Org Chart with a page per department??

[hrbowles]

Hello

I'm a newbie to Visio. i've been trialling Org plus software but no joy. Basically, I want to creat an org chart that has a page per location, per department.

Is there a way to do this in Visio without doing it all manually? It will do me a page per Line Manager, but not by Location/Department.

Would be great to know if I'm being dense, or it just isn't possible.

Thanks

Gem.

[wapperdude]

I don't think there's an easy way to do separate Orgs per page.  Perhaps there's a new feature in either V2010 or V2013, but I don't have access to either.  But, it's been a long time since I've played with the Org charting...  I suspect it would take some code to do, however.

Wapperdude

Ed.:  Did a quick google re visio org chart separate pages.  Came across this, plus other possibilities:  http://smallbusiness.chron.com/import-organization-chart-visio-29499.html  Looks like the wizard should allow you to do multiple pages.  Haven't tried it though.

[hrbowles]

Thanks.

It does offer you an option to specify separate pages, but only by who is at the top of the page. ie no visible functionality to specify a page per location/department.

All the software I've trialled has the same problem - it only filters who line manager, and doesn't offer a second filter of department or location. There's a gap in the market!

I did read about maybe using VBA to make it happen? Again, had a minor play with VBA on excel, but not sure if it's usable in Visio?

Gem.

[wapperdude]

Have you tried manually creating a simple, mock org chart constructed as you desire, in Visio.  Say just 2 pages and maybe 2 or 3 appropriate shapes per page.  Then, running the Wizard...maybe to export to Excel.  See what the Excel results look like, then utilize/embellish those results, and import back into Visio using the Wizard?  Might work.  If not... 

At some point, you have to define what positions go on what page, etc., etc., say in Excel. 

Options include:
  1.)  Could be written in VBA in Visio, where it could be interactive on a per page basis --lot of development work, asking for positions, names, whatever.  I think there may be some stuff on this on the forum or if you google to use VBA to make Org Charts.  VisioGuy may have something on his blog site.
  2.)  Write Visio VBS to import from Excel workbook, each page would be separate Visio page
  3.)  Doing everything in Excel.  Excel has a lot of power, and developing VBA totally within Excel not out of realm of possibility.
  4.)  Develop VBA in Excel and then have it export to Visio.

Just so you know, documentation on Excel VBA is quite plentiful.  Documentation on Visio VBA is surprisingly sparse.  Both are very similar, so there is some fundamental VBA stuff that is applicable to both.  The obvious difference is in the object models, which represent each system.

Seems like those are your only options if none of the software can or will do this.

Wapperdude

[wapperdude]

OK.  I tried it.  It works.

Drew a simple, two-page org chart in Visio.
Then (V2007), menu bar>Organization Chart>Export Organization Data...  This saves an Excel file.

Closed the Visio drawing, started new, blank org chart.  Menu Bar>Organization Chart>Import Organization Data...  I went with all of the default settings, and Viola!  Same chart as I started with. 

Attached are both the Visio and Excel files.  This is probably not news to those familiar with Visio org charts.  The key to page organization is the Reports to column.  This identifies who's at the top of each page.

I have to believe that similar, dedicated Org Chart programs function in a similar manner.

HTH
Wapperdude

[wapperdude]

Curiosity was killing me (even though I'm not a cat  ).  I'd hate to see you unnecessarily go thru some rigorous code development.

Googled org chart software....lot's out there.  I picked one at random, Orgplus by Insperity.  Very nice I must say.  Does all that you desire too.  Imports from Excel (probably the most common data source),  plus others.  Has a lot more features than Visio, but you'd expect that from a package strictly dedicated to Org Charting.

Their site has a large number of instructional videos, and a several program options. 


HTH
Wapperdude

[wapperdude]

Hmmmm.  May have mis-understood your point re per location per department.

I think you can still get the software (including Visio) to do this sort of structure by controlling how you set up your data source.  You ought to be able to make a top level based on location and then have departments at that site report to the "location".  Whether you use a dept head or just the dept name is just a matter of how you set up the data I would think.  I can see Visio/Excel functioning that way.

Wapperdude.

[hrbowles]

Hi Wapperdude

Thanks so much for your help on this - only just had time to log in and re-look. i'll take a gander at those spreadsheets and your suggestions, and hopefully will make it work!

Much appreciated.

Gem.