University of Wisconsin–Madison

Flowchart

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Group creating a flowchart on a whiteboard

A flowchart is a tool to create a picture of a process – showing each step from beginning to end.

Flowchart Instructions

Benefits:

• Gets the change team in agreement as to what the current process is.

• Identifies key problems, bottlenecks, and transitions.

• Shows where to test ideas for most impact.

When flowcharting, answer these questions:

  1. What is the name of the process you are flowcharting? (Make sure it’s clear.)
  2. Where does the process start? (What’s the first step?)
  3. Where does the process end? (What’s the last step?)
  4. What are steps and decision points in between?
  5. When the flowchart is completed:
    • Are there any key problem areas or bottlenecks?
    • Why do we do it this way?
    • Are there changes we could test to improve the process?