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Fulfilling business processes is a prerequisite to smooth running of an enterprise. To accurately capture and depict these processes, flowcharting is arguably one of the best practices. A flowchart simplifies obtaining a step-by-step explanation of a particular process and represents it diagrammatically. These are useful in assisting businesses to standardize their operations, detect inefficiencies, and ameliorate internal communication as well as provide emerging important information. This article will focus on flowcharting as a mapping technique, its advantages and how to depict them with symbols.

What is a Process Flowchart?

A process flowchart provides an overview of a particular process and depicts it in several component steps. These steps are organized in order of hierarchy or sequence, which makes understanding the flow of activities much easier. Common practices of flowcharding include capturing employee onboarding processes, customer service procedures, and item shipment procedures in outline form.

It addresses important process flowchart questions as – who does each activity, what must be accomplished, when and where it is supposed to happen and how is it done. These steps allow businesses to eliminate blockers, reduce the processes, and entirely guarantee uniformity across different departments.

Benefits of Process Flowcharts:

1. Standardization of Processes:

A flowchart allows a business to document a process. This means that the task can be completed in the same way every time it is performed. To some extent, this uniformity minimizes mistakes, misunderstanding, and lack of effectiveness hence improving overall output.

2. Employee Training:

Flowcharts can be used as effective training tools. Using a flowchart, new employees can easily learn the steps in a process and how to execute their duties effectively.

3. Spotting Gaps for Improvement:

As processes are mapped out, deficiencies or bottlenecks that slow down the operation become more visible. A flowchart enables a company to understand its operation and to pinpoint areas that require changes for enhanced performance.

4. Enhanced Communication:

To some extent, flowcharts help in communication. They can be used to convey processes to team members, stakeholders, or even other organizations and eliminates miscommunication.

Important Symbols Employed in Flowcharting:

Every flowchart has a unique symbol attached to it which describes the steps of a particular process. These symbols are used all over the world for recognition and accuracy purposes. Consider the following symbols commonly used in flowcharts:

– Terminator:

The terminator symbol is denoted by an oval or a rounded rectangle, and it serves to mark where a certain process starts and finishes.

– Input/Output:

To show goods or data coming into or out of the process, this symbol, which usually takes the shape of a parallelogram, is utilized.

– Process:

Carries out a specific action or task, and is usually represented by a rectangle.

– Decision:

A diamond is typically used for decision points in which a process splits based on a yes/no question or other options.

Steps To Make a Flowchart:

Making a flowchart is simple. Here’s an example of a basic procedure like getting a book from a backpack:

1. Start:

Use a terminator shape (oval) and write ‘Start’ in it.

2. Unzip the Backpack:

This is the next step. Draw a process symbol (rectangle) and write ‘Open the Zip of the Backpack’ in it.

3. Take out the Book:

Draw the input/output action (parallelogram) symbol and show the action of taking the book out of the bag, making sure to write ‘Remove the Book from the Bag’ in it.

4. Stop:

At the last step you want to draw one more terminator shape (oval) and write ‘End’ in it to show the end of the process.

Draw arrows that connect all the symbols showing the steps in the order they are supposed to be done in.

Example of a More Complicated Flowchart:

When there are a number of decisions and steps to take, flowcharts can get a bit more complex. Consider the following example where you want to check if a pencil’s color is red:

1. Start:

Use the flow chart symbol oval and label the symbol as “Start.”

2. Pick Up A Pencil:

For this process, use a rectangle that reads, “Pick up a random pencil.”

3. Decision:

Use a trapezium shape that contains the question, “Is the pencil red?” This shape will act as the decision point of your flowchart.

4. If Yes: If the pencil is red, then use a separately placed parlallelogram with the title “The pencil is red,” representing the output.

5. If No: If the pencil is not red, then use a separate placed parallelogram with the title “The pencil is not red” representing the output.

6. End: Both branches lead towards a terminator symbol which is a oval labeled ‘End’.

Example of a loop within a flowchart:

Sometimes, the flowchart might need a cycle, where a certain condition must be fulfilled. Take something like checking if a kettle has boiled as an example.

1. Start: The Start is represented by a oval indicating it is the start of the process.

2. Turning of Kettle: Rectangle shaped symbol is used to show the kettle is to be turned on, so the labeled rectangle says, “Turn the kettle on.”

3. The Decision: On this step be sure to add a question shaped symbol, “Has the kettle boiled?” (the caterpillar of the kettle boils in a diamond shape).

4. If No: In case, the kettle did not boil, return back to the “turn the kettle on” step or continue watching over the kettle.

5. If Yes: As soon as the kettle has boiled, employ a parallelogram symbol indicating the next action: “Pour water into a cup.”

6. End: Put a terminator immediately after “End” as the last step in the process.

This purpose sheds light to the observation of a flowchart, specifically a loop within a flowchart, and how it functions sequentially until a desired result, which in this case is boiling the kettle, is reached.

Conclusion:

Truly, for all types of businesses flowcharting as a technique is priceless. It facilitates the processes, employees training, improvement of communication and identification of problems easier to complete. Through the use of symbols accepted across the globe and a clearly defined, methodical approach to flowcharting, businesses step towards better meeting their goals and establish advertisement flowcharts which enhance their business processes. So from a small organization owner to a large working group, all can make their work faster with process worked logical presentation with flowcharts and improve outcome of the business.

These sophisticated tools allow the reduction of difficult business processes into simple to understand visuals which optimally facilitates cooperation of business members.

Categories: Business Automation