Flowchart Definition

Flowchart definition - A Flowchart is a diagram that graphically represents the structure of the system, the flow of steps in a process, algorithm, or the sequence of steps and decisions for execution a process or solution a problem. For depiction the steps there are used specific shapes and graphic symbols which are linked by lines and directional arrows. The main standard shapes are rectangle or box, rounded box, diamond, circle. A Flowchart is a convenient way to observe the follow the process from beginning to end, it lets improve the work of process, highlight the key elements and detach not essential or even excessive steps. The Flowcharts can represent different levels of detail: High-Level Flowchart, Detailed Flowchart, and Deployment or Matrix Flowchart. They are incredibly useful for programmers when developing the programs of any complexity and on any high level language. Create your own Flowcharts using the ConceptDraw DIAGRAM diagramming and vector drawing software and powerful tools of Flowcharts solution from "Diagrams" area.

Basic Flowchart Images. Flowchart Examples

This sample was created in ConceptDraw DIAGRAM diagramming and vector drawing software using the Flowcharts solution from the Diagrams area of ConceptDraw Solution Park. This sample shows the Flowchart that displays the procedures of 2PP (two-party preferred) voting and counting the voters. The two-party-preferred vote is the result of the elections that was distributed to the final two parties.

Pyramid Diagram

The representation of data in a hierarchical or pyramid-like form is one of the most effective and illustrative ways of structuring the data, information, ideas in different fields, among them marketing, management, business, finances, sales, consulting, media, and some others. Pyramid Diagram perfectly suits for this goal, especially if we talk about the representing some marketing strategies, information systems, social strategies. Pyramid Diagram looks like a triangle or reversed triangle that is divided visually on several layers. Each layer can be colored with its own color, this lets visually highlight important moments. ConceptDraw DIAGRAM diagramming and vector graphics software extended with Pyramid Diagrams solution from the Marketing area provides powerful drawing tools, templates, samples, and built-in vector pyramid objects, thus all required tools for equally easy drawing Three level pyramid diagram, Four level pyramid model, Five level pyramid, etc., at this your Pyramid diagrams can have 2D or 3D view as you like.

Pyramid Diagram

A five level pyramid model of different types of Information Systems based on the information processing requirement of different levels in the organization. five level pyramid example is included in the Pyramid Diagrams solution from Marketing area of ConceptDraw Solution Park.

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 DIAGRAM is an alternative to MS Visio for Mac that provides powerful features and intuitive user interface for the same.

How to Simplify Flow Charting

DFD Library System

The Data Flow Diagram (DFD) is a graphical technique used for effective modeling and analyzing the information processes and systems. Having at the disposal the DFD library system and newest powerful tools of ConceptDraw DIAGRAM diagramming and vector drawing software supplied with Data Flow Diagrams (DFD) solution from the Software Development area of ConceptDraw Solution Park, you can design fast and easy the Data flow diagrams, Data flowcharts, Data flow models, Data flow process diagrams, Process-oriented models, Data-oriented models, Data process diagrams, Structured analysis diagrams, Information flow diagrams of any type and complexity. For designing the Data Flow Diagrams in ConceptDraw DIAGRAM software are used the simple DFD flowchart symbols from the offered DFD libraries - Data Flow Diagram (DFD) library, Yourdon and Coad Notation library, and Gane-Sarson Notation library. The DFD objects are need to be connected each other by the arrows to depict the data flow from one step to another, that you can do in seconds in ConceptDraw DIAGRAM , as well as set desired design of your diagram.

Cross Functional Flowchart for Business Process Mapping

Cross Functional Flowchart for <br>Business Process Mapping *

Start your business process mapping with conceptDraw DIAGRAM and its Arrows10 Technology. Creating a process map, also called a flowchart, is a major component of Six Sigma process management and improvement. Use Cross-Functional Flowchart drawing software for business process mapping (BPM). Use a variety of drawing tools, smart connectors and shape libraries to create flowcharts of complex processes, procedures and information exchange. Define and document basic work and data flows, financial, production and quality management processes to increase efficiency of you business.

Horizontal Org Flow Chart

This sample was created in ConceptDraw DIAGRAM charting and vector drawing software using the Organizational Charts Solution from the Management area of ConceptDraw Solution Park. The Organizational Chart is a diagram that shows the structure of the organization, different levels of management, hierarchy and relationships of the organization parts.

Draw Flowcharts with ConceptDraw

Start design your own flowchart with ConceptDraw DIAGRAM and accomplish great results at the moment.

Organizational Structure

The organizational structure reflects the composition and hierarchy of company's divisions, determines the distribution of authorities and responsibilities within the organization, and facilitates the understanding by workers their responsibilities. It also defines the group of people making key decisions at the company. Visualization of organizational structure of any company, organization or institution is not an easy task, because sometimes the company may include several departments, each with more than thousand persons. For such large organizations often are created the Organizational charts for every department separately. There are many ways of organization's structuring, which determine its work. Often happens that organizational structure adapts to production process. ConceptDraw DIAGRAM extended with unique Organizational Charts solution from Management area of ConceptDraw Solution Park is a powerful organizational structure software, which ideally suits for developing Organizational Charts of any type and any complexity.

Basic of Flowchart: Meaning and Symbols

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 DIAGRAM 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 DIAGRAM. It is one of the main contender with the most similar features and capabilities.

How to Build a Flowchart

DFD Flowchart Symbols

A Data Flow Diagram (DFD) is a graphical technique which allows effectively model and analyze the information processes and systems. The ability to fast and easy create the DFDs is made possible with Data Flow Diagrams solution from the Software Development area of ConceptDraw Solution Park. For designing the Data Flow Diagrams are used simple DFD flowchart symbols which are connected each other by arrows depicting the data flow from one step to another.

Fundraising Pyramid

ConceptDraw Pyramid Diagram software allows drawing column charts using predesigned objects or drawing tool.

Pyramid Diagram

Pyramid diagram is a chart used to visualize the data in a hierarchical (pyramid-like) structure and depict the foundation-based relationships. Pyramid diagram looks like a triangle divided by lines into several sections (layers) and can be oriented up or down, and represented in 2D or 3D view. 2D Pyramid diagrams are a great way to illustrate the hierarchical structure, 3D Pyramids are equally good to represent the class stratification and hierarchy. ConceptDraw DIAGRAM diagramming and vector drawing software with included Pyramid Diagrams solution from Marketing area of ConceptDraw Solution Park is a powerful application which contains templates and library of vector design elements for instantly drawing three level Pyramid model, four level and five level Triangle charts. All predesigned objects are easy for changing color style and resizing according to your needs, and ConceptDraw documents with Pyramid diagrams can be easy exported in various formats for further using in marketing presentations, for effective analyzing hierarchy levels and illustration your data and ideas.

Pyramid Diagram

A triangular graphic representing Graham's "hierarchy of disagreement", based on Paul Graham's March 2008 essay "How to Disagree".

Accounting Flowchart Symbols

Accounting is a well known and popular tool used for gaining full quantitative information about the finances. The accounting process includes extensive set of activities that begins with transactions and ends with closing of books. It contains all financial information for a given organization, the data about incomes, expenditures, purchases, sales, return, payroll, and many other numerical information. The excellent possibility to create great-looking Accounting Flowcharts is offered by professional ConceptDraw DIAGRAM diagramming and vector drawing software. It includes the Accounting Flowcharts solution containing wide variety of predesigned accounting flowchart symbols. All symbols are easy recognizable, commonly used, vector and professionally designed, so are capable effectively save your time and efforts when representing all stages of accounting work process, the flow of data in an organization, accounting procedures and processes, documents, tasks, responsible people, users, components and authorizations.

Opportunity flowchart - Replacing engine oil

This opportunity flowchart sample shows the steps involved in replacing engine oil process. The opportunity flowcharts are used in business process improvement to identify process steps which might be improved.
"Business process improvement (BPI) is a systematic approach to help an organization optimize its underlying processes to achieve more efficient results. ...
An organization is only as good as its processes. To be able to make the necessary changes in an organization, one needs to understand the key processes of the company. Rummler and Brache suggested a model for running a Process Improvement and Management project (PI&M), containing the following steps:
1. Identify the process to be improved (based on a critical business issue): The identification of key processes can be a formal or informal exercise. The management team might select processes by applying a set of criteria derived from strategic and tactical priorities, or process selection is based on obvious performance gaps. It is important is to select the process(es) which have the greatest impact on a competitive advantage or customer requirement.
2. Develop the objective(s) for the project based on the requirements of the process: The focus might be on quality improvement, productivity, cost, customer service or cycle time. The goal is however always the same; to get the key process under control.
3. Select the members of the cross-functional team: A horizontal (cross-functional) analysis is carried out by a team composed of representatives of all functions involved in the process. While a consultant or in-house staff person can do the job, the quality of the analysis and the commitment to change is far greater with a cross-functional team.
4. Document the current process by creating a flowchart or "organization map": Describe the process regarding the Organizational level, the Process level and the Job/ Performer level according to Rummler. Develop a cross-functional process map for the process.
5. Identify "disconnects" in the process: “Disconnections” are everything that inhibit the efficiency and effectiveness of the process. The identification should be categorized into the three levels: The Organizational level, the Process level and the Job/ Performer level.
6. Recommend changes (organizational, in the process or in its execution): Categorize and prioritize the main problems and possibilities, evaluate alternative solutions. Develop a cross-functional process map for the recommended process.
7. Establish process and sub-process measures: The process measures should reflect the objectives of the project.
8. Implement the improvements." [Business process improvement. Wikipedia]
The swim lane diagram example "Opportunity flowchart - Replacing engine oil" was created using the ConceptDraw PRO diagramming and vector drawing software extended with the Cross-Functional Flowcharts solution from the Business Processes area of ConceptDraw Solution Park.

Swim lane diagram

Used Solutions

AREA_BUSINESS_PROCESSES >

Cross-Functional Flowcharts

Technical Flow Chart

Flow chart is a diagrammatic representation of an algorithm and essential part of planning the system. Flow charts are widely used in technical analysis and programming for easy writing programs and explaining them to others. So, one of the most popular type of flow charts is Technical Flow Chart. Technical Flow Chart can be drawn by pencil on the paper, but it will be easier to use for designing a special software. ConceptDraw DIAGRAM diagramming and vector drawing software extended with Flowcharts Solution from the "Diagrams" Area of ConceptDraw Solution Park will be useful for this goal.

UML Business Process

UML diagrams of business processes. The Rapid UML solution provides diagram examples, templates and vector stencils libraries for quick and easy drawing all types of UML 2.x and 1.x diagrams: UML activity diagrams, UML communication (collaboration) diagrams, UML component diagrams, UML composite structure diagrams, UML deployment diagrams, UML interaction overview diagrams, UML object diagrams, UML package diagrams, UML sequence diagrams, UML state machine diagrams, UML timing diagrams, UML use case diagrams.

Flowchart Components

The ConceptDraw Flowchart component includes a set of samples and templates. This geathered as flowchart maker toolbox which focused on drawing flowcharts of any industry standards.