What is a Flowchart _ Lucidchart

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11/10/22, 9:59 PM What is a Flowchart | Lucidchart https://www.lucidchart.com/pages/what-is-a-flowchart-tutorial 1/19 What is a Flowchart What do you want to do with ±lowcharts? I want to learn more about ±lowcharts. I want to create my own ±lowchart on Lucidchart. I want to create a ±lowchart from a ready- made template.

11/10/22, 9:59 PM What is a Flowchart | Lucidchart https://www.lucidchart.com/pages/what-is-a-flowchart-tutorial 2/19 This comprehensive guide offers everything you need to know about ±lowcharts, including de±initions, history, use cases, symbols, tips, and how to use our ±lowchart maker to get you started. 9 minute read Want to create a ±lowchart of your own? Try Lucidchart. It's fast, easy, and totally free. Create a ±lowchart More ±lowchart tips Contents More ±lowchart tips What is a ±lowchart? History Flowchart symbols Flowcharts for computer programming/algorithms How ±lowcharts are used in numerous other ±ields Types of ±lowcharts How to plan and draw a basic ±lowchart

11/10/22, 9:59 PM What is a Flowchart | Lucidchart https://www.lucidchart.com/pages/what-is-a-flowchart-tutorial 3/19 More ±lowchart tips Keep your audience in mind and gear the detail in your chart to them. Clear communication is a key goal of ±lowcharts. If the process you are charting involves different teams or departments, consider using a Swimlane Diagram to clearly delineate responsibilities and handoffs. Use on-page or off-page connectors to “edit” your chart and make it ±low logically. This can allow you to break up a chart into separate pages and still ±low well. What is a ±lowchart? A ±lowchart is a diagram that depicts a process, system or computer algorithm. They are widely used in multiple ±ields to document, study, plan, improve and communicate often complex processes in clear, easy-to-understand diagrams. Flowcharts, sometimes spelled as ±low charts, use rectangles, ovals, diamonds and potentially numerous other shapes to de±ine the type of step, along with connecting arrows to de±ine ±low and sequence. They can range from simple, hand-drawn charts to comprehensive computer-drawn diagrams depicting multiple steps and routes. If we consider all the various forms of ±lowcharts, they are one of the most common diagrams on the planet, used by both technical and non-technical people in numerous ±ields. Flowcharts are sometimes called by more specialized names such as Process Flowchart , Process Map, Functional Flowchart, Business Process Mapping, Business Process Modeling and Notation (BPMN), or Process Flow Diagram (PFD). They are related to other popular diagrams, such as Data Flow Diagrams (DFDs) and Uni±ied Modeling Language (UML) Activity Diagrams.

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11/10/22, 9:59 PM What is a Flowchart | Lucidchart https://www.lucidchart.com/pages/what-is-a-flowchart-tutorial 5/19 History Flowcharts to document business processes came into use in the 1920s and ‘30s. In 1921, industrial engineers Frank and Lillian Gilbreth introduced the “Flow Process Chart” to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). In the early 1930s, industrial engineer Allan H. Morgensen used Gilbreth’s tools to present conferences on making work more e²icient to business people at his company. In the 1940s, two Morgensen students, Art Spinanger and Ben S. Graham, spread the methods more widely. Spinanger introduced the work simpli±ication methods to Procter and Gamble. Graham, a director at Standard Register Industrial, adapted ±low process charts to information processing. In 1947, ASME adopted a symbol system for Flow Process Charts, derived from the Gilbreths’ original work. Also in the late ‘40s, Herman Goldstine and John Van Neumann used ±lowcharts to develop computer programs, and diagramming soon became increasingly popular for computer programs and algorithms of all kinds. Flowcharts are still used for programming today, although pseudocode, a combination of words and coding language meant for human reading, is often used to depict deeper levels of detail and get closer to a ±inal product. In Japan, Kaoru Ishikawa (1915-1989), a key ±igure in quality initiatives in manufacturing, named ±lowcharts as one of the key tools of quality

11/10/22, 9:59 PM What is a Flowchart | Lucidchart https://www.lucidchart.com/pages/what-is-a-flowchart-tutorial 6/19 control, along with complementary tools such as the Histogram, Check Sheet and Cause-and-Effect Diagram, now often called the Ishikawa Diagram. Flowchart symbols Here are some of the common ±lowchart symbols. For a more comprehensive list, see our full ±lowchart symbols page . Terminal/Terminator Process Decision Document

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11/10/22, 9:59 PM What is a Flowchart | Lucidchart https://www.lucidchart.com/pages/what-is-a-flowchart-tutorial 7/19 Data, or Input/Output Stored Data Flow Arrow Comment or Annotation Prede±ined process On-page connector/reference Off-page connector/reference

11/10/22, 9:59 PM What is a Flowchart | Lucidchart https://www.lucidchart.com/pages/what-is-a-flowchart-tutorial 8/19 Diagramming is quick and easy with Lucidchart. Start a free trial today to start creating and collaborating. Create a ±lowchart Flowcharts for computer programming/algorithms As a visual representation of data ±low, ±lowcharts are useful in writing a program or algorithm and explaining it to others or collaborating with them on it. You can use an algorithm ±lowchart to spell out the logic behind a program before ever starting to code the automated process. It can help to organize big-picture thinking and provide a guide when it comes time to code. More speci±ically, ±lowcharts can: Demonstrate the way code is organized. Visualize the execution of code within a program. Show the structure of a website or application. Understand how users navigate a website or program. Often, programmers may write pseudocode, a combination of natural language and computer language able to be read by people. This may allow greater detail than the ±lowchart and serve either as a replacement for the ±lowchart or as a next step to actual code.

11/10/22, 9:59 PM What is a Flowchart | Lucidchart https://www.lucidchart.com/pages/what-is-a-flowchart-tutorial 9/19 Related diagrams used in computer software include: Uni±ied Modeling Language (UML): This is a general-purpose language used in software engineering for modeling. Nassi-Shneiderman Diagrams: Used for structured computer programming. Named after Isaac Nassi and Ben Shneiderman, who developed it in 1972 at SUNY-Stony Brook. Also called Structograms. DRAKON charts: DRAKON is an algorithmic visual programming language used to produce ±lowcharts.

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11/10/22, 9:59 PM What is a Flowchart | Lucidchart https://www.lucidchart.com/pages/what-is-a-flowchart-tutorial 10/19 How ±lowcharts are used in numerous other ±ields Beyond computer programming, ±lowcharts have many uses in many diverse ±ields. In any ±ield: Document and analyze a process. Standardize a process for e²iciency and quality. Communicate a process for training or understanding by other parts of the organization. Identify bottlenecks, redundancies and unnecessary steps in a process and improve it. Education: Plan coursework and academic requirements. Create a lesson plan or oral presentation. Organize a group or individual project. Show a legal or civil process, like voter registration. Plan and structure creative writing, like lyrics or poetry.

11/10/22, 9:59 PM What is a Flowchart | Lucidchart https://www.lucidchart.com/pages/what-is-a-flowchart-tutorial 11/19 Demonstrate character development for literature and ±ilm. Represent the ±low of algorithms or logic puzzles. Understand a scienti±ic process, like the Krebs cycle. Chart an anatomical process, such as digestion. Map out symptoms and treatment for diseases/disorders. Communicate hypotheses and theories, like Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Sales and marketing: Plot out the ±low of a survey. Chart a sales process. Plan research strategies. Show registration ±lows. Disseminate communication policies, like an emergency PR plan.

11/10/22, 9:59 PM What is a Flowchart | Lucidchart https://www.lucidchart.com/pages/what-is-a-flowchart-tutorial 12/19 Business: Understand order and procurement processes. Represent an employee’s tasks or daily routine. Understand the paths that users take on a website or in a store. Develop a business plan or product realization plan. Document a process in preparation for an audit, including for regulatory compliance, such as under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Document a process in preparation for a sale or consolidation.

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11/10/22, 9:59 PM What is a Flowchart | Lucidchart https://www.lucidchart.com/pages/what-is-a-flowchart-tutorial 13/19 Manufacturing: Denote the physical or chemical makeup of a product. Illustrate the manufacturing process from beginning to end. Discover and solve ine²iciencies in a manufacturing or procurement process. Engineering:

11/10/22, 9:59 PM What is a Flowchart | Lucidchart https://www.lucidchart.com/pages/what-is-a-flowchart-tutorial 14/19 Engineering: Represent process ±lows or system ±lows. Design and update chemical and plant processes. Assess the life cycle of a structure. Chart a reverse-engineering ±low. Demonstrate the design and prototype phase of a new structure or product. Types of ±lowcharts Different authors describe various types of ±lowcharts in different terms. These people include published experts such as Alan B. Sterneckert, Andrew Veronis, Marilyn Bohl and Mark A. Fryman. Sterneckert, in his 2003 book Critical Incident Management , listed four popular ±lowchart types, framed around the concept of ±low controls rather than the ±low itself: Document Flowcharts: These “have the purpose of showing existing controls over document-±low through the components of a system. … The chart is read from left to right and documents the ±low of documents through the various business units.” Data Flowcharts: These show “the controls governing data ±lows in a system. … Data ±lowcharts are used primarily to show the channels that data is transmitted through the system rather than how controls ±low.” System Flowcharts: These “show the ±low of data to and through the major components of a system such as data entry, programs, storage media, processors, and communication networks.” Program Flowcharts: These show “the controls placed internally to a program within a system.”

11/10/22, 9:59 PM What is a Flowchart | Lucidchart https://www.lucidchart.com/pages/what-is-a-flowchart-tutorial 15/19 Veronis , in his 1978 book Microprocessors: Design and Applications , outlined three ±lowchart types based on scope and level of detail: System Flowchart: Identi±ies the devices to be used. General Flowchart: Overview. Detailed Flowchart: Increased detail. Bohl, in her 1978 book A Guide for Programmers, listed only two: System Flowchart. Program Flowchart. But Fryman, in his 2001 book Quality and Process Improvement , differentiated the types in multiple ways from more of a business perspective than a computer perspective: Decision Flowchart. Logic Flowchart. Systems Flowchart. Product Flowchart. Process Flowchart. Additional ±lowchart types de±ined by others include: Swimlane Diagram, a.k.a Swimlane Flowchart: To delineate who does what in cross-team processes. Work±low Flowchart: To document work±lows, often involving tasks, documents and information in o²ices. Event-Driven Process Chain (EPC) Flowchart: To document or plan a business process. Speci±ication and Description Language (SDL) Flowchart: To b i t t l ith i th b i t

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11/10/22, 9:59 PM What is a Flowchart | Lucidchart https://www.lucidchart.com/pages/what-is-a-flowchart-tutorial 16/19 brainstorm computer algorithms using three basic components: system de±inition, block and process. These related diagrams are also sometimes thought of as types of ±lowcharts: Data Flow Diagram (DFD): To map out the ±low of information for any system or process. Process Flow Diagram (PFD), a.k.a. Process Flowchart: To illustrate the relationships between major components at an industrial plant. Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN 2.0): To model the steps of a planned business process. How to plan and draw a basic ±lowchart

11/10/22, 9:59 PM What is a Flowchart | Lucidchart https://www.lucidchart.com/pages/what-is-a-flowchart-tutorial 17/19 . De±ine your purpose and scope. What do you hope to accomplish? Are you studying the right things with appropriate start and end points to accomplish that purpose? Be detailed enough in your research but simple enough in your charting to communicate with your intended audience. . Identify the tasks in chronological order. This might involve talking to participants, observing a process and/or reviewing any existing documentation. You might write out the steps in note form, or begin a rough chart. . Organize them by type and corresponding shape, such as process, decision, data, inputs or outputs. . Draw your chart, either sketching by hand or using a program such as Lucidchart. . Con±irm your ±lowchart, walking through the steps with people who participate in the process. Observe the process to make sure you haven’t missed anything important to your purpose. Helpful Resources Flowchart Symbols and Notation How to Make a Flowchart in Word Flowchart Template for Word What is a ±lowchart and how to create one How to Make a Flowchart in Excel How to Make a Flowchart in PowerPoint

11/10/22, 9:59 PM What is a Flowchart | Lucidchart https://www.lucidchart.com/pages/what-is-a-flowchart-tutorial 18/19 How to Make a Flowchart Creating ±lowcharts in Lucidchart is simple and intuitive. Simply drag shapes onto the canvas and draw lines to connect them. If you're not sure where to begin, check out our tutorial for tips on how to draw a ±lowchart . Want to create a ±lowchart of your own? Try Lucidchart. It's fast, easy, and totally free. Create a ±lowchart Get started Pricing Individual Team Enterprise Contact sales Product Lucidchart overview Lucidscale Integrations Security Solutions Remote teams Engineering IT Operations Product Sales Education Resources Learning campus Blog Webinars Support Case studies Diagrams Partners Newsletter A²iliates Company About us Mission Leadership Newsroom Careers

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