Why would I want to make flowcharts?

This is a surprisingly common question I get asked ever since I started BreezeTree Software. To me it’s a no-brainer. I spent most of my career working on process improvement, and flowcharts and Pareto charts did most of the heavy lifting. There’s nothing like visualizing a process to help undercover the potential problems and waste within it. But they’re not limited to problem solving…

What about process documentation?

Even if you’re a small business (especially if you’re a small business!), documenting your processes can save you time and effort in the long run. If you find yourself asking, “how did I do this last time?” then you know it’s time to standardize your processes.

What about small business growth?

Do you ever plan on hiring more people for your business? Having a nice set of flowcharts clearly communicating your procedures will let you hand over the reigns with confidence. Your business is your baby, and flowcharts will help ensure that new hires do things “your way’.

What about programming?

“Dude, I haven’t done Fortran in ages.” I can hear you say. Actually, me neither, but flowcharts aren’t just used for procedural programming. They’re useful for mapping out the user interaction with your program. Flowcharting a user stepping through your UI to perform a specific task can be an eye opener for usability improvement.

But wait! There’s more. That’s why I wrote a little piece called The Top 5 Reasons to Use Flowcharts. As always… Enjoy!