What do you find so cumbersome about Visio? Just curious.
For me, I've almost reached the point where I'm using flip charts, markers and post-it notes! If anyone wants to see a flow chart, I point at the wall.
What Flowchart Software Do You Use for Procedures and other Documentation?
What do you find so cumbersome about Visio? Just curious.
For me, I've almost reached the point where I'm using flip charts, markers and post-it notes! If anyone wants to see a flow chart, I point at the wall.
A
artichoke
Free Flowcharter
You can download a free flowcharter from https://www.q-skills.com/qs.htm
This flowcharter is specifically designed for quality related flowcharting, according to ISO9004.4. It prevents users creating non standard symbols, to ensure ease of understanding.
It is the only flowcharter that has a build-in validity checker, to enable flowcharting by unskilled users in improvement teams.
It includes many sophisticated features such as automatic line drawing and routing, 99 levels of subprocesses, swim lanes, automatic documentation generation, time and cost calculations.
You can download a free flowcharter from https://www.q-skills.com/qs.htm
This flowcharter is specifically designed for quality related flowcharting, according to ISO9004.4. It prevents users creating non standard symbols, to ensure ease of understanding.
It is the only flowcharter that has a build-in validity checker, to enable flowcharting by unskilled users in improvement teams.
It includes many sophisticated features such as automatic line drawing and routing, 99 levels of subprocesses, swim lanes, automatic documentation generation, time and cost calculations.
M
MarkBrad52
I definitely like Smartdraw. Been using it for about 5 years. The easiest program to start making flowcharts with, but very professional charts. Also the price is right.Mark
W
winchm
I'm used to Visio, but wanted to try the Q-Skills SW - I couldn't download. I'll try later but for now I vote for Visio. Thanks Mary.
S
Steve Andrews
I'm all in favour of going back to post-it notes on the wall. My experience is that you get far better interaction, leading to flowcharts that reflect what actually happen in the workplace. Get everyone involved in a room,give them a pad and a pen, let them write their own descriptions, switch the post-its around, find the weakness and suggest their own improvements.
When you've got the content right, the software you choose to use is just a case of what you consider to give the best presentation which enables everyone to read,understand and practice what you have established by consensus to be the best work practice. For what its worth, I'm in the Visio camp - the technical edition has lots of other applications that are useful, but that's just a personal opinion.
I find it hard to believe that post-it notes and flip charts could ever be as effective at communicating information as a well laid out flow chart using any software! I mean perhaps initial discussions, but not for the actual flow chart that will be used! But IMO post-it notes are evil parts of office life! Some companies have actually banned post-it notes from being used!
Not very 5S either to have post it notes scattered everywhere!
F
fireonce
Re: Flowchart Software
As far as I'm concerned, the best choice is Excel of Office,which is not easier to draw a flowchart,but the flowchart,as attachments,can be integrated conveniently into documents,especially when documents are issued as electronics.
As far as I'm concerned, the best choice is Excel of Office,which is not easier to draw a flowchart,but the flowchart,as attachments,can be integrated conveniently into documents,especially when documents are issued as electronics.
A
artichoke
Re: Flowchart Software
Fireonce,
The (free) Q-Skills flowcharter not only makes creating flowcharts very easy, it also enables them to be easily incorporated into documents, because it automatically creates a *.wmf version of the flowchart, for this purpose.
In addition, it generates an output as a text file, allowing the flowchart to be readily processed by Word or Excel macros or programs. An example of a Word macro is included, which automatically generates ISO documentation or an html document. Most important, is Q-Skills Flowcharter's unique automatic validity checker, which ensures that the flowchart is logically correct. ( I remember once having seen an old Visio ad that actually showed a logically impossible flowchart ! )
Mary,
Please try accessing the flowcharter on the web site.
Marc Edit Note: Web site is in artichoke's profile. Disclaimer: artichoke works for Q-Skills.
Fireonce,
The (free) Q-Skills flowcharter not only makes creating flowcharts very easy, it also enables them to be easily incorporated into documents, because it automatically creates a *.wmf version of the flowchart, for this purpose.
In addition, it generates an output as a text file, allowing the flowchart to be readily processed by Word or Excel macros or programs. An example of a Word macro is included, which automatically generates ISO documentation or an html document. Most important, is Q-Skills Flowcharter's unique automatic validity checker, which ensures that the flowchart is logically correct. ( I remember once having seen an old Visio ad that actually showed a logically impossible flowchart ! )
Mary,
Please try accessing the flowcharter on the web site.
Marc Edit Note: Web site is in artichoke's profile. Disclaimer: artichoke works for Q-Skills.
Last edited by a moderator:
S
shelec
I've previously used AllClear and have gone back to Visio. From a functionality standpoint, I really liked AllClear and thought it was easier to use than Visio. Unfortunately, the software didn't play nice with other (standard) software I had installed (on 3 different machines), so I eventually had to go back to Visio.
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