Creating a visual representation of a process flow can be challenging but investing the time to craft a picture of important functions within a company is a wise investment. Properly drawn process flows help identify areas of strength and challenges to a company that might otherwise go unnotices. On this page you can learn about process flow diagrams and related concepts. Some of the essential points that are addressed on this page are listed below.       1. A review of key concepts used in crafting process sets       2. An examination of a sample process       3. A look at some actual processes that I designed and implemented         Constructing a process flow that is informative and useful is not always easy. In many cases people that are involved in one aspect of the process do not know what happens in other parts. This is particularly true when dealing with a moderate to large size company. Some things to keep in mind when constructing a process are listed below:       1. Diagram what actually takes place. NEVER diagram what should happen.       2. Talk to the people that perform the actual tasks listed in the diagram. Don't ask someone else what happens.       3. Verify the documentation by testing it whenever possible. For example, if part of the process is that the distribution department adds bills of lading then check the outgoing boxes for bills of lading.       4. Using the milk of human kindness and a velvet glove to get the information you need is almost always required.       5. Record what happens in the process without biased language. Use only fact based descriptions in assembling the diagram.       6. Remember that what does happen and what should happen are sometimes very different. Companies can function with bad processes for years. A person that is involved in documenting a process may reveal waste, poor management, theft, inefficiency or any number of offenses for which people can be terminated. Think about this when you are documenting your process.		I have included some sample processes to help you see how simple or elaborate a process can be. These are actual processes used to help the members of the affected groups understand the relationship they had to one another and to help them understand the full process.   Process Sample 1: Deployment   Process Sample 2: Call Transfer Process   SUMMARY: Process diagrams illustrate how a task is performed from an objective point of view. These diagrams examine an overall system without delving into the dozens or even hundreds of individual instruction steps that together make up the process. Process titles have distinct characteristics but should be descriptive and simple. Process titles should communicate that the diagram is an analytical view of the steps and often includes the word “process” in the title e.g., “Retail Operation Legal Document Completion Process.” The design of a process often includes arrows, text boxes, and other visual elements designed to help explain the process. Process documents can be small or extremely large covering multiple pieces of paper or link to adjoining processes.