For instance, Kaoru Ishikawa defined the flowchart as one of the seven basic tools of quality control, next to the histogram, Pareto chart, check sheet, control chart, cause-and-effect diagram, and the scatter diagram. A cross-functional flowchart allows the author to correctly locate the responsibility for performing an action or making a decision, and to show the responsibility of each organizational unit for different parts of a single process.įlowcharts represent certain aspects of processes and are usually complemented by other types of diagram. A symbol appearing in a particular part is within the control of that organizational unit. A decision is usually denoted as a diamond.Ī flowchart is described as 'cross-functional' when the chart is divided into different vertical or horizontal parts, to describe the control of different organizational units.A process step, usually called an activity, is denoted as a rectangular box.

Flowcharts typically use the following main symbols: Two of the many benefits are flaws and bottlenecks may become apparent. Like other types of diagrams, they help visualize the process. The loop will cause five asterisks to be printed.įlowcharts are used to design and document simple processes or programs. Flow diagram a C-style for loop, representing the following code: for(i=0 i<5 i++)

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