A flowchart is the perfect way to visualize a complex process for your team. There are over 30 standardized symbols you can use to create a flowchart. These symbols can indicate anything from a process to a document or decisions that need to be made. In this article, you’ll learn what the different shapes mean, when a flowchart can be useful, and what types of flowcharts you can implement at work. Show
A flowchart is a diagram that illustrates the steps, sequences, and decisions of a process or workflow. While there are many different types of flowcharts, a basic flowchart is the simplest form of a process map. It’s a powerful tool that can be used in multiple fields for planning, visualizing, documenting, and improving processes. The industrial engineers Frank and Lillian Gilbreth first introduced this tool to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) in 1921. Since then, flowcharts have been refined and standardized to optimize processes across various industries. If you want to learn more about the variety of different types of flowcharts and flowchart symbols, you’ve come to the right place. We’re also going to cover how you can create flowchart diagrams and provide a few examples for inspiration. Try Lucidchart integration with AsanaWhen to use flowchartsFlowcharts can be helpful in a variety of scenarios, including when you need to: A flowchart is a wonderful way to map out and document a collaborative project or process. 2. Visualize complex ideas or processesNot everyone on your team will have the time (or resources) to read through a complicated and lengthy process document. A flowchart allows everyone to follow the workflow, understand the tasks, and analyze the individual steps quickly and easily. Read: What are workflows? 7 simple steps to get started3. Organize your team and assign tasksVisually representing a process can make it easier for you to assign tasks to team members and organize your team’s work so it all flows better. 4. Make and justify decisionsDecisions often look way less intimidating and complicated when they’re mapped out in a flowchart. A flowchart can also help you see the consequences of your decisions, which makes it easier to anticipate and justify next steps. 5. Identify and prevent bottlenecksFlowcharts help you uncover bottlenecks or problems before they become issues. By mapping out the entire process with this visual guide, you can follow each step and ensure that you allocate enough time and resources to every task. Read: If you like maximizing team impact, you’ll love resource allocation6. Standardize processesOnce your flowchart is done, you can reuse it for similar projects and processes. This can save you and your team time—and stress—in the long run. 7. Track the progress of a projectSince it’s so easy to follow the steps in your flowchart, you can always pinpoint where your team is currently at in the project or process. This makes tracking progress very easy and also gives you a great overview of the tasks that still need to be completed. Read: 4 types of concept maps (with free templates)Flowchart symbols and definitionsFlowcharts vary from quickly hand-drawn visualizations to help document or plan a process to comprehensive workflow diagrams created with a designated software. To make it easier for you to understand flowcharts across teams, departments, and even industries, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) set official standards in the 1960s which were adopted by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in 1970 and are continuously updated and improved. The latest version of this standard was confirmed in 2019. When reading a flowchart, follow the Western standard, meaning you’ll read it from the top to the bottom and from the left to the right. Let’s take a look at some of the most commonly used flowchart symbols, their names, and meaning.
Once you’ve learned what the symbols represent you can read—or create—pretty much any type of flowchart and gain a better understanding of the visualized process. When you create a flowchart that needs different shapes or symbols, include a legend so it’s still accessible to your teammates. Types of flowchartsBecause flowcharts are such a powerful tool, they’re used across many fields and industries. Whether it’s in education, sales and marketing, business, engineering, or manufacturing, flowcharts can be found virtually anywhere. Depending on the type of process you’re aiming to visualize, you’ll want to use a different type of flowchart. According to Mark A. Fryman and his 2002 book Quality and Process Improvement, there are five types of flowcharts from a business perspective:
Besides the types of flowcharts that Fryman defined for business purposes, there are many other types that were developed over the years. Read: What is the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle?Commonly used flowchartsSome of the most widely used types of flowcharts were coined by Alan B. Sterneckert in his 2003 book Critical Incident Management and include:
In 1987, Andrew Veronis published a book called Microprocessors: Design and Application that described the following three types of flowcharts:
Other commonly used flowchart types include:
You can find a process document flowchart in our article on process documentation and check out PERT charts for another common flowchart example. Read: Incident management: How to create a plan (plus 7 best practices)How to make a flowchartWhether you scribble down a flowchart in your notebook or you use a flowchart template to map out an official process, there are five steps you should follow to create a sensible and helpful flowchart. Try Lucidchart integration with Asana
Use flowchart templates to maximize your productivityA flowchart is supposed to make your life easier, so utilize computer programs or app integrations like Lucidchart to create them. The Lucidchart + Asana integration seamlessly embeds diagrams, flowcharts, and process maps into your Asana project. Choose from thousands of templates to create all the flowcharts you need. Try Lucidchart integration with Asana |