Products Solutions Samples Buy
✕
This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the ConceptDraw site you are agreeing to our Use of Site Cookies.
Try ConceptDraw Free

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 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
How to Build a Flowchart

Business Process Flowchart Symbols

Business process modeling is known in the corporate world as an excellent tool which can speak. Business process flowcharts, diagrams and maps are used to define the business processes in terms of inputs and outputs, to visually represent and effectively explain complex business processes of an enterprise, and also showcase decisions on a single piece of paper. The process of business process mapping supposes the use of special business process flowchart symbols predefined by Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) and taking their roots from the data processing diagrams and programming flow charts. In other words the BPMN standard notation is a common language used for business process design and implementation, that guarantees a clarity of designed Business Process Flowcharts for all business analysts, technical developers and business managers. The ability to create professionally-looking Business Process flowcharts, maps and diagrams, is provided by powerful ConceptDraw DIAGRAM software and the Business Process Mapping solution included to ConceptDraw Solution Park.
This audit flowchart sample was created on the base of the figure from the website of The California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR).
"Audit Process.
There are many steps in the audit process and during a number of these steps there is substantial opportunity to communicate with the audit staff to ask questions and participate in the audit process. ... a flow chart providing a visual picture of the sequence of events that occur in the audit process." [dir.ca.gov/ osip/ AuditUnit/ AuditProcess.html]
The flowchart example "Audit process" was created using the ConceptDraw PRO diagramming and vector drawing software extended with the Audit Flowcharts solution from the Finance and Accounting area of ConceptDraw Solution Park.
www.conceptdraw.com/ solution-park/ finance-audit-flowcharts
Audit flowchart
Audit flowchart, terminator, tagged process, tagged document, subroutine, predefined process, stored data, data storage, decision, data transmission,
Used Solutions

Purchase Process Flow Chart, Receiving Process Flow Chart, Accounting Flowchart Example.

The purchasing process follows very specific guidelines and includes a purchasing cycle flowchart and receiving process flow chart. Common key elements of purchasing process. It is important to know how purchasing processes work and how each operation is done.

process flow diagram, process flow chart Process Flowcharts

process flow diagram, process flow chart
This solution extends ConceptDraw DIAGRAM software with templates, samples, and library of vector shapes for drawing the Process Flowcharts.

Flowchart Programming Project. Flowchart Examples

Flowchart Programming Project
Create you own flow charts of process-driven software applications using the ConceptDraw DIAGRAM diagramming and vector drawing software extended with the Cross-Functional Flowcharts solution from the Business Processes area of ConceptDraw Solution Park. The programming project flow chart example shows the logical process of execution.
The vector stencils library "HR flowchart" contains 62 flowchart symbols.
Use it to draw your HR flowcharts, workflow diagrams and process charts with the ConceptDraw PRO diagramming and vector drawing software.
The flow chart symbols library "HR flowchart" is included in the HR Flowcharts solution from the Management area of ConceptDraw Solution Park.
Annotation
Annotation, annotation,
Card
Card, card,
Check / audit (diamond)
Check / audit (diamond), check, audit,
Check / audit (square)
Check / audit (square), check, audit,
Collate
Collate, collate,
Comment / note symbol (brace)
Comment / note symbol (brace), brace callout, comment, note,
Communication link
Communication link, communication link,
Compare (diamond)
Compare (diamond), compare,
Compare (square)
Compare (square), compare,
Completed form
Completed form, completed form, document,
Concurrency symbol (fork / join)
Concurrency symbol (fork / join), concurrency symbol,
Conditional selector
Conditional selector, conditional selector,
Control transfer
Control transfer, control transfer,
Data input / output
Data input / output, data input, data output,
Database
Database, database,
Decision
Decision, decision,
Decision indicator - No
Decision indicator - No, decision indicator, no,
Decision indicator - Yes
Decision indicator - Yes, decision indicator, yes,
Delay
Delay, delay,
Direct access storage
Direct access storage, direct access storage,
Disk storage
Disk storage, disk storage,
Display
Display, display,
Divided process (table view)
Divided process (table view), divided process,
Document
Document, document,
Entity (rounded)
Entity (rounded), entity,
Event
Event, event,
Extract
Extract, extract, part, device,
Flow line
Flow line, flow line, arrow, connector,
Internal storage
Internal storage, internal storage,
Junction symbol
Junction symbol, junction symbol,
Lined document
Lined document, lined document,
Lined / shaded process
Lined / shaded process, lined process, shaded process,
Loop limit
Loop limit, loop limit,
Manual file
Manual file, manual file,
Manual input
Manual input, manual input,
Manual operation
Manual operation, manual operation,
Merge
Merge, merge,
Multi document
Multi document, multi document,
Multi process
Multi process, multi process,
Off-page reference - arrow
Off-page reference - arrow, off-page reference,
Off-page reference - incoming
Off-page reference - incoming, off-page reference,
Off-page reference - outgoing
Off-page reference - outgoing, off-page reference,
On-page reference/ Inspection point
On-page reference/ Inspection point, on-page reference, inspection point,
Or
Or, or,
Page
Page, page,
Paper tape
Paper tape, paper tape,
Predefined process
Predefined process, subroutine, predefined process,
Prepare conditional
Prepare conditional, preparation, prepare conditional,
Process step
Process step, process step,
Reference point
Reference point, reference point,
Sequential access storage
Sequential access storage, sequential access storage,
Sort
Sort, sort,
Start (circle)
Start (circle), start,
Start (ellipse)
Start (ellipse), start,
Stickman pictogram
Stickman pictogram, stickman pictogram,
Stored data
Stored data, stored data,
Summary
Summary, summary,
Tagged document
Tagged document, tagged document, document,
Tagged process
Tagged process, tagged process,
Terminal point
Terminal point, terminal point,
Title block
Title block, title block,
Torso pictogram
Torso pictogram, torso pictogram,
Used Solutions

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 DIAGRAM diagram software with numerous predesigned flow chart symbols grouped in libraries of Flowcharts solution from ConceptDraw Solution Park.
The vector stencils library "Cross-functional flowcharts" contains 31 flow chart symbols. Use it for drawing cross-functional and deployment flowcharts the ConceptDraw PRO diagramming and vector drawing software extended with the Cross-Functional Flowcharts solution from the Business Processes area of ConceptDraw Solution Park.
Swimlanes Vertical
Swimlanes Vertical, vertical swimlanes,
Swimlanes Horizontal
Swimlanes Horizontal, horizontal swimlanes,
Terminator
Terminator, terminator,
Process
Process, process,
Decision
Decision, decision,
Yes
Yes, yes,
No
No, no,
YES/NO
YES/NO, yes, no,
Data
Data, data,
Manual Operation
Manual Operation, manual operation,
Document
Document, document,
Predefined Process
Predefined Process, predefined process,
Stored Data
Stored Data, stored data,
Internal Storage
Internal Storage, internal storage,
Sequential Data
Sequential Data, sequential data,
Direct Data
Direct Data, direct data,
Manual Input
Manual Input, manual input,
Card
Card, card,
Paper Tape
Paper Tape, paper tape,
Display
Display, display,
Preparation
Preparation, preparation,
Parallel Mode
Parallel Mode, parallel mode,
Loop limit
Loop limit, loop limit,
On-page Reference
On-page Reference, on-page reference,
Off-Page Reference (Outgoing)
Off-Page Reference (Outgoing), off-page reference, outgoing,
Off-Page Reference (Incoming)
Off-Page Reference (Incoming), off-page reference, incoming,
Off-page Reference (Circle)
Off-page Reference (Circle), off-page reference, circle,
Off-Page Reference (Arrow)
Off-Page Reference (Arrow), off-page reference, arrow,
Annotation
Annotation, annotation,
Control Transfer
Control Transfer, control transfer,
Condition
Condition, condition,
Used Solutions
The vector stencils library "Flowchart" contains 26 symbols for drawing the flow charts using the ConceptDraw PRO diagramming and vector drawing software.
"Flowcharts are used in designing and documenting complex processes or programs. Like other types of diagrams, they help visualize what is going on and thereby help the viewer to understand a process, and perhaps also find flaws, bottlenecks, and other less-obvious features within it. There are many different types of flowcharts, and each type has its own repertoire of boxes and notational conventions. The two most common types of boxes in a flowchart are:
(1) a processing step, usually called activity, and denoted as a rectangular box;
(2) a decision, usually denoted as a diamond.
A flowchart is described as "cross-functional" when the page is divided into different swimlanes describing the control of different organizational units. A symbol appearing in a particular "lane" is within the control of that organizational unit. This technique allows the author to locate the responsibility for performing an action or making a decision correctly, showing the responsibility of each organizational unit for different parts of a single process. ...
Common alternate names include: flowchart, process flowchart, functional flowchart, process map, process chart, functional process chart, business process model, process model, process flow diagram, work flow diagram, business flow diagram. The terms "flowchart" and "flow chart" are used interchangeably." [Flowchart. Wikipedia]
The example "Design elements - Flowchart" is included in the Flowcharts solution from the area "What is a Diagram" of ConceptDraw Solution Park.
Flowchart notation
Flowchart notation, terminator, start, end, summing junction, summing, subroutine, predefined process, stored data, data storage, sort, process, action, preparation, or, off page, multiple documents, merge, store, manual loop, manual input, loop limit, internal storage, document, display, delay, decision, database, disk, data, input, output, connector, collate,
Used Solutions