A flowchart is a picture of the separate steps of a process. The steps are in sequential order. Examples of elements in a flowchart include: sequence of actions, materials or services entering or leaving the process (inputs and outputs), decisions that must be made, people who become involved, time involved at each step, and/or process measurements.The process described can be anything: a manufacturing process, an administrative or service process, or a project plan. The flowchart is a generic tool that can be adapted for a wide variety of purposes. Here is an example of a Flowchart. Notice there are different shapes. Each shape has a meaning. Watch this 4-minute video (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. to learn more about Flowcharts and what the different shapes mean. When to Use a FlowchartTo understand how a process is doneTo study a process for improvementTo communicate to others how a process is doneWhen better communication is needed between people involved with the same processTo document a processWhen planning a projectFlowchart Basic ProcedureDefine the process to be diagrammed. Write its title at the top of the work surface.Determine the boundaries of your process:Where or when does the process start?Where or when does it end?Decide on the level of detail to include in the diagram.Brainstorm the activities that take place and arrange the activities in proper sequence.When all activities are included, and everyone agrees that the sequence is correct, draw arrows to show how the process flows.Review the flowchart with others involved in the process (workers, supervisors, suppliers, customers) to see if they agree that the process is drawn accurately.Assignment InstructionsYou have two options here for your Flowchart topic.You can return to the Unit 1 Application Assignment about Benchmarking. You and the scheduler for this clinic must work out a process for how to schedule patients, how to handle patients who are waiting, and how to manage the checkout process. As an example, perhaps patients could have lab work done while waiting.Or you can prepare a Flowchart using the same problem from your Unit 1 and 2 projects.Download this Flowchart template.Develop a Flowchart to identify the process steps in sequential order for your topic.Your Flowchart should include at least 6 process steps and 2 decision steps.The president wants to see how your Flowchart would reduce the cycle time. Include 3 to 5 sentences explaining the process in your Flowchart.