Operational Governance Knowledge Flashcards No. 10/19
Flowcharts
From the Operational Governance flashcard deck; today this discipline goes by BizOps. The original card is republished here as a field note.
01 What is it
A flowchart is a visual representation of the sequence of steps and decisions needed to perform a process. Each step is noted within a diagram shape, linked by connecting lines and directional arrows, so anyone can view the flowchart and logically follow the process from beginning to end.
02 When is it useful
In designing and documenting simple processes or programs. They help visualize what is going on, and thereby help understand a process — and perhaps find less-obvious features within it, like flaws and bottlenecks.
They let the author correctly locate the responsibility for performing an action or making a decision.
03 How to use it
The two basic types of boxes in a flowchart are: (1) a processing step, usually called an activity, denoted as a rectangular box; and (2) a decision, usually denoted as a diamond.
You can use special shapes to represent different types of actions or steps (Document, Input/Output, Subroutine, Delay, Display, etc.), and different types of flowcharts for each control focus: document flowcharts, data flowcharts, system flowcharts, and program flowcharts.
04 The basic symbol key
- Start/endAn oval represents a start or end point.
- ProcessA rectangle represents a step or activity.
- DecisionA diamond indicates a decision.
- Input/OutputA parallelogram represents input or output.
05 Common pitfalls
Unless you have specialized knowledge and your diagram is for a peer group with similar knowledge, stick to basic flowchart symbols. It is good practice to include a legend or symbol key.
It is not the same as a workflow (a series of actions that define a job or how work should be done). A flowchart is a diagram that represents a workflow.