What is a flowchart with example?

Are you familiar with the term flowchart? You’ve probably heard the word flowchart a lot, especially if you write programs a lot. According to Lumen Learning, a flowchart represents an algorithm, workflow, or process that shows the steps of an activity. Flowchart implementation can be implemented by using ERP software. This will certainly be useful in doing your job. Using ERP software can help you to integrate every job on your flowchart so that the work will run more efficiently. You can learn more about ERP software by downloading the HashMicro ERP software pricing scheme here.

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ERP software provides a seamless communication platform that helps you distribute tasks effectively, complete the project on time, and allocate resources. One of the benefits of the best ERP system from HashMicro is that you can customize existing features according to your company’s needs. Let’s look at the following explanation to learn more about the function, symbol, and example.

What is Flowchart?

Flowcharts are visual illustrations that describe the workflow or process and solutions of a study of a problem. A flowchart is a business tool that shows the linear process of a job. Most people usually use this diagram to explain logical consequences, project processes, and the flow of authority in an organization. To explain the workflow to the public, using a flowchart is a good and concise choice.

Also read: Avoid These 4 Mistakes in Cash Flow Management

The Purpose of Flowchart

The purpose of the flowchart itself is to describe a stage of solving a problem in a simple, neat, clean, and unraveling manner and can use standard symbols. However, here are some of the purposes of its use in full: 

• Describe a stage of problem-solving.
• Simply, unraveled, neat, and clear.
• Use standard symbols.

The use of manual methods in this process will make it prone to errors. Therefore, requiring a particular Supply chain management will help efficiently manage supply chain activities.

Also read: Business Plan: Definition, Benefits, and How to Make it Before Building a Business

Flowchart Symbols

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  Symbols

(Source: informatikalogi.com)

Basically, in designing it, there are no absolute requirements that must be met. That’s because this diagram/chart is made based on thinking to analyze a problem in business. Here’s a group symbols flowchart you can learn:

The symbols above also have different types and functions. There are those that function to connect one symbol with other symbols such as flow symbols or flow direction symbols, processing symbols to express symbols related to a series of processes carried out, and the last one is the I/O or symbol input-output. symbols associated with input and output. 

Now, do you understand the symbols on the flowchart? Now let’s look at the discussion of the following examples.

Examples

The picture above is an example of a login system to one of the social media applications, namely Instagram. Start and finish are represented by a terminal shape resembling an oval that represents a program’s start and end. The rectangles on the “login Instagram” Instagram command as well as the “log in to homepage” command, indicate a process or something that is being done in a program. 

Next is a rhombus in the “password check” which indicates a decision to be taken from a program. Decisions usually have two yes and no answers, the flowchart above shows the appropriate and inappropriate answers. If the password is correct, it will enter the Instagram homepage then the login program to the application is complete.

However, if the password does not match, a warning “enter password again” will appear. The warning is in a parallelogram because it indicates the presence of input or output on a system. After re-entering the password, you must check on it again, because if it matches then you will immediately go to the homepage. And if it does not match, you need to repeat the process of entering the password until you enter the correct password.

Also read: Financial Statement: Definition, Functions, and Examples

Benefits

Flowcharts are usually used to identify the flow that is actually there, as opposed to the flow that should be. Here are other benefits of developing flowcharts:

• Help clarify complex processes.
• Identify behaviors that do not add value to internal or external customers, including: Transportation; unnecessary work, duplication, additional costs, and communication breakdowns.
• Help team members gain a general understanding of the process and use this knowledge to collect data, identify problems, focus on discussion, and identify sources.
• Serves as a basis for designing new processes.
• Explain the relationship between the different process steps.
• Collecting data about a specific process
• Decision support for measuring process performance
• Describes the structure of the process Facilitates the tracking of process flow errors.

Types of Flowchart

The flowchart types, among others:

System 

Flowcharts with this system is a chart that shows the work flow or what is being done within the overall system. It explains the sequence of some of the procedures that exist in the system. In other chart words, this type of flow is a graphical description of the sequence of several combined procedures that make up a system.

Data and processes in the system can be described online as “directly connected to a computer” or offline “not directly connected to a computer”, for example on a typewriter, cash register, or calculator.

Document 

Document flowcharts or also called a flow chart form “form flowchart” or paperwork flowchart is a flow chart that shows the flow of reports and forms including their copies. This document uses the same symbols used in system flowcharts. Save your document with document management system,  Reduce paper usage, easily share videos, e-books, and other documents.

Schematic 

A schematic flowcharts is a flow chart that is similar to a system flow chart, namely to describe the procedures in the system. The difference is that the schematic flow chart uses the symbols of the system flow chart. Also uses computer images and other equipment used.

The purpose of using these images is to facilitate communication to people who do not understand flow chart symbols. The use of these images makes it easy to understand, but difficult and takes a long time to draw.

Program 

A program flowcharts is a chart that describes in detail the steps of the program process. The derivation of system flowcharts create this program and be of two types, namely, program logic flowcharts “program logic flowcharts” and detailed computer program flowcharts. You can use this flow chart to logically describe each step in a computer program and the systems analysis will prepare this program.

Process 

A flowchart is a process of industrial engineering imaging techniques that break down and analyze the next steps in a procedure or system. You can use Engineering ERP software to helps you improve the efficiency of complex projects, maintain product quality, reduce costs, and fulfill customers’ expectation with automation.

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Conclusion

So after an explanation of the meaning, purpose, symbols, and examples of the flow chart below, so far you understand what flowcharts are, right? By using it, you can more easily explain the process of running a program.

You can also use this tool to convey information about the program to others. It’s time for you to implement a system diagram in your company because this diagram can help grow your business, explore further software that can help your business management efficiency with ERP Software from HashMicro.