A flowchart is a pictorial or graphical representation of a process. Flowcharts are used in many industries including entertainment, engineering, physical sciences and computer programming. The purpose of all flowcharts is to communicate how a process works or should work without any technical or group-specific jargon.
A process flowchart shows in pictorial form how a process is performed from start to finish, usually in sequential step order. This type of chart can be used for training, to document a current process or to examine the efficiency of a process. Using a flowchart to examine a process is helpful when you are seeking bottlenecks or duplication of effort. Adding symbols to a simple process flowchart, where each symbol represents a person or group responsible for a task, decision or output, a manager or project director can see if any of the entities is overtaxed or if some are not needed in a particular process.
Programmers use data flowcharts to identify where data is originated, where it is being altered and where it is stored. These charts are often linear and read left to right. Columns can be added to the data flow chart to indicate timings of tasks and other events so you can examine the tasks within the process with respect to time. A flowchart with timing columns is useful for deadline-oriented tasks and processes. It illustrates areas where tasks need to become more efficient or areas that are waiting for the completion of other tasks.
Flowcharts range from complex charts detailing every aspect of designing and building a sophisticated product to simple ones used to provide software troubleshooting. The primary benefit of a flowchart is that it bridges the vocabulary gap that occurs between diverse groups that work together, such as between accountants and programmers. Both groups use specific jargon. A flowchart allows each to visualize a process, whether from the programmers' point of view or from the accountants' viewpoint.
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