptDraw PRO flowchart software enhanced with Flowcharts solution helps effectively make Flowchart Design. Use of predesigned flowchart symbols and bright color palette offers a fresh view and favorably distinguishes the flowcharts designed in ConceptDraw PRO from the black and white flowcharts on a paper. Preferably to use no more than three or four colors and apply identical for the same shape types. The best flowchart design can be achieved by starting with Flowchart template, or any of suitable ready examples or samples offered in ConceptDraw STORE, open one of them and enter the proper text into each Flowchart shape. Each symbol of the flowchart has a definition that can't be changed. This means that all flowcharts shapes can be grouped in according to their meaning. Users with ConceptDraw PRO flowchart software can style groups of symbols with close definitions by color sets chosen from complementary palette. Almost all workflows can be depicted as a flowchart. Colored diagrams are more light for perception of the certain information, this is part of flowchart design. Bright colors need to be used in the key points of Decision symbols, to focus attention on their importance for whole process flow.

Process Flowchart

The main reason of using Process Flowchart or PFD is to show relations between major parts of the system. Process Flowcharts are used in process engineering and chemical industry where there is a requirement of depicting relationships between major components only and not include minor parts. Process Flowcharts for single unit or multiple units differ in their structure and implementation. ConceptDraw PRO is Professional business process mapping software for making Process flowcharts, Process flow diagram, Workflow diagram, flowcharts and technical illustrations for business documents and also comprehensive visio for mac application. Easier define and document basic work and data flows, financial, production and quality management processes to increase efficiency of your business with ConcepDraw PRO. Business process mapping software with Flowchart Maker ConceptDraw PRO includes extensive drawing tools, rich examples and templates, process flowchart symbols and shape libraries, smart connectors that allow you create the flowcharts of complex processes, process flow diagrams, procedures and information exchange. Process Flowchart Solution is project management workflow tools which is part ConceptDraw Project marketing project management software. Drawing charts, diagrams, and network layouts has long been the monopoly of Microsoft Visio, making Mac users to struggle when needing such visio alternative like visio for mac, it requires only to view features, make a minor edit to, or print a diagram or chart. Thankfully to MS Visio alternative like ConceptDraw PRO software, this is cross-platform charting and business process management tool, now visio alternative for making sort of visio diagram is not a problem anymore however many people still name it business process visio tools.

Swim Lane Flowchart Symbols

Use the set of special professionally developed swim lane flowchart symbols - single, multiple, vertical and horizontal lanes from the Swimlanes and Swimlanes BPMN 1.2 libraries from the Business Process Diagram solution, the Swim Lanes library from the Business Process Mapping solution as the perfect basis for your Swim Lane Flowcharts of processes, algorithms and procedures.

ERD Symbols and Meanings

Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD) is a popular software engineering tool for database modeling and illustration the logical structure of databases, which uses one of two notations - Chen's or Crow’s Foot. Crow's foot notation is effective when used in software engineering, information engineering, structured systems analysis and design. Each of these notations applies its own set of ERD symbols. Crow's foot diagrams use boxes to represent entities and lines between these boxes to show relationships. Varied shapes at the ends of lines depict the cardinality of a given relationship. Chen's ERD notation is more detailed way to represent entities and relationships. ConceptDraw PRO application enhanced with all-inclusive Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD) solution allows design professional ER diagrams with Chen's or Crow’s Foot notation on your choice. It contains the full set of ready-to-use standardized ERD symbols and meanings helpful for quickly drawing, collection of predesigned ERD samples, examples and templates. ConceptDraw Pro is a great alternative to Visio for Mac users as it offers more features and can easily handle the most demanding professional needs.

Types of Flowcharts

A Flowchart is a graphical representation of process, algorithm, workflow or step-by-step solution of the problem. It shows the steps as boxes of various kinds and connects them by arrows in a defined order depicting a flow. There are twelve main Flowchart types: Basic Flowchart, Business Process Modeling Diagram (BPMN), Cross Functional Flowchart, Data Flow Diagram (DFD), IDEF (Integrated DEFinition) Flowchart, Event-driven Process Chain (EPC) Diagram, Influence Diagram (ID), Swimlane Flowchart, Process Flow Diagram (PFD), Specification and Description Language (SDL) Diagram, Value Stream Mapping, Workflow Diagram. Using the Flowcharts solution from the Diagrams area of ConceptDraw Solution Park you can easy and quickly design a Flowchart of any of these types. This solution offers a lot of special predesigned vector symbols for each of these widely used notations. They will make the drawing process of Flowcharts much easier than ever. Pay also attention for the included collection of ready Flowchart examples, samples and quick-start templates. This is business process improvement tools. If you are looking for MS Visio for your Mac, then you are out of luck, because it hasn't been released yet. However, you can use Visio alternatives that can successfully replace its functions. ConceptDraw PRO is an alternative to MS Visio for Mac that provides powerful features and intuitive user interface for the same.

Cross-Functional Flowchart

Use of Cross-Functional Flowchart is a clear way of showing each team member’s responsibilities and how processes get shared or transferred between different responsible people, teams and departments. Use the best flowchart maker ConceptDraw PRO with a range of standardized cross-functional flowchart symbols to create the Cross-Functional Flowcharts simply and to visualize the relationship between a business process and the functional units responsible for that process. To draw the most quickly Cross-Functional Flowcharts, Cross Functional Process Maps, or Cross Functional Process Flow Diagrams, start with a Cross-functional flowchart samples and templates from ConceptDraw Solution Park. The ConceptDraw Arrows10 and RapidDraw technologies will be also useful for you in drawing. ConceptDraw PRO supports designing both types - horizontal and vertical Cross-functional flowcharts. A vertical layout makes the accents mainly on the functional units while a horizontal layout - on the process. If you need a Visio alternative in Mac OS X, try ConceptDraw PRO. Its interface is very intuitive and it’s actually much easier to use than Visio, yet somehow it’s just as powerful if not more so. ConceptDraw PRO performs professional quality work and seamless Visio interaction.

Process Flowchart Symbols

The Process Flowchart or Process Flowchart Diagram (PFD) is a visual representation relations between major parts of the system, the steps in a process, and even connections between various systems. The possibility to easy create professional-looking and attractive Process Flowcharts, Business Process Diagrams and Maps which visualize the steps of complex processes is provided by Business Process Diagram Solution from the Business Processes Area of ConceptDraw Solution Park and 16 libraries with 230 process flowchart symbols from BPMN 1.2 and BPMN 2.0.

IDEF0 Flowchart Symbols

The modeling of business and business processes is not quite a simple process for both small-size businesses and large businesses. The IDEF0 method is one of the popular and easy methods of modeling the business as a complex system. It is based on the functional modeling language Structured Analysis and Design Technique (abbr. SADT) and is concentrated on the activity modeling. According to this method are constructed the IDEF0 Diagrams and IDEF0 Flowcharts, which are succesfully used not only for documenting the business, but also for analysis, development, integration of information and software systems, reengineering, etc. This method suggests the use of special IDEF0 Flowchart Symbols from the IDEF0 notation for construction the IDEF0 Flowcharts. ConceptDraw PRO diagramming and vector graphic software extended with IDEF0 Diagrams solution from the Software Development area of ConceptDraw Solution Park is rich for the powerful drawing tools, built-in templates and samples, and predesigned IDEF0 flowchart symbols.

How To Create a FlowChart using ConceptDraw

Have you ever needed a flowchart, but did not have the time or tools to build one? Rapid Draw allows you to build a professional flowchart quickly and easily. You have the ability to add your own shapes to Rapid Draw’s built in shape library.

Flowchart Software

Flowchart is a simple diagram, map or graphical schematic representation the sequence of actions within a process. It is ideal for displaying how a process currently flows or can function ideally. The Flowcharts let define the steps and boundaries of a process, uncover problems or miscommunications. The Flowcharts are widely used in education, software development, business, economics, thanks to their visuality they are ideal for presentations, reports, for using on conferences to help the audience comprehend the content better, or easy find flaws in a process flow diagrams. ConceptDraw PRO is professional flowcharts software and feature-rich flowchart maker, which supports Mac OS X and Windows. It contains at ConceptDraw Solution Park a rich set of stencils and professional flowchart symbols for design. It lets create simply professional-looking Flowcharts based on thousand free flowchart templates, colored symbols and examples. ConceptDraw PRO is a 3 times cheaper alternative to MS Visio available for both Mac and PC. It’s is another full featured business and technical diagramming application that can easily take care of Visio files within OS X. Another bonus with ConceptDraw PRO – it's cross-platform. You can work on a document in both OS X and Windows, skipping Visio entirely.

Business Process Elements: Swimlanes

ConceptDraw has 142 vector stencils in the 8 libraries that helps you to start using software for designing own Business Process Diagrams. Use Swimlanes library with 20 objects from BPMN.

Diagramming Software for Design Business Process Diagrams

Swimlanes are a visual mechanism of organizing and categorizing activities, in BPMN consist of two types: Pool, Lane. Use ConceptDraw Swimlanes library with 20 objects from BPMN.