Workflow Diagram: How to Create a Workflow Chart

A workflow diagram, also known as a workflow chart or process flow diagram, is a visual representation of business processes and operations. Companies use this type of diagram to streamline processes and create a clear system for workflow analysis. These diagrams prevent bottlenecks, show the different steps necessary to fulfill an end goal, and dictate which team members accomplish tasks and when.

Workflow describes the steps and processes a team undergoes to achieve a final objective. A flowchart outlines these steps visually and assigns the activities to streamline the process.

Throughout history, various industries have adopted the use of activity diagrams to streamline work processes. Consider the following iterations of flowcharts:

• The flow process chart: Efficiency experts and engineers Frank and Lillian Gilberth introduced the flow process chart in 1921. This concept was built on mechanical engineer Henry Gantt’s Gantt Chart, a diagram tool that charted the relationship between activity and time to support time management.
• Engineers: The Gilberths brought their process improvement model to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Business leaders took note, and industrial engineer Allan H. Mogensen, known as the “father of simplicity,” taught team members and leaders about such process diagrams throughout the 1930s.
• Post-war: After World War II, production boomed anew, and these process workflows became more common in different departments across various industries. For example, the United States Navy, the Department of Defense, and the Apollo program instituted variations on this process mapping.
• Process improvement: In the 1980s, companies seeking globalization focused on process improvement for production and manufacturing. Flowcharts were a significant part of Six Sigma, a methodology to support quality improvement.
• Workflow management: Companies traditionally used workflow diagrams for operations and production, like offering process steps for assembly lines. Today, various sectors like tech and media, use digital workflow management programs and data flow diagrams. These tools can be helpful for onboarding new employees and showing stakeholders how processes unfold in real time to streamline efficiencies.

Teams can use workflow diagrams in a few cases and offer many benefits to a company. Consider the following advantages:

• Improve communication: Visually mapping out who has to accomplish what and when will make it easier for employees to know who to go to for which task. This can save time, improving employee productivity and clarity.
• Spot inefficiencies: If your company is experiencing bottlenecks, creating an overview of a business process can help identify and implement scientific management of work steps.
• Streamline e-commerce: Workflow software can better map the customer journey and the behind-the-scenes steps that illuminate structural processes to improve purchase and sales paths.

There are several types of workflow diagrams, including:

1. 1. Business process modeling notation: The BPMN method relies on a unified modeling language (UML), using standardized symbols to offer visual clarity and a shared workplace vocabulary. BPMNs are also known as UML diagrams. Since standardized symbols are for internal tracking, UML activity is generally not shared with external clients.
2. 2. Process flow diagram: This standard flowchart shows labor in chronological steps that reach specific endpoints. These steps do not go into detail but offer a clear snapshot of business process mapping and project management.
3. 3. Swimlane diagram: Swimlane diagrams break down work into smaller units and steps. These diagrams highlight the efforts that act as connectors, showing how one step influences the next and which person is in charge of specific tasks. As a more detailed workflow diagram example, swimlanes can help diminish inefficiencies.

Follow these tips when developing a workflow diagram to meet your company and team’s needs:

• Consider cause and effects. Each action spurs a reaction. To determine how each task influences a neighboring one in your flowchart, work from the end goal backward or the first step forward.
• Define the company’s end goals. You must know what you are working toward to create an effective workflow diagram. Name the end goals, what constitutes success, and when it should be completed by—then work backward to identify the necessary steps to realize success.
• Eliminate inefficiencies. Include the resources needed to complete each task and the team members to inform for its success. Factor in some extra wiggle room so you can stay apace.
• Factor in team members. Know which team members should execute which tasks. They will become the pieces of your puzzle that you strategically place along the path of your workflow diagram to complete critical tasks.
• Show stakeholders and team members. Show upper management and those executing the tasks the workflow diagram before implementing. Others with unique perspectives may have questions and concerns. These suggestions can determine overall productivity and team members’ needs for success.

Get the MasterClass Annual Membership for exclusive access to video lessons taught by business luminaries, including Sara Blakely, Chris Voss, Robin Roberts, Bob Iger, Howard Schultz, Anna Wintour, and more.