Download Flowchart Symbols

Whether you're trying to read a flowchart or create a flowchart, knowing the most common flowchart symbols and conventions is going to make it a lot easier. Here, we've got the four flowchart symbols you've got to know, plus a rundown on some more intermediate process symbols if you're looking for extra credit.

The oval, or terminator, is used to represent the start and end of a process. Use the Gliffy flowchart tool to drag and drop one of these bad boys and you've got yourself the beginning of a flowchart. Remember to use the same symbol again to show that your flowchart is complete.

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The arrow is used to guide the viewer along their flowcharting path. And while there are many different types of arrow tips to choose from, we recommend sticking with one or two for your entire flowchart. This keeps your diagram looking clean, but also allows you to emphasize certain steps in your process.

With those four basic symbols, you likely have everything you need to get started on your own flowchart! Give creating a flowchart a try with a free trial of Gliffy, check out our blog on How to Make a Flowchart, or read on for more info on intermediate flowcharting symbols.

As you know, flowcharts are made up of a sequence of actions, data, services, and/or materials. They illustrate where data is being input and output, where information is being stored, what decisions need to be made, and which people need to be involved. In addition the basic flowchart conventions, rules, and symbols, these intermediate flowchart symbols will help you describe your process with even more detail.

However, if you want to get technical and precise, there are preset rules and standards you can follow. Specifically, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) set standards for flowcharts and their symbols in the 1960s. Afterwards, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) adopted the ANSI symbols in 1970. In general, flowcharts flow from top to bottom and left to right.

Flowcharts are an easy way to visualize a process or procedure. They can be used in many different areas such as teaching, business, or even in science experiments. To put flowchart symbols to use, follow these steps and guidelines to get started.

Flowcharts use special shapes to represent different types of actions or steps in a process. Lines and arrows show the sequence of the steps, and the relationships among them. These are known as flowchart symbols.

Most of the flowchart symbols shown here are for use in very specific applications, such as a data flow diagram used for computer programming. Unless you have specialized knowledge and your diagram is being developed for a peer group with similar knowledge, it's best to stick to basic flowchart symbols. If more than the most basic flowchart symbols appear in your diagram, it is good practice to include a legend or symbol key.

Most flowcharts should be built using only the Start/End and Action or Process symbols and should follow a very basic set of best practices. Sticking with these two primary flowchart symbols is the best way to ensure that your diagram will be easy to understand.

A graphical representation of different courses of action and their outcomes. A decision flowchart can be used to compare multiple alternatives. These types of charts focus on points in the process or workflow at which point a choice must be made.

A flowchart is a type of diagram that represents a workflow or process. A flowchart can also be defined as a diagrammatic representation of an algorithm, a step-by-step approach to solving a task.

The flowchart shows the steps as boxes of various kinds, and their order by connecting the boxes with arrows. This diagrammatic representation illustrates a solution model to a given problem. Flowcharts are used in analyzing, designing, documenting or managing a process or program in various fields.[1]

Flowcharts are used to design and document simple processes or programs. Like other types of diagrams, they help visualize the process. Two of the many benefits are flaws and bottlenecks may become apparent. Flowcharts typically use the following main symbols:

A flowchart is described as "cross-functional" when the chart is divided into different vertical or horizontal parts, to describe the control of different organizational units. A symbol appearing in a particular part is within the control of that organizational unit. A cross-functional flowchart allows the author to correctly locate the responsibility for performing an action or making a decision, and to show the responsibility of each organizational unit for different parts of a single process.

Flowcharts represent certain aspects of processes and are usually complemented by other types of diagram. For instance, Kaoru Ishikawa defined the flowchart as one of the seven basic tools of quality control, next to the histogram, Pareto chart, check sheet, control chart, cause-and-effect diagram, and the scatter diagram. Similarly, in UML, a standard concept-modeling notation used in software development, the activity diagram, which is a type of flowchart, is just one of many different diagram types.

Common alternative names include: flow chart, process flowchart, functional flowchart, process map, process chart, functional process chart, business process model, process model, process flow diagram, work flow diagram, business flow diagram. The terms "flowchart" and "flow chart" are used interchangeably.

Douglas Hartree in 1949 explained that Herman Goldstine and John von Neumann had developed a flowchart (originally, diagram) to plan computer programs.[5] His contemporary account was endorsed by IBM engineers[6] and by Goldstine's personal recollections.[7] The original programming flowcharts of Goldstine and von Neumann can be found in their unpublished report, "Planning and coding of problems for an electronic computing instrument, Part II, Volume 1" (1947), which is reproduced in von Neumann's collected works.[8]

The flowchart became a popular tool for describing computer algorithms, but its popularity decreased in the 1970s, when interactive computer terminals and third-generation programming languages became common tools for computer programming, since algorithms can be expressed more concisely as source code in such languages. Often pseudo-code is used, which uses the common idioms of such languages without strictly adhering to the details of a particular one.

In the early 21st century, flowcharts were still used for describing computer algorithms.[9] Modern techniques such as UML activity diagrams and Drakon-charts can be considered to be extensions of the flowchart.

However, there are some different classifications. For example, Andrew Veronis (1978) named three basic types of flowcharts: the system flowchart, the general flowchart, and the detailed flowchart.[11] That same year Marilyn Bohl (1978) stated "in practice, two kinds of flowcharts are used in solution planning: system flowcharts and program flowcharts...".[12] More recently, Mark A. Fryman (2001) identified more differences: "Decision flowcharts, logic flowcharts, systems flowcharts, product flowcharts, and process flowcharts are just a few of the different types of flowcharts that are used in business and government".[13]

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) set standards for flowcharts and their symbols in the 1960s.[14] The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) adopted the ANSI symbols in 1970.[15] The current standard, ISO 5807, was published in 1985 and last reviewed in 2019.[16] Generally, flowcharts flow from top to bottom and left to right.[17]

Any drawing program can be used to create flowchart diagrams, but these will have no underlying data model to share data with databases or other programs such as project management systems or spreadsheet. Many software packages exist that can create flowcharts automatically, either directly from a programming language source code, or from a flowchart description language.

The industrial engineers Frank and Lillian Gilbreth first introduced this tool to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) in 1921. Since then, flowcharts have been refined and standardized to optimize processes across various industries.

Not everyone on your team will have the time (or resources) to read through a complicated and lengthy process document. A flowchart allows everyone to follow the workflow, understand the tasks, and analyze the individual steps quickly and easily.

Flowcharts vary from quickly hand-drawn visualizations to help document or plan a process to comprehensive workflow diagrams created with a designated software. To make it easier for you to understand flowcharts across teams, departments, and even industries, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) set official standards in the 1960s which were adopted by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in 1970 and are continuously updated and improved. The latest version of this standard was confirmed in 2019.

A process flowchart displays how a process will achieve a certain outcome. You will likely create a process flowchart to improve an existing process or establish a new one. An example for a process flowchart is a swimlane diagram.

Whether you scribble down a flowchart in your notebook or you use a flowchart template to map out an official process, there are five steps you should follow to create a sensible and helpful flowchart.

Define the purpose and scope. Before you hit the drawing board or open your flowchart maker, define your project scope and process purpose. Ask yourself what your project should accomplish and what appropriate beginning and end dates are.

Confirm and refine your flowchart. Getting a second, third, or even fourth set of eyes on your flowchart will help you uncover bottlenecks or potential problems and allow you to refine the flowchart before the process starts. ff782bc1db