Creating process diagrams

After creating a discovery map, you might be ready to add more complexity to the flow of your process. In a process diagram, you can use different types of activities, events, gateways, and other elements to create a full, comprehensive blueprint of alternate paths of your process.

Before you begin

To create a process diagram, you must first create a discovery map. This is because the first time your process is viewed as a process diagram, it is created based on the contents of your discovery map, including flow lines, swimlanes, and start and end events. For more information, see Creating discovery maps.

Converting a discovery map into a process diagram

To convert a discovery map into a process diagram, complete the following steps:

In the classic UI, select Process diagram from the drop-down menu on the toolbar.

or

In the new UI, click the Process diagram icon on the menu on the left.
Click Create Diagram.

Important: Subsequent changes that you make in the discovery map, such as reordering activities, might not be reflected in the corresponding process diagram and you will have to make the changes manually.

By default, your process diagram has a start event, an end event, and activities. You can add more elements to it.

process diagram with six activities and a gateway

Adding swimlanes and milestones

Swimlanes are rows that represent different participants (people or groups who perform the activities). To add new swimlanes, use the Add Swimlane button on the toolbar.

Milestones are columns that represent different stages of the process. To add new milestones, use the Add Milestone button on the toolbar.

For more information about these elements, see Swim lanes and milestones.

Adding diagram elements

To add diagram elements such as activities (tasks, subprocesses, linked processes, loop activities), gateways, and events, complete the following steps:

Hover over a flow line.
Click Insert .
Select an element that you want to insert.

In the new UI, you can also select elements from the menu on the left, and drag and drop them to the desired location.

For more information about these elements, see Activities, Events, and Gateways.

Moving elements

To move an element between swimlanes or milestones, drag and drop the element to its new location. The connection lines are automatically redrawn to respond to the new placement of elements.

To move multiple elements at once, you have the following options:

Use Ctrl+click or Cmd+click to select the elements you want and then drag and drop them to their new location.
In the classic UI, select the first element or several elements and then use Shift+click to select the last element and all other elements in the shortest path.
Click the Marquee Select button (Selection tool button in the new UI) and draw a rectangle around the elements you want.

To copy elements, select them, right-click, and click Copy. You can paste the elements to another flow in the same diagram or to a different diagram. Select the line where you want to paste them, right-click, and click Insert Copied Selection (Paste activities in the new UI).

Tip: You can only move or copy multiple elements when they are contiguous; that is, they are all reachable within the selection.

Converting elements

To convert an element to a different type, for example an exclusive gateway into an inclusive gateway, compel the following steps:

Right-click that element.
Click Type (Change type in the new UI).
Select the new type.

Editing flow lines

Flow lines are the lines or arrows that connect activities in a process flow diagram. To edit them, complete the following steps:

Click Flow Lines (Draw Line Tool in the new UI).
Click on a flow line.
To rearrange how a flow line connects to an activity box, drag and drop its end to a different docking point.
To create a new flow line, draw it from one element to another.

Next step

When you finish creating a process diagram, you can go on and add details to your process. For more information, see Adding process details.