A workflow diagram is a visual representation of a business process, project or job in the form of a flowchart. Using specialized symbols and notation, workflow diagrams illustrate the step-by-step processes by which work is done.
Workflow diagrams identify each step in a business process along with the personnel responsible for delivering that work. Here are several of the most common use cases for this type of flowchart:
Visualize business processes and information flows for business process management.
Perform workflow analysis to achieve operational excellence.
Clarify personnel roles and responsibilities.
Prepare and facilitate change management strategies.
Reveal potential bottlenecks, redundancies and inefficiencies.
Safeguard against risk.
Creating and using a workflow diagram imparts a wide range of benefits:
Workflow diagrams are composed of standardized symbols, shapes or pictures that illustrate each step of a workflow. Today, workflow diagram software is available online, which makes it easy to construct workflows with the use of premade templates. These diagramming tools typically feature these symbols:
Workflow diagrams were originally developed to better illustrate repeatable tasks and work processes. These visual tools have evolved to the point where today, organizations use workflow diagrams of many types to meet specific needs and contexts. The following workflow diagram examples represent the most common implementations.
Workflow diagrams depict one of two process structures: linear and conditional sequences.
A linear workflow diagram is the simplest type and consists of a straightforward step-by-step path with no alternative steps or pathways.
These more complex workflow diagrams depict the conditions or actions that are necessary to progress through the different steps and paths of a workflow. Most workflow diagrams include some conditional sequences.
Henry Gantt, a nineteenth-century mechanical engineer and management consultant, first developed the workflow diagram to sequence and prioritize tasks. Gantt partnered with Frederick Winslow Taylor, a management science specialist, to originate workflow processes as a new form of business-related scientific management. The result is the Gantt workflow diagram, which is still in use today.
The pair’s work jumpstarted the deeper study into workflow diagramming for better process and quality management.
The difference between a workflow diagram and a flowchart is that while a workflow diagram is one type of process flowchart, many other types of flowcharts exist to document other systems and processes.
Meanwhile, business process mapping is the practice of organizing and mapping every aspect of a business process—personnel, facilities, data, activities and more. Process mining uses data to uncover workflows and optimize them. Business process modeling is a related discipline that generates comprehensive visual representations of workflows using data-driven algorithms.
Any organization can benefit from implementing workflow diagrams. Here are a few business practice management examples that incorporate workflow diagrams.
Workflow diagrams are a natural pairing for many of the most popular business operations approaches:
As a direct result of Gantt and Winslow’s work, the workflow diagram evolved as a starting point for the Six Sigma operational approach. The discipline derives its name from the way statisticians depict the degree of deviation of a process from perfection, with Six Sigma having a failure rate of 0.00034%.
The Six Sigma method enables businesses to streamline process flows, customer interactions and experiences by using common metrics and 5 to 7 steps. Workflow diagrams can better address any area within these Six Sigma steps and methods, such as business process analysis or fine-tuning the steps in an e-commerce buyer’s journey.
Two of the most widespread Six Sigma models are DMADV (define, measure, analyze, design, verify) and DMAIC (define, measure, analyze, improve, control).
Business process reengineering (BPR) is a total overhaul of an enterprise’s business processes. It uses artificial intelligence (AI)-powered algorithms and automation to eliminate redundancies and streamline end-to-end processes. Workflow diagrams are a valuable starting point when first analyzing an organization’s business processes in preparation for strategic business transformation.
Total quality management (TQM) is the ongoing, real-time process of pinpointing and eliminating manufacturing errors via improved communication between team members and management. It seeks to spread responsibility through the entire production process. Here, workflow diagrams can pinpoint areas needing more attention or clarity.
Lean systems aid organizations in streamlining workflows by reducing overhead and eliminating “non-value add” activities: actions or processes that use more resources than they yield in benefits. Workflow diagrams are useful in identifying stages of a workflow that can be sidestepped or combined with others to improve efficiency.
The theory of constraints focuses on the removal of constraints—bottlenecks impeding a workflow—to optimize efficiency. Workflow diagrams shine in revealing these constraints where they might otherwise be more challenging to spot.
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