Flow Chart Symbols
Flow chart
Flowcharts are used in designing and documenting simple processes or programs. Like other types of diagrams, they help visualize what is going on and thereby help understand a process, and perhaps also find flaws, bottlenecks, and other less-obvious features within it. There are many different types of flowcharts, and each type has its own repertoire of boxes and notational conventions.
A flowchart is described as "cross-functional" when the page is divided into different swimlanes describing the control of different organizational units. A symbol appearing in a particular "lane" is within the control of that organizational unit. This technique allows the author to locate the responsibility for performing an action or making a decision correctly, showing the responsibility of each organizational unit for different parts of a single process.
Common alternative names include:
- flowchart,
- 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.
Flowcharting software
ConceptDraw DIAGRAM is a professional flowchart software. Over 20 flow chart symbols and stencils in libraries allow you to make great-looking flowcharts. Use RapiDraw technology clicking on direction arrows to add a new object to the flowchart. This way you make awesome flowchart at the moment.
Pic. 1. Flowcharting Software Including Flow Chart Symbols
Pic. 2. Flow Chart Symbols
ConceptDraw DIAGRAM is Flowcharts creating software also known as professional flowchart maker. The built-in examples allow users to start drawing any type of flowchart simply. The vector flow chart symbols from object libraries are designed objects you can use adding to flowcharts for the best result.
Common Flow chart Symbols:
| Symbol | Shape Name | Symbol Description |
| Common Symbols | ||
 |
Terminator | Shows start of a flowchart or its end. |
 |
Process | Show a Process or action step. Indicates any processing function. |
 |
Flow Line (Arrow, Connector) | Flow line connectors show the direction that the process flows |
 |
Decision | Indicates a decision point between two or more paths in a flowchart. |
 |
Document | This shape shows a Document in a flowchart. |
 |
Connector | Indicates an inspection point. |
 |
Data | Can represents any type of data in a flowchart. |
 |
Delay | Indicates a delay in the process. |
 |
Preparation | Indicates a modification to a process, such as setting a switch or initializing a routine. |
 |
Subroutine | Indicates a predefined (named) process, such as a subroutine or a module. |
 |
Off-page connector | Use this shape to create a cross-reference and hyperlink from a process on one page to a process on another page. |
ConceptDraw DIAGRAM diagramming and vector graphics software provides stencils library with flow chart symbols, samples and templates for drawing flow charts.
Pic. 3. Flow Chart Examples
TEN RELATED HOW TO's:
Accounting Flowchart Symbols →
It doesn’t matter what kind of business you have, a bar or a gym, there are common concepts for any of them. One of those concepts is accounting, and to facilitate the work with the figures, you can use accounting flowchart symbols and create a clear and representative scheme. You can create flowchart for auditing, tax accounting and even for planning your own budget. A graphical tool for displaying successive processes is flowchart. This method is mostly suited to represent an accounting process. The sequence of steps in the accounting process usually consists of standard accounting procedures, that can be depicted by using a minimal number of symbols, applied for the basic flowcharting. The advanced opportunity to create professional Accounting Flow charts is provided by ConceptDraw Accounting Flowcharts solution. It includes contains a library of accounting flowchart symbols used when drawing the accounting process flow.
Sample Project Flowchart. Flowchart Examples →
This sample shows the Flowchart that displays the architecture of SQL Exception Translation. This sample was created in ConceptDraw DIAGRAM diagramming and vector drawing software using the Flowcharts solution from the Diagrams area of ConceptDraw Solution Park.
IDEF0 Flowchart Symbols →
Functional modeling allows to make complex business processes simple. One of the basic methods is IDEF0 and one of the most effective also. To create a business model, use flowchart symbols. The IDEF0 library, supplied with ConceptDraw IDEF0 Diagrams solution contains 18 IDEF0 basic notation symbols. All symbols are the vector graphic images what means, that one can customize their size preserving the stable quality. Another library of IDEF0 symbols can be find out in the the Business Process Diagrams solution, included to the Business Processes section of ConceptDraw Solution Park. These libraries composed from just vector objects and are totally compatible. You can apply the IDEF0 symbols from both libraries at your flowcharts, if needed.
Taxi Service Data Flow DiagramDFD Example →
This sample shows the Data Flow Diagram of the Taxi Service and interactions between the Clients, Operators and Divers, as well as Orders and Reports databases.
Data Flow Diagram →
There are many ways to define the flow of information within a system. Structured-systems analysis method often uses data flow diagrams to show data flow, data storages and data processing visualization. These diagrams are easy to develop and quite useful. Here is a dataflow diagram presenting an example of the manufacturing process flow. The oval process shapes represent a process that controls data within the current system. The process may produce data or make some action based on data. Data flows are represented by lines. They show the movement of information through the system. The direction of the data flow is depicted by the arrow. The external entities are shown by rectangles. They represent the external entities interacting with the system. The data store objects (unclosed rectangles) are used to show data bases participating in a process flow.
Hybrid Network Topology →
Every corporate network is unique, though there are guidelines and best practices in developing networks. As it is quite difficult to implement a pure topology within a company, using a hybrid network topology is considered a better solution. As a rule, such network assembles advantages and features of source topologies. This diagram is an example of the Hybrid network. This type of network topology means a conjunction of other network topologies. Such as star-bus, ring-mesh topologies, etc. It should be obviously diverse networks. The final computer network inherits both advantages and disadvantages of its ingredients. Using the ConceptDraw Computer and Networks solution including vector graphic libraries and templates one can develop professional custom network diagrams of any topology and complexity.
Local area network (LAN). Computer and Network Examples →
Computer networks nowadays are spread all across the world. The large number of parameters, such as geographic scale or communication protocols, can divide networks. One of the most common types of networks is called local area network (LAN). It convenient to represent network examples by means of diagrams. This local area network (LAN) diagram provides an easy way to see the way the devices in a local network are interacted. The diagram uses a library containing specific symbols to represent network equipment , media and the end-user devices such as computers (PC, mac, laptop) , network printer, hubs, server and finally a modem. There are two types of network topologies: physical and logical. The current diagram represents precisely a physical type of LAN topology because it refers to the physical layout of a local network equipment.
Competitor Analysis →
Competitor analysis is a first and obligatory step in elaboration the proper corporate marketing strategy and creating sustainable competitive advantage. Use powerful opportunities of numerous solutions from ConceptDraw Solution Park for designing illustrative diagrams, charts, matrices which are necessary for effective competitor analysis.