FREE ESSAY ON FLOWCHARTING

FLOWCHARTING

A flowchart is a planning tool that uses graphics or symbols to illustrate the steps of a

particular process. In a business organization flowcharting, also known as logic or flow

diagramming, is an invaluable tool for understanding the inner workings of, and relation-

ships between, business processes. (Harrington, 86) There are four basic flowcharts, 
each having a specific function and they include: block diagrams, ANSI standard 
flowchart, functional flowchart, and geographical flowchart. Understanding and applying 
flowcharts normally will improve the quality of a company's product or service.
The most common type of flowchart is a block diagram, also known as a block flow 
diagram. Block diagrams provide a quick overview of a process, not a detailed analysis.
Normally they are prepared first to document the magnitude of the process; then another
type of flowchart is used to analyze the process in detail. (Harrington, 92) Block 
diagrams use elongated circles to depict the beginning and the end of a flowchart, and
all 
activities in between are represented by rectangles with lines and arrows connecting each

activity. Of the four basic flowcharts, the block diagram is the easiest to understand
and 
use.
As previously stated, a block diagram is a flowchart that is used as a starting point.
Applying the ANSI standard flowchart makes a perfect follow-up flowchart that provides
greater detail using additional symbols. A rectangle is used to indicate a change of 
operation. A diamond is used to indicate that a decision is to be made. The movement or 
transportation of property is indicated by a fat arrow while a slim arrow denotes the 
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movement from one process to another. An elongated circle depicts the beginning and the 
end of a process. The amount of detail involved with the ANSI standard flowchart 
accurately depicts the sequence of events of a specific business process.
Another type of flowchart is a functional flowchart. A functional flowchart identifies 
how vertically oriented functional departments affect a process flowing horizontally 
across an organization. (Harrington 101) For example, the hiring process might begin 
with a manager realizing the need for another employee so his request would then be 
submitted to the controller to evaluate the budget. The controller would then ask the 
personnel department to conduct interviews to search for an employee to hire. Using 
either standard or block flowchart symbols works effectively with a functional
flowchart.
The last of the four basic flowcharts is a geographical flowchart. Using rectangles and
broken lines, geographic flowcharts depict various locations in a specific sequence. For

example, when an employee is hired with a company he or she will show up at the lobby, 
then walk over to payroll to fill out forms, then walk over to the medical department to

get insurance information, and then back to the lobby. Each department is represented by

a rectangle and the route that he or she takes is represented by a broken line.
Geographic 
flowcharting is a useful tool for evaluating department layout and paperwork flow, and
for 
analyzing product flow, by identifying excessive travel and storage delays. (Harrington,
108)
With the use of basic symbols, flowcharts graphically depict a process or group of pro-
cesses in a particular sequence allowing for a better understanding of how a unit
functions.
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Applying a flowchart is a constructive tool for business process improvement.
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