Software to Use to Draw Processes

Flowchart is a diagrammatic representation of sequence of logical steps of a program. Flowcharts use simple geometric shapes to depict processes and arrows to show relationships and process/data flow. Flowchart maker software is an application which provides the functionalities for creating charts and graphs.

These applications provide the editor for making graphs and charts where you can drag-and-drop the shapes. These flowchart software tools allow the teams to collaborate on the drawings.

Flowcharts will give you visual clarity, instant communication, effective coordination, effective analysis, and improved efficiency. So now you have your map. But it��s not much use on a whiteboard for long. You need to get it down on a piece of paper. Or better yet, into a computer in a nice tidy flowchart.

There are numerous graphical programs you can use for process mapping. People often ask me to give recommendations. In particular, I am asked if is there one that is a cheap, or even better, free. For the longest time, I could not in good faith recommend any of the free programs. So for the most part, Microsoft Visio was the default choice.

However, there is one exception to the free tools are no good rule. It has been around a while but it does have some drawbacks. However, if you know how there are some easy workarounds. I have a video course to help you get started.

Free alternative to Microsoft Visio

Microsoft Visio is the industry standard for business process modeling, but you might want something different. Something a little more agile. Just because it��s the most widely used, doesn��t mean it��s the best. The main reason it��s so widely used is that it��s packaged with Office 365 and often comes pre-installed with enterprise tech suites. If you��re tired of Visio��s lack of integration, lack of macOS compatibility, and sky-high price point, then you should consider investigating one of the many Visio alternatives out there and asking yourself what they can do for you.

There are a lot of options for different use cases; I��ll take a look at some of the best free Visio alternatives and talk about why they might be a better choice.

9 Free Alternatives to Microsoft Visio

1. LucidChart. Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux. ...
2. ASCIIFlow. Platforms: Browser. ...
3. yEd Graph Editor. Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux. ...
4. Graphviz. Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux. ...
5. Google Drawings. Platforms: Browser. ...
6. LibreOffice Draw. Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux. ...
7. Dia. Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux. ...
8. Draw.io. Platforms: Browser.

I have now started using something called yEd for some of my client engagements. It is free. Why choose yEd ahead of any its rivals? yEd has a number of features that make it uniquely suited to process mapping. It has a layout engine that easily handles the chore of placing process activities neatly and evenly on a map. All you have to do is get the activities on the map and it does the rest. This makes for fast editing and a clean map with minimum effort. It allows you to import activities from an MS Excel spreadsheet. During the import, it creates the activity boxes as well as the connectors between them. Particularly when you have a lot of activities to record, this is a very efficient method of getting started.

It has a swim lane feature that, provided you have the activities in the correct lane, will auto-arrange the activities. This takes the tedium out of making small editing changes with swim-lanes.

You can export your diagrams in a wide variety of formats. Among them html and SVG. If you have embedded links in a diagram associated with an activity, for example to a sub-process, you can use the exported SVG image in an html document and it will preserve the links. So you can create have an interactive diagram on a web page that users can click through to sub-processes or associated documents.