FLOWCHARTING

In the days prior to navigational equipment, pilots in monoplanes flew routes according to sketches. They would fly east, for example, looking at their hand-drawn map and at the ground. They would spot an object on the ground, such as a barn, and then would correlate it with what was shown on the map. The map might also direct the pilot to fly northeast for three minutes, looking for an open field with a light, and then land. In essence, the map was their version of a flowchart.

Flowcharts are essentially maps that illustrate the sequenced tasks and events of a procedure or process through the use of symbols. If you want to gather information for a flowchart, you can do it in two ways. You can interview people and sketch the flowchart as people speak, or you can take an existing narrative procedure and draw the flowchart while reading the document.

Flowcharts are easy to build. You can draw them by hand using a template or with a microcomputer equipped with graphics software. They are easily constructed, if not lengthy, and are easily followed. They also clarify points of confusion and use less verbiage to explain a process.

for Flowcharting

• Identify the process to diagram.
• Draw the flowchart from left-to-right or top-to-bottom or both.
  • Note: Concentrate on sequence when drawing.
• Avoid putting too many symbols on a sheet. It is best to restrict the number of symbols to nine or less (excluding arrows).
• Provide a legend.
• Place a title and page number on each page.
• Ensure the print is legible.
• Use active verbs plus an object to describe what each symbol means.