11 Creative Ways to Use Flow Charts in Your Business
Flow charts are a great way to visualize the steps of a process, and they can be used in all sorts of businesses. Here are 11 creative ways to use flow charts in your business.
1. Keep Track of Ideas and Processes
Flow charts can be a great way to visualize your ideas for new products or services or map out your processes when creating these items. You might find it helpful to keep a running flow chart in your notebook so that if inspiration strikes while you’re away from your desk, you can easily map out the idea. Flow charts are also a great way to show others what you do in your business. For example, if you run an office with many different employees, it might be helpful to keep a flow chart on the wall that describes each step of your process for completing work tasks.
2. Make a Plan
Flows charts can be a great planning tool for any kind of business. You can use them to map out your sales process, create a timeline for large projects or simply map out the steps you’d take to complete a job task from start to finish. This is particularly useful when you’re managing employees and need to show them how to complete a task.
3. Create a Training Manual
Flow charts can be part of the documents you include in your employee handbook to help them understand how to do their jobs properly. This may also be helpful to those who start working with you and don’t have as much experience as your other employees, especially if they’re younger or new to the workforce.
4. Stay Organized
Flow charts are great for mapping out your workflow in any situation, but they’re particularly helpful when you have a lot of information to keep track of or need to understand how something fits into the larger structure of your business. For example, if you run an online store that offers unique handmade products alongside stock items, you might find it helpful to keep a flow chart in your office that outlines how orders are processed and shipped so that people in different departments can easily understand their roles and responsibilities.
5. Create Manuals for Product Use
Couldn’t we all use help when it comes time to assemble furniture, hook up an entertainment system, or do any other home improvement task that’s not as simple as it should be? You could include a flow chart, along with written instructions, to help your customers figure out how to properly use your products.
6. Map Out Your Services
Do you offer home cleaning or other professional services? Try adding a flow chart at the beginning of your agreement so that clients know exactly what to expect. If you include a few photos or images along with your flow chart, it will also help prevent any confusion about what you’re trying to accomplish.
7. Organize Tasks for Employees
Flow charts are great for showing multiple parts of your business how they work together to complete a task or project. You could even create a separate flow chart for each of the employees in your business so that every individual knows exactly what they should be doing at any given point.
8. Map Out an Entire Process or Workflow
Flow charts are particularly helpful when you’re trying to map out a complicated process, like one that involves many steps and key players (like if you’re creating training materials for a project). In these cases, it’s best to show as much information as necessary so that viewers understand the task from start to finish.
Do you have a lot of tasks or projects going on simultaneously? Keeping track of them all can become overwhelming very quickly. Flow charts are perfect for creating checklists because they allow you to break large projects into smaller steps that are easy to follow.
10. Plan Out Your Events
Do you have an event coming up, like a wedding or conference? Make sure that everyone on the team knows what they need to do by creating a flow chart for your event. You can also include images or photos of key items so that everyone knows exactly what to purchase or create.
11. Create a Game Plan for Your Business.
Do you want to map out how your company will grow in the future? Maybe you want to create a budget, do some marketing research, or hire employees. Flow charts are great because they can be as detailed as necessary and make it easy for everyone on your team to follow.
One great way to make flow charts is to use Venngage — an online flow chart maker that offers free flow chart templates for everyone. Here are some process flow chart examples from their website!
A flow chart is a great way to map out how your business works or what you need to do in certain situations. You can add images and photos with most flow chart software, which will help make your flow charts more clear and easy to understand. Flow charts are also good for getting people on the same page with a task or project that others might not otherwise understand. To start making your own flow chart, click here!
Inside Telecom provides you with an extensive list of content covering all aspects of the tech industry. Keep an eye on our Technology section to stay informed and up-to-date with our daily articles.