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Traditional vs Modern Flowcharts

Flowcharts have been around since 1921, when Frank B. Gilbreth presented his "f low process chart" to theAmerican Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Over the next several decades, the applications and uses of f lowcharts spread into other areas. In the1940s, engineers at IBM f ound that diagramming processes was benef icial in planning and coding earlycomputer equipment.

IBM manual f lowchart drawingtemplate and envelope

Standardization of Flowchart SymbolsAs f lowcharting gained in popularity, the ways in whichthey were presented grew in complexity. This ledgroups such as the ISO (International Organization f orStandardization) and ANSI (American NationalStandards Institute) to develop a consistent set ofsymbols to be used in f lowcharting. Click this link seea list of common f lowchart symbols and theirmeanings.

But even with a standard set of symbols, there is awide diversity in how they are developed andpresented. Dif f ering sizes, colors, and directions ofdata f low can create diagrams that are dif f icult f orusers to comprehend.

The modern f lowchart moves beyond the symbollibrary and provides a f ramework that makes themeasier to create, understand and use.

What is a Modern Flowchart?A modern f lowchart is designed within a simple set of rules known as visual grammar. But bef ore we go intothat, let 's look at some of the issues that led to the development of visual grammar and today's modernf lowchart.

Problems with Traditional FlowchartsDespite having a standardized set of symbols, tradit ional f lowcharts still pose problems f or both theirmakers and their users. The reason is the lack of a clear, concise set of rules making them easy to createand to use.

To illustrate, here are three dif f erent examples created to document a billing process. The author of thisf low diagram chose not to use standardized symbols, opting f or rectangular shapes and one oval. But thebiggest problem with this drawing is that it is completely incomprehensible.

We can see in this example how important it is to have an understandable workf low or data f low.Presumably, the process begins at "Billing". But what is the end, "Ref ile"? And while the arrows help lead thereader along, what happens at a step such as "US Of f ice" where there is one arrow in and two out, but theyaren't identif ied? Which path is the user to choose?

The "Procurement" diagram presented next is a litt le less perplexing in terms of moving f rom step to step,but the process f low is a bit like being in a maze. The dif f ering shapes, colors, sizes and erratic spacing areunnecessary visual distractions.

Finally, let 's look at the billing process diagram, shown below. It applies an array of haphazard colors, f onts,and shapes. One of the problems f requently encountered in tradit ional f lowcharts is the incorrect use ofshapes. The one below includes symbols f or data storage, a decision and a subroutine that have beenused incorrectly. The use of a variety of symbols, even when done correctly, can be conf using. Using themrandomly can cause chaos.

The erratic f low direction creates another problem commonly f ound in tradit ional f lowcharts: connectinglines that cross each other. Even though the author of this chart used line hops, it is much better to build adrawing that avoids this necessity altogether.

Visual Grammar and the Modern FlowchartNow that we've seen some of the problems that exist with tradit ional f lowcharts, let 's look at how thedevelopment of basic rules of visual grammar can alleviate them.

Here are the f ive simple rules of visual grammar that apply to the modern f lowchart:

1. Consistency Rule2. One-Page Rule3. Lef t- to-Right Rule4. Split-Path Rule5. Return Lines Rule

Consistency RuleThis rule simply says that shapes, lines and texts within a f low diagram should be consistent.

This example shows how the consistency rule is applied. Notice how only the start and end shapes areoval. All the others are rectangles. Every shape is the same size as is the spacing between them. They alsohave the same outlines and are aligned unif ormly.

Using consistency eliminates unnecessary distraction and makes the data f low or workf low very easy tof ollow.

One-Page RuleThis rule simply says that the modern f lowchart f its on a single page and the text must remain readable.When a diagram becomes too large to f it on a page, it 's advisable to divide it into multiple charts andconnect them with hyperlinks.

Left-to-Right RuleThis rule is self -explanatory. In Western cultures, people read f rom lef t to right. Applying this rule makes themodern f lowchart easier to read and comprehend.

Split -Path RuleTraditional f lowcharts use a diamond symbol to represent a decision. There are three inherent problemswith this:

1. A decision symbol immediately introduces two directions of inf ormation f low, breaking the lef t- to-right rule and making the f lowchart more dif f icult to f ollow.

2. Most users don't understand the meanings of various symbols, so the introduction of a diamondshape is distracting.

3. Many creators of f lowcharts are also unf amiliar with conventional symbols, thus using themrandomly and creating conf usion.

The use of a split-path eliminates all three. It continues the lef t- to-right process f low, and it 's easy to seeand understand without explanation. Here's an example showing the same process using a split-pathversus a tradit ional decision symbol:

Split path

Decision symbols

Return Lines RuleThis rule states that, since we naturally read text f rom the top of the page down, that return lines shouldbe placed under the f lowchart rather than above. If two return lines are needed, they shouldn't overlap.Here's an example of how return lines should look:

Some Examples of Traditional vs Modern FlowchartsIn today's world, f lowcharts are of ten used f or improving business processes. When applied in this area,they are also sometimes ref erred to as business process maps, workf low diagrams or just simply, processmaps.

But let 's not get too hung up on terminology. For most users, the goal of diagramming business processf low is to improve organizational ef f iciency. It might start with an "as is" analysis that looks at currentworkf low with an eye to f inding areas f or improvement. Another use would be to document a process f orregulatory compliance or to ensure quality control, such as an ISO 9000 or ISO 9001 quality managementsystem. Flowcharting a business process can also be benef icial in training new employees.

However, an inherent problem has emerged. That problem is that tradit ional f lowcharts are f requentlycreated in such a way that they aren't easy to understand, because they don't f ollow a simple set of rules.

Let's look at a f ew more process f low diagram examples.

Capital Expenditure Process Flowchart Type - Tradit ional

This diagram is designed with a top-down orientation. It uses tradit ional symbols such as decisiondiamonds and a document shape.

One of the problems that can be encountered using tradit ional f lowchart designs such as this is that theycan be dif f icult to both create and use in a simple, understandable manner. For example, note that the"modif y project" box has no outlet- thus, the user f aces a dead end at this point.

Capital Expenditure Process Flowchart Type - Updated

Here's a redesign of the previous f lowchart type. It f ollows the basic rules of visual grammar, which useswith a more readable lef t- to-right f low. Rather than diamond-shaped decision boxes, it employs a split path.Notice how the "modif y project" box now has a return arrow that directs the user back to a previous step inthe workf low process.

The other notable dif f erence in this example is that there are only two shapes: ovals f or start and end ofthe process and rectangles f or everything else. This f ormat doesn't require any deciphering on the part ofa user.

Purchase Order Approval Process FlowchartTake a look at the f ollowing f lowchart. Do you see any potential problems in trying to f ollow the workf lowprocess outlined here?

Purchase Order Approval Process

Here are just a f ew of the issues that might arise when trying to f ollow the process as diagrammed.

Now let's look at the same f lowchart, revised to make it easier to understand and use.

Purchase Approval Revised

When the order is received, it is simply processed into two buckets: new vs existing customers. The nextsteps f or orders f rom existing customers are very simple: if they are paying cash, their order is logged andprocessed. Credit orders within the customer's credit authorization are also processed immediately.Otherwise, they are routed to the controller.

New customers placing credit orders simply require an application and are routed to controller; regardlessof their location. Cash customers in the US and Canada are processed at this level, but f oreign customersmust be routed to the controller's of f ice f or approval.

This f lowchart is easy to f ollow and understand, even f or a new hire. There are only two terminations:either the order is approved at this level and sent to processing or it is routed to the controller's of f ice.You'll note that this process is not concerned with what happens at the controller's level. That would bedone in a separate chart.

The key to a good business process map, as this example shows, is that it has a logical start and end andthat the steps in between are easy to understand and f ollow.

Applying Visual Grammar in a FlowchartAlways remember that the priority is to make your diagram easy f or the user to understand. Applying thesebasic rules of visual grammar will help you meet that goal.

A good f lowchart sof tware program will have automatic drawing f eatures that let you create this type ofdiagram ef f ortlessly.

Download this f ree white paper to learn how to apply visual grammar f or a better, modern f lowchart.

Traditional vs Modern FlowchartsStandardization of Flowchart SymbolsWhat is a Modern Flowchart?Problems with Traditional FlowchartsVisual Grammar and the Modern FlowchartConsistency RuleOne-Page RuleLeft-to-Right RuleSplit-Path RuleReturn Lines Rule

Some Examples of Traditional vs Modern FlowchartsCapital Expenditure Process Flowchart Type - TraditionalCapital Expenditure Process Flowchart Type - UpdatedPurchase Order Approval Process FlowchartPurchase Order Approval ProcessPurchase Approval Revised

Applying Visual Grammar in a Flowchart