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Program Version

Depending on the version of Microsoft Office you are running, you are going to go about things a little differently. When you first click on the program icon and it begins to load, a splash screen will briefly appear. It will tell you if you're running Office 95, 98, XP, 2007 or Vista. If this screen disappears too fast for you to tell, you could always check the documentation that came with the software when you purchased it.

Flow Charts

In the 2007 version of Microsoft Office, select the "Insert" tab from the main row of tabs near the top of the program. Then select either the "Smart Chart" or "Chart" options, both of which will allow you to enter information that will go into your flow chart when it is added to your document. In older versions of Office, select "Chart" from the "Insert" drop-down menu, which will then allow you to enter in your data as necessary.

Specifics

Once you have selected the "Chart" option, customize it before you even begin to enter any data. Select the type of flow chart: you can display your chart using columns, lines or bars. You can also change the colors of the chart to make it easier to read as well as make it more aesthetically pleasing. Create your flow chart completely from scratch, or use one of dozens of pre-installed templates or find hundreds more templates on Office Online

Understand the symbols

Flow chart diagrams visually show a process. They can be created for just about any series of events. The chart is read from top to bottom, and left to right. Flow charts diagrams use a universal set of symbols. Ovals are beginning and ending points. Squares and rectangles are activities or steps. When a series of steps are condensed together, a rectangle with vertical lines on each end is used to indicate a sub-process. Diamonds are decisions. Circles connect parts of the diagram together. Other symbols may indicate data, printouts, or more.

Draw process steps from top to bottom and left to right

Create an oval to represent the starting point. Inside the oval, type the word "start" or "begin." Draw a rectangle for the first step. Inside the rectangle, type the action to be taken. Use verbs as one word actions or use very short phrases (just enough information to tell the reader what to do). Draw an arrow from the starting point to the next step. If the next step is a decision, create a diamond shape. Type a very short closed-ended question in the diamond. Closed-ended questions have yes or no answers. If the question has more than one answer, create a series of yes or no decisions, one after the other. Draw an action square for what should be done if the answer is "yes" and another for what should be done if the answer is "no." Draw arrows from the diamond to the yes and no boxes. Since flow charts are usually read top to bottom left to right, use the bottom point of the diamond for the yes arrow and the right point for the no arrow. Label each arrow according to its intention. Continue moving through the process connecting actions with arrows until all actions are shown.

Make the diagram easy to read

Use as little verbiage as possible. Keep all symbols and arrows aligned using the align center feature found in most programs. If the diagram is too large to fit on the page, use a connector to link to another page or another part of the diagram. A connector is a circle with a number inside of it. For example: Draw an arrow to a circle with a number "1" inside of it at the place where the diagram needs to connect to another page. On the new page, create another circle with a number "1" to indicate the place where the diagram should continue. At the end of the process draw an oval and type the word "stop" or "end" to indicate the end of the process.

Draw electronically or manually

Flow chart diagrams can be drawn using diagramming software such as Visio, but word processing programs with drawing capabilities can also be used. Because the diagrams are simple geometric shapes and arrows, they can also be drawn by hand.

Draw the Flow Chart Objects

Flow charts can be created using the OpenOffice Draw program. Use the predefined flow chart objects from the "Flow chart" drop down on the "Drawing" toolbar to build your chart. Place the objects in the correct positions relative to one another based on your needs. Add text to your objects by double-clicking the center of the object and typing in the labels.

Add Connectors

Connectors are also available on the "Drawing" toolbar. Use "Connectors" rather than "Lines" because a connector will remain attached to your flow chart object if you must move or resize it. The most common connector for a flow chart is the "Connector Ends with Arrow." Flow charts also have connector objects that bridge gaps between flow chart sections. Use these flow chart connector objects from the "Drawing" toolbar if your chart covers more than 1 page or any time a break is necessary.

Adding Additional Text

Use the "Textbox" tool from the "Drawing" toolbar to add additional text to the flow chart. This is required at decision boxes to define what the decision options are. Additional text should also be used anywhere clarification might be necessary.

Formatting and Cleaning Up

Move the objects around and resize them as necessary to clearly present your process. You can change the colors of the objects and lines to help make the flow chart more readable. Just select the object you want to modify and choose your modification from the "Line and Filling" toolbar.

Saving and Exporting

You can save your work in a large variety of formats using OpenOffice Draw. Click "File" on the menu bar and then click "Save As." This lets you save the flow chart in OpenOffice formats. If you click "Export" you can save your flow chart as an image like GIF or JPEG, as a PDF file or as a web page.

The Basics

Presentations that show steps or instructions become more effective with flow charts as visual aids. Many find it daunting to play with PowerPoint presentations, not knowing that it's the best tool for the job. Once you learn the fundamentals of PowerPoint, creating flow charts becomes an easy task.
Start to make the flow chart by opening PowerPoint. Right click on the Slides tab, then choose New Slide. To help you in drawing the objects, proceed to View menu and click on Grid and Guides. A window will pop up. Tick "Display grid on screen" so that grids will show in the slide. Click OK to close the window.

Drawing the Flow Chart Objects

You can now begin to make the objects or boxes for the Flow Chart. At the bottom left part of the PowerPoint window, click on AutoShapes, then pick any of the choices from the Flow Chart selection. Make adjustments to the object by dragging the sizing handles from any corner. You can now write text inside. Right click the object, then choose "Add Text." Draw more objects according to the number of data you are presenting. Mix up different objects to make the Flow Chart more creative.

Connecting the Dots

To make the flow chart appear more like a chart, connect the objects. Click on AutoShapes again and choose from any of the arrows in the Connectors selection. Using connectors rather than lines is recommended, as they are easier to manage. If you delete the objects, you'll find that the connectors are still intact.

Final Touches

If you are still not satisfied with the look of the flow chart, you can add colors or edit the size of the connectors. Choose the Format Auto Shapes menu to do this.
For Progressive Flow Charts, create multiple slides of your data, then in the end, click on Slide Transition from the Slide Show menu. Adjust the sequence of the slides with the Advance Slide option. Select the time to elapse in between slides in the field that follows. Click "Apply to all Slides," then press F5 to view your finished flow chart.

Flow charts allow you to connect the steps in a process so that others can understand what the process entails. A clearly designed flow chart will be easy to follow and understand by people who have no prior knowledge of the process or project that you are working on. Another good way to think of a flow chart is to imagine a building blueprint. When accurately followed, a flow chart can link action steps for large projects and help to bring an ongoing initiative, like an acquisition or merger, to a successful conclusion.

Flow Chart Achievement

Project managers, developers and designers create flow charts at the start of a deliverable. Tasks that require five or more specific action steps are best suited for flow charting. The charts can be drawn using a pencil or using a software application like Smart Draw, Flow Breeze, Flow Chart Maker, Microsoft or Mac Word or Excel. The diagrammatic designs clearly show and explain each step of a project or task briefly yet with enough detail for anyone who reads the chart to know what is required next.

Structure

The initial step involved in designing a flow chart is jotting down in one to eight words the first action items in the project. For example, if you were creating a flow chart on how to write a novel in a year, you could begin with "Create Characters," "Define Setting," or "Finish a Chapter a Week." The next step in creating a flow chart is identifying the people who will start, review and finish each step of the project. Going back to writing a novel in a year, you could assign your sister to create the names and sketches for each character and your mother to pick the location for where the book will be set. Each step should be created in chronological order.

Symbols and Shapes

Action steps and the names of persons or departments responsible for completing the action steps are typed or written inside shapes like triangles, boxes or rectangles. Larger action steps are best framed inside larger shapes. If you create your flow chart using a software application, the shapes might be called "AutoShapes". Microsoft Excel has 27 AutoShapes that you can use to create your flow chart with. Charts that are created with lots of white space between the symbols are typically easier to read and follow. A flow chart crammed with symbols might be a sign that the actions have not been thought out thoroughly enough. In these instances, redefine the action steps so that the project flows easily and with clarity from step to step.

Connecting Lines

After the action steps are identified and symbols or shapes are drawn, connecting lines are added to the chart. Think of a connecting line like a number or a letter in an outline. Below the first action step will be the first connecting line. Generally a downward arrow or a straight line is used as a connector. Each shape is joined to another shape or action step with a connecting line. Arrows are good because they are easy to follow and show the direction that the action steps flow in. Software applications allow you to click and drag connecting lines to the area on the flow chart where you want to join a set of action steps.

Limitations

Flow charts require that you list the details of a project or plan in a small space. Entrepreneurs or project managers who are accustomed to writing out long, detailed action steps may find using a flow chart too limiting. If flow charts are going to be printed and shared with an organization's decision makers, the number of steps and shapes might have to be decreased in order to print the chart on a standard sheet of paper.

Benefits

A flow chart is an excellent tool to use to measure your preparedness to deliver a project. The tool is also effective at surfacing gaps in a process. This alone can prevent a person or a business from spending hundreds, thousands or even millions of dollars before realizing that a project will either not work or even if it does work, that the project will not yield enough return on investment (ROI) to be worthwhile.

When working on a flow chart, or any other work related project, the choice of font is an important consideration to the overall project. Font choice can increase or decrease the ease by which text is read. Font choice can also enhance your overall flow chart or presentation, or make it look cluttered and sloppy. Choosing the appropriate font can easily be the deciding factor between a good flow chart or presentation, and a bad one.

Basic Font Types

Fonts can be found in a variety of different styles from the very simple to the extremely elaborate. Basic fonts however can be categorized into one of three types: Serif, Sans Serif and Script. The majority of fonts that are used in any given circumstance will fall into one of these three categories, and understanding the differences between them is critical when creating a flow chart or presentation for work.

The most commonly used of the Serif type of fonts is Times New Roman. Serif fonts are easily distinguishable by the small strokes that appear at the ends of the characters. Theses strokes, or serifs, give the font a slightly more decorative appearance. The use of Serif fonts in the workplace is commonly used in correspondence, including email.

The most commonly used of the Sans-serif type of fonts is Arial. Sans-serif fonts are characterized by their clean lines and curves which give them a very simplistic style. Sans-serif fonts are commonly found on the internet due to their ease of readability.

Script fonts are probably the least likely to be found in the workplace unless they are being used as part of a logo or design. Script fonts, which have the appearance of varied handwriting styles, can range from the extremely refined and elegant to the more casual. Because of their decorative nature, script fonts generally reserved for more formal occasions.

Using Fonts in Flow Charts and Presentations

When creating a flow chart for work there are basic elements that will be incorporated including boxes and arrows or lines to follow the flow of information on the chart. Often colors are often incorporated in flow charts or other presentations to lend a more visual appeal to the information being given. Because of these graphic elements and the use of color, fonts used to display written information should be very clean and simple to avoid confusion or clutter in the flow chart or presentation being given.

Because of their clean and simple design, Sans-serif fonts such as Arial or Helvetica are the most appropriate choice for use on a flow chart or other work related presentation. When colors are being used as a background to the area where the font will appear, keep in mind the contrast of the colors being used. The best option is generally to use muted or toned down shades of color behind a heavy black type. Consider using the bold version of Arial or Helvetica when putting flow chart or presentation information together.

Combining Fonts in a Flow Chart or Presentation

With so many fonts on the pull down menu of the program being used, the temptation to decorate or design your flow chart or presentation with multiple fonts can be great. Keep in mind that flow charts and other presentations are designed with a primary focus in mind: to deliver information. While using multiple fonts may lend to the decorative appeal of the project, often the use of too many fonts or styles can make the flow chart or presentation look messy and become distracting. The general recommendation is to use a single font style when putting together any type of instructional information so that the focus can be kept on the material being delivered and not on the fonts being used.

Flow charts allow programmers to create a logical plan for coding their software and to build robust software systems. The charting technique is a great tool to bridge between specifications and program coding.

Program Development

The flow charting process helps the programmer integrate crucial information from both sides: specifications and input/output layouts from the systems analyst, and requirements and expectations of the user.

Logical Outline

Blocking out a flow chart ensures that the code accomplishes one logical step at a time.

Hierarchy of Steps

Drawing up a flow chart ensures that all of the necessary steps are included in the program and that the data will be processed in the correct order.

Structured Review

The flow chart allows the programmer, systems analyst and user to conduct a quality review of the project for accuracy and completeness even before coding starts.

Foundation for Structured Coding

After the flow chart has passed the quality assurance review, it can be used as a foundation for creating the actual software program.

A flow chart is defined as the visual representation of the flow of data or a process.

Fact

A flow chart is created by following standard rules and regulations, and by using the standard symbols, as recommended by the ANSII or American National Standard Institute, Inc.

Tip

It is a good practice to draw the flow chart before you write the computer program. It is a necessity when developing complex computer software, as it breaks down tasks and processes into smaller, clearer steps. This also aids in "debugging" (troubleshooting) programs in the development stage.

Use

A flow chart can be used to establish a communication amidst the business people and the programmers. They can be used in any industry, not just computer programming.

Advantage

One advantage of using a flow chart is that it helps you understand how the things are working under the present context, and helps analyze how you could improve performance.

Types

There are three types of flow charts, namely, High-Level Flow Chart, which illustrates the important steps in the process, Detailed Flow Chart, which exhibits a detailed process, and the Matrix Flow Chart, which involves the people in the process.

The difference between a data flow diagram (DFD) and a flow chart (FC) are that a data flow diagram typically describes the data flow within a system and the flow chart usually describes the detailed logic of a business process.

Understanding a Data Flow Diagram

Data flow diagrams are welcomed tools used in structured analysis and design methods, showing the flow of information through a system. Each process transforms input into outputs. Begin analyzing by diagramming an overall view of the system, typically by drawing a context diagram. Then methodically detail each process in a diagrammed top-down approach, starting with the level one identifying the major system process and proceeding to level two in order to further analyze the process. The data flow diagram results are a series of diagrams representing the system activity in a clear and concise manner.

Using a Data Flow Diagram

When using a data flow diagram to illustrate the processes of a system, it is necessary to use five symbols. The external entity, an oval, represents a source or destination of a data flow outside the area of study. The process, a rectangular box, represents the manipulation of data flows within the system. A line represents the data flow with arrows showing the direction flow, typically from its source to its destination. A data store is a storage bin for information within the system, represented by an open-ended narrow rectangle. A resource flow shows the flow of any physical material from its source to its destination.

Understanding a Flow Chart

Flow charts are easy-to-understand diagrams, which visually illustrate how each process works by being broken down into steps. A flow chart is an excellent communication tool and helps to clarify or question the purpose of the procedure and if there is a need for improvement.

Using a Flow Chart

Using a flow chart typically requires the use of three types of symbols: an elongated circle representing the start and the end of a process; a rectangle signifying instructions or actions; and a diamond indicating that a decision is necessary. As you work through the whole procedure that you are charting, indicate each process with a symbol and show the connection to the next process and the flow of each process with an arrow. Sometimes it is necessary to continue your flow chart on more than one piece of paper; if this occurs, use connectors by using numbers inside of circles. It is imperative that you remember that the flow chart is a means of communicating.

In Contrast

While data flow diagrams represent the flow of data, a flow chart shows the flow of control. In a flow chart, a reader can determine what operations will be performed, in what order, and under what circumstances. In a data flow diagram, identifying the procedural information is not necessary. It also not necessary to show information regarding the timing of processes, or whether the process will operate in a sequence or in a parallel, in the data flow diagram, but it is crucial in a flow chart.

A flow chart diagram graphically illustrates the steps in a process in a logical, sequential order. Flow charts can be used to define processes and to help people troubleshoot and define problems.

Identification

A flow chart diagram typically consists of shapes such as ovals, diamonds and boxes that contain words relating to a certain issue and lines with arrows connecting boxes to one another.

Benefits

Flow charts can be used to quickly evaluate problems and symptoms. For instance, if your computer monitor doesn't work, a troubleshooting flow chart may be able to direct you to the likely cause of the video failure.

Size

Flow charts can vary greatly in size and complexity. A simple flow chart may only consist of a few elements, while a large flowchart may contain dozens of symbols, arrows and steps.

Drawbacks

Complex flowcharts may be confusing. An incorrect answer to a question on a flowchart or uncertainty about which path to follow on a flowchart can lead to inaccurate conclusions.

Design

Flowcharts are relatively easy to design using simple image editing or word processing computer software. All that is needed is the ability to make simple shapes, text and lines.

A flow chart is a diagram that explains elements in a process. It may help illustrate areas where a business can make improvements or highlight key events or concepts in a process.

Function

A flow chart is a diagram that represents the various events and elements involved in a process. Although an individual may draw a flow chart by hand, it is typically computer generated with flow chart software. The flow chart may serve as a helpful guide when a business or department must complete a task.

Significance

Every item or event on a flow chart uses a very specific shape or symbol to give further information about the process. For example, a rectangle depicts a manual action that a person must complete, while a diamond represents a decision that someone must make and can alter the outcome. Flow chart software uses standard shapes to depict these elements.

Benefits

A flow chart can help an individual or group understand how a process works or what needs to happen before the process is complete. When a person sees a computer-generated flow chart, he may better understand the process timeline. Furthermore, it can help instruct when to take manual action or explain an automated process, such as a computer task.

Flow charts visually illustrate any procedure and break it down into all of its basic processes using standard symbols and directional arrows. These charts help with workplace communication.

Uses

Flow charts are used in information technology during software design and to help illustrate networks. The charts are used by business analysts to propose changes in workflow processes.

Types

Flow charts are most often created in a top-down design structure, with the first step illustrated at the top, followed by sequential steps. Hierarchical flow charts show relationships between departments. Modular flow charts break down smaller procedures from an original flow chart into further smaller flow charts on their own pages.

Creation

Flow charts may be drawn by hand or may be created using specialized flow-charting software. The symbols found in word processing software may also be used to make flow charts.

Symbols

Squares or rectangles indicate procedures, usually involving input or output of information. Circles and ovals signify the start and end of a chart. Diamonds represent decisions that must be made during a process.

Office 2007 is considered a milestone in the Microsoft Office suite. With an entire new design and layout, it didn't take long to see how dramatically improved Word 2007 is compared with past versions. One of the most notable features of Word 2007 is the SmartArt feature, which allows you to create all sorts of pictures and diagrams in 84 dynamic layouts. Fortunately for Word users, there are a couple of great, little-known tricks in Word 2007.

Type on a Printed Form

You have an application or form to fill out, yet you don't want it handwritten at the risk of illegibility. Instead of having to use a typewriter, you can use Word 2007 SmartArt to fill out the form. Scan the form and save it as a picture (.JPEG or .GIF). Insert the picture into Word, then click "View," and "Header and Footer." Insert your saved form and right-click on it. Scroll down to "Format Picture," then click the "Behind Text" option. You can start typing in the fields of your choice by clicking on the outside header.

Create Your Own SmartArt

Although there are many different objects to choose from, you still have the option to create your own. Click the "SmartArt" option. Click "Insert." Choose a format you would like to work with. You can enter text and reformat the art to look completely different from anything available on the SmartArt pane. Change the text. Select the SmartArt object you are working with, then go to the WordArt styles list and change it to whatever you choose. Change the color of the object. Select "Text Fill" and choose from different colors.

Insert a Graphic

Most of the SmartArt objects include containers in which to insert graphics. Select the graphic icon in the SmartArt pane. This allows you to choose from an array of graphics or insert your own.