--- name: process-flowchart-designer description: Create process flowcharts and workflow diagrams from descriptions, with optimization suggestions and bottleneck identification. Use when mapping processes, designing workflows, or improving operational efficiency. --- # Process Flowchart Designer Frameworks for translating business processes into clear visual diagrams, identifying inefficiencies, and designing optimized workflows. ## Flowchart Notation ### Standard Symbols ``` FLOWCHART SYMBOL REFERENCE: ┌─────────┐ │ Rectangle│ = Process / Action step └─────────┘ ◇ Diamond = Decision point (Yes/No, True/False) ┌─────────┐ │/ Parallel/│ = Parallelogram = Input/Output └─────────┘ ( Oval ) = Start / End (Terminal) ┌─────────┐ │ Cylinder │ = Database / Data store └─────────┘ ┌─────────┐ │ Document │ = Document / Report └~~~~~~~~~~┘ ○ Circle = Connector (links to another part) → Arrow = Flow direction ``` ### Text-Based Flowchart Template ``` PROCESS FLOWCHART: [Process Name] Version: [X.X] Owner: [Department/Role] Last Updated: [Date] ( START ) │ ▼ ┌──────────────┐ │ Step 1: │ │ [Action] │ └──────┬───────┘ │ ▼ ◇ Decision? / \ Yes No │ │ ▼ ▼ ┌────┐ ┌────┐ │ A │ │ B │ └──┬─┘ └──┬─┘ │ │ └──┬───┘ │ ▼ ( END ) ``` ## Process Mapping ### Process Documentation Template ``` PROCESS MAP: [Name] METADATA: Process Owner: [Name/Role] Department: [Department] Frequency: [Daily/Weekly/Monthly/Ad hoc] Average Duration: [Time] Trigger: [What initiates this process] Output: [What the process produces] STEPS: # | Step Name | Actor | Action | System/Tool | Duration | Notes ---|--------------------| ------------|----------------------|-------------|----------|------ 1 | [Name] | [Role] | [What they do] | [Tool] | [Time] | 2 | [Name] | [Role] | [What they do] | [Tool] | [Time] | 3 | DECISION: [Query] | [Role] | [Evaluate criteria] | [Tool] | [Time] | 3a | [If Yes] | [Role] | [Action] | [Tool] | [Time] | 3b | [If No] | [Role] | [Action] | [Tool] | [Time] | 4 | [Name] | [Role] | [What they do] | [Tool] | [Time] | HANDOFFS: From → To | Trigger | Method [Role A] → [Role B] | [When] | [Email/System/etc.] EXCEPTIONS: Exception | Handling Procedure | Escalation Path [What can go wrong] | [What to do] | [Who to contact] ``` ### SIPOC Diagram ``` SIPOC: [Process Name] S - SUPPLIERS I - INPUTS P - PROCESS O - OUTPUTS C - CUSTOMERS (Who provides?) (What's needed?) (High-level steps) (What's produced?) (Who receives?) [Supplier 1] [Input 1] 1. [Step] [Output 1] [Customer 1] [Supplier 2] [Input 2] 2. [Step] [Output 2] [Customer 2] [Supplier 3] [Input 3] 3. [Step] [Output 3] [Customer 3] [Input 4] 4. [Step] 5. [Step] BOUNDARIES: Start: [Trigger event] End: [Completion criteria] ``` ## Workflow Optimization ### Bottleneck Identification ``` BOTTLENECK ANALYSIS: [Process Name] For each step, evaluate: Step | Duration | Wait Time | Handoff? | Rework Rate | Bottleneck Score -----|----------|-----------|----------|-------------|------------------ 1 | [time] | [time] | Yes/No | [%] | [1-10] 2 | [time] | [time] | Yes/No | [%] | [1-10] 3 | [time] | [time] | Yes/No | [%] | [1-10] BOTTLENECK SCORING: Duration weight: x3 (longest steps) Wait time weight: x4 (idle time is waste) Handoff weight: x2 (each handoff adds delay and error risk) Rework weight: x5 (rework multiplies all other costs) Score = (Duration x 3) + (Wait x 4) + (Handoff x 2) + (Rework x 5) TOP BOTTLENECKS (highest scores): 1. Step [N]: [Description] — Score: [X] Root cause: [Why this step is slow/problematic] Recommendation: [How to fix] 2. Step [N]: [Description] — Score: [X] Root cause: [Why] Recommendation: [Fix] ``` ### Waste Identification (Lean) | Waste Type | Definition | Signs | Solution | |-----------|-----------|-------|----------| | **Waiting** | Idle time between steps | Queues, backlogs | Parallel processing, SLAs | | **Overprocessing** | Doing more than needed | Excessive approvals, gold-plating | Simplify, reduce sign-offs | | **Rework** | Fixing errors | High rejection rate, loops | Error-proofing, validation | | **Motion** | Unnecessary movement | Multiple systems, context switching | Consolidate tools | | **Transport** | Moving information unnecessarily | Excessive handoffs | Direct routing | | **Inventory** | Work piling up | Large queues at steps | Flow-based processing | | **Overproduction** | Producing more than needed | Reports no one reads | Demand-driven output | | **Defects** | Errors that reach downstream | Customer complaints | Quality at source | ### Process Improvement Template ``` IMPROVEMENT PROPOSAL: [Process Name] CURRENT STATE: Total steps: [N] Total duration: [Time] Number of handoffs: [N] Rework rate: [%] Customer satisfaction: [Score] PROPOSED CHANGES: Change #1: [Description] Current: [How it works now] Proposed: [How it will work] Impact: [Time saved / errors reduced / etc.] Change #2: [Description] Current: [How it works now] Proposed: [How it will work] Impact: [Time saved / errors reduced / etc.] FUTURE STATE: Total steps: [N] (was [N]) Total duration: [Time] (was [Time]) Number of handoffs: [N] (was [N]) Rework rate: [%] (was [%]) Expected satisfaction: [Score] IMPLEMENTATION: Phase 1: [Quick wins — Week 1-2] Phase 2: [System changes — Week 3-6] Phase 3: [Training and rollout — Week 7-8] ``` ## Swimlane Diagrams ### Cross-Functional Process Map ``` SWIMLANE DIAGRAM: [Process Name] TIME → ┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐ Customer │ (Request) ──→ [Wait] ──→ [Receive] │ ├─────────────────────────────────────────┤ Sales │ [Review] ──→ [Approve] ──→ │ ├─────────────────────────────────────────┤ Ops │ [Fulfill] ──→ │ ├─────────────────────────────────────────┤ Finance │ [Invoice] │ └─────────────────────────────────────────┘ LEGEND: ( ) = External event [ ] = Process step ──→ = Flow direction Each row = one actor/department ``` ### RACI Matrix ``` RACI MATRIX: [Process Name] Task / Step | Role A | Role B | Role C | Role D -------------------------|--------|--------|--------|------- 1. [Step name] | R | A | C | I 2. [Step name] | I | R | A | 3. [Decision point] | C | R | A | I 4. [Step name] | A | I | R | R = Responsible (does the work) A = Accountable (approves / owns the outcome) C = Consulted (provides input before) I = Informed (notified after) RULES: - Every task has exactly ONE "A" - Every task has at least one "R" - Minimize C's and I's (reduce communication overhead) - "A" should not also be "R" if possible (separation of duties) ``` ## Decision Flow Design ### Decision Tree Template ``` DECISION TREE: [Decision Name] Question 1: [First evaluation criterion] │ ├── YES → Question 2a: [Follow-up] │ ├── YES → OUTCOME A: [Action/Result] │ └── NO → OUTCOME B: [Action/Result] │ └── NO → Question 2b: [Alternative path] ├── YES → OUTCOME C: [Action/Result] └── NO → OUTCOME D: [Action/Result] DECISION CRITERIA: Criterion | Threshold | Data Source [What to evaluate] | [Pass/fail line] | [Where to check] ``` ### Escalation Matrix ``` ESCALATION MATRIX: [Process Name] Severity | Definition | Response Time | Escalation To | Communication ---------|-------------------------|---------------|------------------|--------------- P1 | [Service down] | 15 min | [VP + On-call] | All-hands alert P2 | [Major degradation] | 1 hour | [Manager] | Team channel P3 | [Minor issue] | 4 hours | [Team lead] | Ticket update P4 | [Enhancement request] | Next sprint | [Product owner] | Backlog ``` ## Automation Assessment ### Automation Candidate Scoring ``` AUTOMATION ASSESSMENT: [Process Name] For each step, score automation potential: Step | Repetitive? | Rule-Based? | Digital? | Volume | Error Rate | Score | (1-5) | (1-5) | (1-5) | (1-5) | (1-5) | (sum) -----|-------------|-------------|----------|--------|------------|------ 1 | [score] | [score] | [score] | [score]| [score] | [/25] 2 | [score] | [score] | [score] | [score]| [score] | [/25] SCORING GUIDE: 5 = Highly automatable (always the same, clear rules, fully digital) 3 = Partially automatable (some variation, some judgment needed) 1 = Not automatable (creative, subjective, requires human judgment) RECOMMENDATIONS: Score 20-25: Automate fully (RPA, workflow automation) Score 15-19: Automate with human review checkpoints Score 10-14: Augment with tools (templates, checklists) Score 5-9: Keep manual (human judgment essential) TOP AUTOMATION CANDIDATES: 1. Step [N]: Score [X]/25 — Tool: [Recommended tool] 2. Step [N]: Score [X]/25 — Tool: [Recommended tool] ``` ## Diagramming Tools Reference | Tool | Type | Best For | Cost | |------|------|----------|------| | **Mermaid** | Code-based | Developers, version control | Free | | **draw.io** | Visual editor | General business users | Free | | **Lucidchart** | Cloud visual | Teams, collaboration | Freemium | | **Figma/FigJam** | Collaborative | Design teams | Freemium | | **Whimsical** | Simple visual | Quick wireframes | Freemium | | **PlantUML** | Code-based | Developers, UML | Free | ### Mermaid.js Quick Reference ``` graph TD A[Start] --> B{Decision?} B -->|Yes| C[Process A] B -->|No| D[Process B] C --> E[End] D --> E ``` ## See Also - [Options Comparator](../options-comparator/SKILL.md) - [Supply Chain Optimizer](../supply-chain-optimizer/SKILL.md) - [Event Planner](../event-planner/SKILL.md)