As an entrepreneur trying to build and scale your business, you’re always looking for ways to improve efficiency and eliminate waste. One simple yet powerful tool that can help is the process flow diagram. In this blog post, we’ll cover the basics of process flow diagrams, the key components and symbols used, and how to create effective diagrams to streamline your business workflows.
Before we dive into the details, let’s look at how these diagrams can help your business. Process flow diagrams offer many benefits for entrepreneurs and businesses. They can be used to:
Improve understanding A picture is worth a thousand words. Easily explain your business workflows using visual diagrams.
Identify waste
Spot bottlenecks, redundant steps, delays, and inefficiencies. See opportunities to streamline.
Analyze processes
Understand the current state and how work gets done before making changes.
Communicate changes
Show employees the improved workflow and train them on new processes.
Onboard employees
Help new hires understand workflows faster with process maps.
Document processes
Standardize procedures for consistency. Diagrams create visual documentation.
Track progress
Update diagrams to reflect changes as you optimize workflows.
Increase efficiency
Smoother workflows mean increased productivity and profitability.
A process flow diagram visually represents the sequence of steps in any process. It outlines the workflow from start to finish so you can understand the overall process, identify inefficiencies, and improve workflows.
Process flow diagrams are sometimes called flowcharts, process maps, or flow diagrams. No matter what you call them, the purpose is to visualize the steps in a process in a clear, graphical way.
High-level process flow diagrams show the bird’s eye view of the process steps. They won’t have all the nitty-gritty details, just the major steps. These are useful for communicating the overall workflow.
Detailed process flow diagrams get into the specifics of each step. They can help train employees on processes or analyze workflows for improvement.
Process flow diagrams use special shapes to represent different types of steps. Here are some of the most common flowchart symbols:
Oval
An oval represents the starting and ending steps in a process.
Rectangle
A rectangle shows an operation or activity step. This is one of the most common symbols.
Diamond
A diamond shape indicates a decision point with two or more possible outcomes. Lines coming out of the diamond show alternative paths.
Parallelogram
This slanted shape represents the input/output of information like data, documents, or reports.
Circle
Circles show connectors where flow lines join or split.
Arrow
Arrows connecting the shapes indicate the flow and sequence.
Text label
Text labels explain what happens at each step.
Now that you know the most common symbols, let’s look at the key components of a process flow diagram.
Process steps
Each step in the workflow is captured in the diagram with a shape as discussed above. Make sure to include all major steps from start to finish.
Flow/sequence
Arrows connecting the shapes show the order and flow. The flow can be sequential, simultaneous, or branching into alternative paths.
Decision points
These indicate a choice that directs the flow one way or another, shown with a diamond shape.
Connectors
Circles or round shapes show the joining and splitting of paths in the workflow.
Text labels
Clear text labels explain what happens at each step.
Here is an example of a basic workflow.
Next, let’s walk through how to create a process flow diagram for your business.
1. Identify all the major steps in the process from start to finish. Don’t get into granular details yet. I like to do this in Microsoft Word or a Google Doc.
2. Map out the sequence of steps. Does step A need to happen before step B? Are some steps simultaneous? This can also be captured in the Word document or Google doc.
3. Determine if there are any decision points where the flow could branch. These represent choice points in the workflow. These usually come up as if-then statements. For example, if the customer downloads the coupon, then they receive a thank you email. If the customer does not download the coupon, then they receive an email the following day reminding them to download the coupon.
4. Select flowchart symbols to represent each step, such as rectangles for tasks and diamonds for decisions.
5. Connect the shapes with arrows showing the flow direction.
6. Add text labels to explain what happens at each step. Steps or tasks should always be written in a verb-object “action” format. For example, “Send email” or “Download coupon.”
7. Review the process flow. Does the sequence correctly reflect the current process?
8. Update the diagram if needed. You may need to iterate as you capture finer details.
9. Finalize the diagram once it accurately maps out the current workflow.
Once you have the current process mapped out, consider the reason you mapped it out. You may be finished if it is to document a process or help onboard new employees. If you mapped out the process as part of a process improvement effort, now it’s time to analyze and improve the flow. Look for gaps, bottlenecks, and inefficiencies. Brainstorm with people involved with the process on how to address the gaps, bottlenecks, and inefficiencies. In future posts, we’ll cover process improvement in more detail, but creating a process flow diagram to get the conversation going is a great first step!
Process flow diagrams are invaluable for visualizing your workflows from start to finish. They provide an overhead view to help you streamline operations and run a more efficient business. By seeing all the steps and flow mapped out, you can improve workflows, eliminate bottlenecks, communicate processes clearly, and onboard employees faster.
As you can see, creating process flow diagrams for your key business workflows can pay off through a better understanding of your processes and increased efficiency. Start applying this tool to your business. Identify your most important processes or pain points, and diagram the current workflow. Look for ways to optimize it. Update and iterate as you improve processes over time.
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