Visio Guy

Solution-specific Visio Discussions => Business Process Modeling => Topic started by: llourenco on November 01, 2010, 06:58:30 PM

Title: More than one start in a cross functional flowchart
Post by: llourenco on November 01, 2010, 06:58:30 PM
I am new to this and appreciate the volume of information presented here. Wow! I am a business systems analyst and my question is (and I hope I can articulate it clearly):
Given that there is usually a single start to a process, how do I show the activities that move in parallel in different swimlanes i.e. they all start at the same time and only become related to one another further into the process? Can I have multiple exits from a single start shape?
Title: Re: More than one start in a cross functional flowchart
Post by: Paul Herber on November 01, 2010, 07:24:09 PM
How do your processes know how to start at the same time? What tells them?
Title: Re: More than one start in a cross functional flowchart
Post by: llourenco on November 01, 2010, 07:34:50 PM
A kickoff meeting will take place where a representative from each unit, shown as individual swimlanes, attends.
Title: Re: More than one start in a cross functional flowchart
Post by: Paul Herber on November 01, 2010, 07:37:13 PM
The kick-off meeting should be your start.
Title: Re: More than one start in a cross functional flowchart
Post by: llourenco on November 01, 2010, 07:40:27 PM
So which shape do I use? The event (oblong on Visio 2007) with multiple exits or an activity box with multiple exits that spans all lanes?
Title: Re: More than one start in a cross functional flowchart
Post by: llourenco on November 01, 2010, 08:04:59 PM
Thanks, I will use the kickoff with multiple exits into the various swimlanes. I appreciate the feedback.
Title: Re: More than one start in a cross functional flowchart
Post by: Paul Herber on November 01, 2010, 08:27:41 PM
Quote from: llourenco on November 01, 2010, 07:40:27 PM
So which shape do I use?

Depends on personal/corporate taste and what version of Visio you have. If you have Visio Pro then to show a meeting you might like to have a look at the Board of Directors (well, it's called that in the UK version of Visio, other national versions might have different names for their corporate identities) shape in the Department stencil. It looks like a picture of a meeting anyway.