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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.
How to Simplify Flow Charting
How to Simplify Flow Charting

IDEF0 standard with ConceptDraw PRO

The activity of any organization is more or less branchy network of processes. The description of these processes is a hard technical task which requires definite methodology and standards. According to the IDEF0 standard any process can be described in the form of a block (Activity Box) which has inputs and outputs. The process consists in transformation of inputs into outputs under the influence of the management and in the presence of necessary resources. Outputs of the given process later on can be either inputs for the next process or resources, or management means.

Data structure diagram with ConceptDraw PRO

Data structure diagram (DSD) is intended for description of conceptual models of data (concepts and connections between them) in the graphic format for more obviousness. Data structure diagram includes entities description, connections between them and obligatory conditions and requirements which connect them. Create Data structure diagram with ConceptDraw PRO.

UML Activity Diagram. Design Elements

UML Activity Diagram illustrate the business and operational step-by-step workflow of components in a system and shows the overall flow of control.

IDEF4 Standard

Use Case Diagrams technology. IDEF4 standard implies not only graphical presentation but the additional information about diagrams of heredity, methods systematization and types which are contained in specifications.
This IDEF3 diagram example was redesigned from the Wikimedia Commons file: 6-4 Example IDEF3 Object State Transition Schematic.jpg.
[commons.wikimedia.org/ wiki/ File:6-4_ Example_ IDEF3_ Object_ State_ Transition_ Schematic.jpg]
"Quick Reading of IDEF3 Process Descriptions: An Example.
An example approach for reading a schematic is described in the following steps. This outline for reading a schematic would be repeated, with few modifications, for all decompositions, whether found in a Process Schematic or an Object Schematic. In general, decompositions are read after the parent schematic has been read and understood.
The Big Picture.
A crucial step in the description-reading process is to understand the big picture
relevant to the real-life situation described. This big picture can be gained by reading and understanding the statement of purpose, statement of scope, objective of the scenario being described, and viewpoint of the IDEF3 Process Description. ...
Scan the Schematic.
Readers should become familiar with the scenario by scanning the schematic from left to right. This involves becoming familiar with the individual elements (e.g., UOBs, links, and junctions) displayed in the schematic. This is not an in-depth study of the schematic; rather, it provides readers with a general impression of the process being described and an overall understanding of the logic flow in the scenario.
Understand the Description.
In this step, readers gain a detailed understanding of the schematic associated with a scenario, object, or a decomposition of a schematic element. This is the part of the communication process that is most individualized and requires the most time. It is helpful to partition the schematic into understandable pieces." [IDEF3 Process Description Capture Method Report AL-TR-1995-XXXX. idef.com/ pdf/ Idef3_ fn.pdf]
The diagram sample "IDEF3 object state transition schematic" was created using the ConceptDraw PRO diagramming and vector drawing software extended with the solution "IDEF Business Process Diagrams" from the area "Business Processes" of ConceptDraw Solution Park.
IDEF3 business process diagram
IDEF3 business process diagram, weak transition link, temporal indeterminacy marker, strong transition link, connecting line, call and wait referent, call and continue referent, XOR junction, IDEF3 object symbol,

UML Notation

Unified Modeling Language (UML) is an open standard, the language of graphic description used for modeling objects in a field of software development and software engineering. It was created for definition, specification, visualization, designing and documenting software systems, as a unification of three object-oriented technologies Booch, OMT and OOSE, and uses the defined graphic notation for creating the visual models of object-oriented software systems. Description of UML consists of two parts, interactive and supplementing each other: UML semantics, which represents a certain metamodel, defines the abstract syntax and semantics of terms of object modeling with UML, and UML notation that is a graphic notation for visual representation of UML semantics. The powerful tools of the Rapid UML solution included to ConceptDraw Solution Park make the ConceptDraw PRO diagramming and vector drawing software the best for easy applying the UML notation when creating the visual models of object-oriented software systems and designing different kinds of UML diagrams.