Process mapping is almost always beneficial to those working within the process, and those working outside it. Not all processes should be mapped in the same way. A simple process run by only one or two people can be easily represented by a basic flow chart; a process that involves multiple individuals or cross-functional teams is going to need something more complex.

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August 4, 2021
A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating an Effective Swim Lane
Diagram
process.st/swim-lane-diagram
Leks Drakos
August 4, 2021
Burkhard Berger is the founder of awesomex™. His articles include some of the best growth
hacking strategies and digital scaling tactics that he has learned from his own successes
and failures.
Process mapping is almost always beneficial to those working within the process, and those
working outside it. Not all processes should be mapped in the same way. A simple process
run by only one or two people can be easily represented by a basic flow chart; a process that
involves multiple individuals or cross-functional teams is going to need something more
complex.
Like a swim lane diagram.
Designing your own swim lane diagram – or even just mapping a process for the first time –
can seem daunting. Where do you even start?

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I don’t mean to brag, but we here at Process Street are kind of experts on this whole
managing processes thing, and one thing we definitely know how to do well is map out
processes of every shape, size, and situation. This post will walk you through all the basics of
swim lane diagrams, including how to create your own one step at a time.
You can either read on to get the whole history of swim lane diagrams, or just jump straight
to the tutorial:
So, let’s dive in!
Swim lane diagram: An origin story
Swim lane diagrams are versatile charts that allow you to easily visualize each step of a
process, as well as who is involved and which steps they’re responsible for. They’ve been used
to document processes from project management to student tutorials. The biggest benefit is
that, by mapping processes across the different “lanes,” it becomes very simple to break down
complex processes to keep a client informed, help managers identify broken processes, and
train employees in new skills.
Swim lane diagrams can be traced all the way back to the 1940s. Of course, back then, they
were called “multicolumn charts,” which were very early versions of the modern process
flowchart. Still, they were more or less the same: multicolumn charts were used (like swim
lane diagrams) to depict operations that involved more than one individual or department.
The swim lane as we know it didn’t really get popular attention until Geary A. Rummler and
Alan P. Brache released their book, Improving Performance: How to Manage White Space
on the Organization Chart, in 1990. As a result, these diagrams are also sometimes referred
to as Rummler-Brache Diagrams, but I’ve already got a “swim” theme running here so I’ll
stick with swim lanes.
In 1993, the swim lane diagram was introduced into computer modeling, after which
Microsoft added it to Visio. As IT expanded, so too did the use of swim lane diagrams. Today,
they are an integral part of business process mapping (BPM).

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The image above shows some of the most common symbols used in swim lane diagrams.
Most processes may only use the start/end, decision, and process symbols, but more complex
processes with several players involved will obviously need to represent a wider variety of
interactions.
It should also be noted that the number of flowchart symbols is actually quite extensive –
especially if you take into account individual variations and customizations. This chart is
simply meant to illustrate the symbols you’re most likely to need – or encounter – when
designing your own swim lane diagram.
The diagrams themselves are made up of parallel lines – either horizontal or vertical – with
each lane representing an actor or entity (such as department, team, employee, etc.) who has
a role within the process. Swim lanes use standard flowchart symbols to represent different

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events within the process, such as when a decision should be made or a specific action should
be taken.
Before we get into the nitty-gritty of building your own diagram, let me walk you through
what a completed diagram will look like. For this diagram, I’ve used a very simplified help
ticket process (and a very talented graphic designer) to illustrate the basic foundations of a
swim lane diagram.
To start with, we have 4 key players:
The customer
The customer success representative
Tech support
The developer(s)
If you look at the diagram below, you can see that each one is given their own lane, starting
with the customer at the top since they will be the one to kick off the process. This diagram is
laid out horizontally for the simple fact that it fits better on a standard computer screen. If
you prefer a vertical diagram, by all means, create yours vertically. Ideally, with a completed
swim lane diagram, it shouldn’t make much difference which orientation you use. Even the
example I have here could be understood if flipped vertically, as is. It might not be as clear,
but you could figure out the process if you had to.

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As you can see, each individual or department has their own lane, and the tasks that each is
responsible for are contained within that lane. For example, the CSR’s tasks are:
Determine if the ticket is a new issue
Get more information from the customer if needed by tech support
Confirm that the issue has been resolved
Respond to the customer with the result
Let’s imagine that this is only our CSR’s second day. They handled a few simple tickets the
previous day while shadowing a colleague, but this is the first ticket they’re handling on their
own. To help them remember the process, this swim lane diagram is posted in their work
area.

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A ticket comes in. The CSR consults the diagram and sees that their first task is a decision: Is
this ticket a new issue?
Based on the knowledge library, the CSR determines it’s not a new issue. That branch skips
over their second (potential) task, to the third: Resolve. The CSR corrects the problem,
notifies the customer, and the help ticket process is completed.
In this scenario, the swim lane diagram has:
Increased efficiency by freeing up experienced CSRs to handle more complex problems
Reinforced the new CSRs training with a visual aid
Given the new CSR reassurance and confidence in interacting with the customer
Ensured the customer’s issue was taken care of through an established process
(Source)
Maybe the next ticket that comes in is a new issue and has to be passed on to tech support.
The CSR then gets a request to get more information from the customer, but the customer
now has questions. Why does the CSR need to know these specific details? How will this
information help solve their problem? What is actually being done to solve their issue?
By using the diagram, the CSR can trace the corresponding arrows to see exactly what step
each department will take – and in which order – throughout the process. The CSR can then
explain that tech support is trying to recreate the issue so they can determine the best way to
fix it. If tech support can’t find a solution, they’ll pass it on to a development team to do a
more thorough analysis to figure out the problem.

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Admittedly, processing a help ticket isn’t very complex, and most organizations generally
follow fairly similar steps to do so. That said, this example should give you an idea of what a
swim lane diagram looks like and how it might be used for daily tasks.
Sink or swim: The pros and cons
Surprising as it may be, even swim lane diagrams are a little controversial. Some people
swear by them; others insist they’re a waste of time. The truth most likely lies somewhere in
between, but for the sake of laying all cards out on the table, let’s discuss some of the pros
and cons of using swim lane diagrams for your process mapping.
PRO: Improves communication of internal needs to external stakeholders
Swim lane diagrams make it easier for executives and other colleagues to understand the
process. They’re able to access an individual’s obligations in relation to the responsibilities
and sub-processes of other teams and departments.
CON: Insufficient detail to fully express a process’s functions
Process maps are generally expected to cover the 5 W’s: Who, what, when, where, and why.
With the answers to these questions, you get to the “how.” Swim lane diagrams are generally
limited to a single page, so this level of detail isn’t included, which means that the full width
and breadth of the process being mapped may not be accurately captured.
(Source)
NOTE: Makigami is a process improvement and process mapping method developed at
Fujico (Japan) in 1996. “Makigami” literally means “roll of paper,” because it’s done on very
long rolls of paper. While the exact ins and outs of creating makigami deserve a post of their

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own, it’s worth pointing out that one person’s “roll of paper” could be another person’s
“single page.”
PRO: Simplifies complex processes
Written – and especially spoken – process explanations can get complicated. If all parties
involved don’t use the same terminology – or even the same language – confusion is bound
to arise. In the end, the necessary information may not get conveyed at all.
With a swim lane diagram, the symbols make it clear at a glance what action is being taken
and the arrows illustrate which direction the tasks move in. Each process is broken down to
its bare bones, so there is no question about who performs what step, when, where, and why.
The ability to incorporate if/then branches also eliminates the need to create a process map
for every potential variation. Going back to our newly hired CSR, they don’t have to check
one map for a new issue and a different map for an old one; both are dealt with in a single
diagram.
CON: Lacks a standardized design convention
Flowchart conventions are not universal. As mentioned earlier, there are commonalities, but
there are also variations. In surveying the different symbols used, some guides had only 9;
others had 20, and others still had anywhere from 12-15 (but not necessarily even the same
12-15). If you’re collaborating with another organization, and agree to share processes using
swim lane diagrams, this can work perfectly. Or you can get a diagram that has a bunch of
symbols you’ve never seen before and don’t know how to make sense of.
It’s a bit like asking for chips in the UK or about football in the US; you may know what
you’re talking about, but that doesn’t mean everyone else does. (And if neither of you realizes
you’re talking about two different things, that can lead to loads of complications further
down the line.)
5 questions to make sure you’re swim-ready

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(Source)
I can tell you’re eager to get started, but before we jump into the deep end, we need to go
cover some safety questions first.
Answering these questions in advance will prepare for your creating your swim lane diagram,
and – to be perfectly honest – make the process a whole lot easier. Our focus here is
optimizing company workflows, so I’ve phrased the questions to align with that. The concepts
are pretty easy to translate across purposes, though, so don’t feel like you’re constrained to
just what’s included in this post.
What outcome am I looking for?
Basic, first step question when starting any project, big or small: What do you want to
achieve by doing this? What’s your endgame? It’s good practice in most situations to know
where you expect to end up, but this is especially true for process mapping. If you aren’t sure
where your process ends, you have a lot more to figure out than a diagram can tell you.
Where do I start?
Obviously, all processes start somewhere, but where do they really start? Looking at the help
ticket process, does it start with the customer submits a ticket or does it start when the CSR
receives the ticket? Does it start before the customer even submits a ticket – maybe when
they first encounter the problem. The customer could take to the internet and try solving the
issue on their own using help docs, forums, and the good old-fashioned turn-it-off-and-turn-
it-back-on-again or the smack-it-until-it-does-something technique. In that case, the process
– for the customer – starts well before they submit that help ticket to the CSR.

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Point being: decide where your process starts. What event initiates the process you want to
map?
Who should be included in the diagram?
When determining who will be included in your diagram, you need to make sure that
everyone involved in completing a process is represented – even if that individual or
department is only responsible for a single task.
Generally, when creating a swim lane diagram for cross-functional teams, it’s best to create a
committee that’s responsible for ensuring every part of the process is properly documented.
This helps make sure that smaller steps aren’t forgotten or necessary groups left out.
What actions should be depicted?
You may want to say, well, every action in the process. Maybe, maybe not.
In our help ticket diagram, should we say that the CSR’s actual first task is to read the ticket?
The steps of their process may actually be:
1. Receive the help ticket
2. Confirm receipt with customer
3. Determine if it’s an old or new issue
4. If it’s a new issue, send on to tech support
5. If it’s an old issue, resolve it themselves
6. Update customer with next steps
Yes, that is a more detailed version of the specific actions the CSR has to take every time a
help ticket is submitted, but is that specificity really useful in explaining to external
stakeholders how the process works? You need to decide which actions are vital for inclusion
and which aren’t; you will probably also discover, in the process, that some actions are being
repeated unnecessarily, which will improve the process as you map it.
What order should the diagram go in?
It’s usually best to map something out from start to finish, but not all circumstances allow for
that. Diagrams for very complex or intricate processes may include loops, merging of tasks,
different forms of input and output, and a host of other variables.
The easiest approach is to walk through your process from start to finish with the most
common actions. If everything runs smoothly and follows the typical steps, what order do
they go in? Once you have that framework laid out, you can decide which process branches
should be included and which aren’t as likely or important to consider during the mapping
process.

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(Source)
And now the part you’ve all been waiting for:
How to create a swim lane diagram in MS Word
Let’s start with the obvious: create a new document in Word.
Depending on whether you want your diagram to run horizontally or vertically, you may need
to change the page orientation. I wanted to create a horizontal diagram, so I switched to a
landscape view before starting. I’ve broken the process down into 5 easy steps, so even if
you’re not familiar with Word, you should at least be able to make a swim lane diagram by
the end of this post. 😀
Step 1: Draw the pool

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At the top of the screen, you’ll see a series of tabs labelled “File,” “Home,” “Insert,” and so on.
Select the “Insert” tab.
Select “Shapes” (as shown in the image above), which will open a dropdown menu of every
single shape you can create in Word. Right now, you just want a good old-fashioned
rectangle.
Draw a large rectangle on the page. This will be your pool.
Pro Tip: Make sure your pool is large enough for each lane and all the process actions that
need to go into that lane.
For my diagram, the pool is the full page size. It’ll only have 4 lanes, and each lane will only
have 3-4 actions, so I don’t have to worry too much about space.
Once you draw the pool, you need to add the lanes. The easiest way to do this is with the line
tool (also found under Insert > Shapes, right above the rectangles).
Pro Tip: Make these lines a different color than the pool outline and the directional lines for
your process. Your eyes will be grateful. 👀
Step 2: Label the players

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There are 2 ways you can do this:
1. Insert a flowchart shape (I’ll get to that in Step 3)
2. Insert a text box
I opted for a text box.
You’ll find this under the Insert tab, as well. (Most of the things you’ll be using are.)
The text box dropdown menu will show you a number of pre-made text boxes that aren’t
particularly useful for creating swim lane diagrams. Below those, you’ll find the option to
“Draw Text Box.”
This is what you want.
Draw a text box in your first lane where you want the label to go. You’ll see in the picture that
I placed mine at the far-left side of the pool. I also changed the text direction using the
format options that pop up once you’ve drawn your first text box.
You can adjust the font, size, color, fill, and alignment as well, but I wouldn’t worry too much
about those things until the end.
You can draw a new text box for each swim lane or you can copy and paste the first box
into each swim lane.
Step 3: Add actions

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This is where we get into the flowchart shapes.
Go back to Insert > Shapes.
Towards the bottom of the list, you’ll see a section labeled “Flowchart.” Every shape you
need for your swim lane diagram will be here. A few may look a little different than our
graphic and some may have different names, but all your tools are right here.
The 4 shapes I’ve used in this diagram are:
Terminator (pill shape)
Decision (diamond)
Process (rectangle)
Document (wave shape)
The method you use for mapping the process’s actions will depend on what works best for
you. You may find it easier to fill in all the actions for a single player at once, or you may
prefer to fill in the actions chronologically.
Since I did this diagram on my own, and it’s not a process I use on a regular basis, I opted for
the chronological approach. If you’re creating a diagram within a team, it may be easier for a
representative from each department to outline their respective steps.
Don’t worry about the directional lines just yet. First, you want to make sure that all the
necessary actions are accounted for, placed in the correct location, and how they all relate to
each other is clear.
Step 4: Review:

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As I said in the previous step, you want to make absolutely sure that you have all the
actions and they’re in the correct place.
Once you’ve done that, you can start adding your directional lines. Go back to Insert >
Shapes again and look at the line tool. The first 3 styles are the ones you’ll most likely
need:
A line with no arrows
A line with an arrow at one end
A line with arrows at both ends
Insert these lines in the order the process should follow. For example, in my diagram,
“Submit ticket” begins the process. From there, the CSR must determine if it’s a new issue or
not. I’ve drawn a line from the “Submit ticket” shape to the “New issue” shape, with an arrow
pointing at “New issue.”
The double arrow should be used if there’s feedback between two actions. If you look at the
CSR’s “Get more info” action and the customer’s “Provide details” action, there’s a double
arrow connecting them. This indicates that these actions are, in a sense, a very small loop.
You’ll also notice that I’ve labeled the decision lines “yes” and “no.” You definitely want to
include this so that it’s clear to anyone using the diagram which choice should be selected
under which circumstances.
Step 5: Approve

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At this point, your diagram should be completely mapped out with all of the players, actions,
and connections clearly defined and labeled. Now is when you can go all out with fonts,
colors, and other formatting to make your diagram really pop. There isn’t a set color scheme
for swim lane diagrams, so use what makes sense for you. That may mean all actions
completed by the same department are the same color, or specific actions have the same
color no matter who is completing them.
In my diagram, I chose to color-code the actions:
Terminator actions are blue
Decision actions are green
Process actions are red
Document actions are yellow
Time to get out of the pool
Hopefully, this post will have cleared up any confusion you might have about swim lane
diagrams and how to make them. When it comes right down to it, the swim lane diagram is
merely a tool to help manage your workflows and processes. Like any tool, there are benefits
and there are flaws; at times, it may not even be the right tool for the situation.
When it comes to mapping processes involving cross-functional teams, it’s difficult to find
another format that simplifies each role and responsibility so clearly. Just remember that
processes should evolve as your company’s needs, your customers, and your employees all
change over time.

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Creating a swim lane diagram to map your processes doesn’t mean those diagrams can’t be
updated, changed, or redone completely as needed. Utilized properly, swim lane diagrams
offer a flexible and versatile tool that can be used across a variety of functions and roles from
day-to-day tasks to more specialized areas.