Excel Flow Chart templates

A simple flow chart (without swim lanes) is probably the most familiar of process mapping tools to graphically illustrate 'who does what', and what decisions need to be made along the way.

And we all know how many words one picture is worth.

Your swim lane diagram template is ideal for designing and documenting processes with medium-length cycle times.

(For example a sales order process, engineering changes, or any process that takes days or weeks rather than minutes)

Download free trial cross functional flowchart

Your Value Stream Mapping template is a strategic tool that uses special symbols and Lean metrics to depict the flow of a product or service through an entire stream of value-adding processes — each of which might drill down to further details illustrated using one or all of the following tactical tools.

Download free trial value stream map

Use your Block Diagram to create a visual, high-level sketch of a process

showing only Major Steps, sequence, operators, inventory, cycle time, and perhaps just a little more optional information.

also known as Standard Work Chart or Layout Diagram

A Spaghetti Diagram is a process mapping template that shows a floor plan of your work area, and graphically shows the walk paths of each worker, and which operations are done where, and how much of the thing being transformed is stored where.

Download free trial spaghetti diagram (within Standard Work template)

The Standard Work Sheet is the ideal tool for designing and documenting Lean processes with short cycle times.

(For example a manufacturing process that takes five minutes, or a loan approval process that takes 2 hours)

Download free trial Standard Work

The center of a SIPOC diagram includes a very simple process flowchart — with columns for Suppliers, Inputs, Processes, Outputs, and Customers.

Use this tool to identify and eliminate wastes of any type: hazardous wastes and emissions, energy, scrap, packaging...

Download free trial SIPOC template

Prior to creating a PFMEA — use the Process Flow Diagram to identify Sources of Variation, and desired Deliverables (ideal Functions) for each Process Step.

The Stick Figures Illustrator template uses stick figures to illustrate PowerPoints or A3 Reports for Lean Office and Lean Healthcare processes in ways that are more intuitive than traditional flow charts or other lean tools.

Find and open your Flowchart template (Flowchart.xlsx)

in the same way that you find and open your other 150+ Systems2win templates.

When you're ready to start doing your own real work...

click the button to 'Open a Blank Sheet'

Excel Ribbon bar > Systems2win tab > Open a Blank Sheet

This blank sheet is where you will do your real work

(not on the Sample sheet — which gives you sample data that is extremely helpful for learning how to use your new tool, but is the wrong place to do your real work)

Watch these training videos

to learn how to draw using Excel as a drawing tool

without the cost and learning curve of Visio

Videos: How to use Excel
as a drawing tool

Use the special Systems2win Copy Sheet utility

to copy your 'As Is' sheet to serve as the starting point for your 'To Be' version.

The single most important part of any improvement process

is to pause to think, ponder, and reflect

on how to improve the process.

Use Hansei to stimulate Lean Thinking.

Top-Down Flowchart

Top row of process boxes consists of only major steps

Similar to macro flowchart,
but usually with verb/noun labels...

Beneath each process box for each major step, there is one more box itemizing a short list of the most important sub-steps for each major step.

Top-down flow chart

1. Come up with a Title to succinctly describe the situation where this decision guide should be used.
2. Perhaps starting with cards or sticky notes until your Logic Diagram starts to take clearer shape — brainstorm questions that must be answered to reach the correct decision, and arrange the cards in branches for each possible answer.
3. Rearrange your cards into a logical sequence.
4. Review and test your Decision Process Flow chart for different scenarios and situations — modifying as you go — and transferring your sloppy note cards into a clean flowchart template.
5. Give your Decision Tree Flow chart to people without expertise, and ask them to use it to make decisions. Improve your masterpiece based on their experience.
6. Release your finished tool — and set up a system for feedback and continuous improvement,
   and possibly a system for non-experts to get quick answers from experts for anything they find confusing.

1. Add shapes to the output side

   in unused space around the already-drawn flowchart

   Tip: You can use any custom shapes that your team desires. Popular shapes are suggested. Usually all of these related shapes are formatted the same color and line thickness — to differentiate these shapes from the regular flowchart shapes.

   • Who receives each output? (cloud shape)
   • Where (on the flowchart) is it received or used? (fat arrow) (how to draw a curved arrow)
   • What is the output? (words on the arrow)
     Outputs might be product, service, approval, information, paperwork, acknowledgement...
   • When is it needed? (oval)
     (time or frequency)
   • How critical to customer satisfaction?
     Rate the criticality of each "what"and each "when".
     (use a star or burst, perhaps with a legend to clarify your rating scale of criticality)
     

1. Draw a red circle around all steps that incur costs of quality:

   to inspect, control, or fix damage.

   Tip: Copy the green circle shape from Systems2win menu > Copy Shapes, and then right-click Format Shape to change the Line color.

2. If few or no steps have red circles, ask,

   "What can go wrong? How would we know?
   How would we deal with it?"

   Then add steps to show how problems are handled.

3. For each red circle, ask,

   "What process step, if done perfectly, would allow us to uncircle or eliminate this red-circled step?"

   Draw a green circle around those steps.

4. Optionally calculate approximate costs of red-circled tasks,
   as one factor to consider to prioritize.

   But don't spend too much time calculating cost of quality, keeping in mind the words of Dr. Edward Deming:

   "The true cost of poor quality is unknown and unknowable."

5. Analyze and improve the opportunities identified in the green–circled steps,

   and the root causes in the red-circled steps.

A visual Bill of Materials to visually illustrate the relationship between an item and it's lower-level sub-assemblies, parts, and materials, as well as (optionally) the higher-level item or assembly that this item is a part of.

A Structure Tree is an essential supplement to both a DFMEA and a PFMEA. You will usually use the Insert Sheet button to insert a Flow Chart sheet to illustrate a visual Bill of Materials as a sheet within your FMEA template.

The Boundary Diagram is a graphical illustration of the relationships between the subsystems, assemblies, subassemblies, and components within the object as well as the interfaces with the neighboring systems and environments.

It is often a mandatory component when creating a Design FMEA

Online help

a) Pop-up help for every row &column heading

b) Sample with learning exercises

c) Free Excel online training

d) Video training