This presentation includes a visual guide to familiarize yourself with Microsoft Visio 2013, along with tips and tricks for the experienced user.

1. Consulting Intelligence| Consulting Intelligence|
Business Process Training
VISIO Tips & Tricks: Lindsey LaBerge
Allegient,LLC|July15, 2014

2. Consulting Intelligence|
VISIO
• Open VISIO
• Start with a blank drawing
• Change the orientation to Landscape
• Depending on your paper printing
size capabilities set up the size paper
under the design tab then click on
size. We typically use 11x17.

3. Consulting Intelligence|
VISIO
• View Grid
• You should always have the grid
in the background so you can line
your objects up horizontally and
vertically.
• Additionally the grid will help you
with how far to place objects
from each other.

4. Consulting Intelligence|
VISIO
• Spacing
As a rule of thumb use 1-2 boxes
between each object but remain
consistent throughout once you
make that choice.

5. Consulting Intelligence|
VISIO
• Drop Shapes into the stencil
• Start with a Swimlane
• Center you Title at the top
of the page in the middle
• On the left hand side
replace the word function
with the “actor” or the
person doing the action
• If you are documenting a
current state put that in
the right top side as
“current” where it says
Phase
• To add a second swimlane
to your document you
have to hold the new
swimlane over the edge of
the current swimlane until
the line turns orange.

6. Consulting Intelligence|
VISIO
• Adjust sizing • If you add swimlanes to your document and or change the
size of the swim lane try to keep consistency on the size
vertically.
• You can change the size of the swim lane or any object by
clicking the object until you see the 4 arrows pointer.
• In the bottom left of the screen below the tabs there will
be a black bar that shows up with the different
specifications Width: Height: etc.
• Click on one of the dimensions and box will pop up.
• Then you can edit the sizes
• Try to stay within .25 increments by rounding up.
• (if you have objects in your swim lane that go to the edge
you may not be able to reduce the height until you move
them up).

7. Consulting Intelligence|
VISIO
• Add symbols
• Save file • Always start your
processes in the top left
and go down.
• If you plan to use multiple
tabs (sub processes) in the
same document save the
document as a VISIO 2010
file. Otherwise all the
arrows will jump and
disappear on the
subsequent pages when
you close the document.

8. Consulting Intelligence|
VISIO
• Sub Processes
• If your process gets too
long to fit onto 1 page
consider making some of
the multiple tasks into sub
processes on different tabs.
• VISIO is similar to excel
where there are “sheets/
tabs” at the bottom
Customer
Search and Select
Items
Provide Payment/
Delivery
Information
Ship ItemsEnter Site

9. Consulting Intelligence|
VISIO
Align all your tasks/ gateways
If you are having trouble with lining the
boxes up perfectly rather than move all the
objects up and down to make the arrows
match up you have two options.
1. Select the object to move, hold down the
shift key, and then use the up/down
arrows to line up the object (shift makes
your movements in smaller increments)
2. Select all the boxes in a row you want to
line up horizontally, click home, then on
the right hand side find the button Align ,
choose Align Middle for horizontal
alignment and Align Center for vertical
alignment.

10. Consulting Intelligence|
VISIO
Data Objects
• A data object can be used to illustrate data
that may be used or produced in an activity.
Data objects are linked to the appropriate
task using an association flow.
• A hyperlink can be added to the data
object linking the model to the actual
document.
1. Right click the data object and select
hyperlink from the drop-down list.
2. Next, select the location of the document
you want to link to using the Hyperlinks
pop-up window
• You can choose an internet site or a local
file by browsing for an address. You can
choose a page within the current visio
document by browsing for a sub-address.
Data
Task

11. Consulting Intelligence|
VISIO
Review! • If you are working in a team on a project
that involves multiple processes that
could potentially touch/ overlap review
each other’s process.
• This will help maintain consistency in
naming conventions used throughout the
processes.
• This should also help to keep sub
processes consistent.
• Additionally reviewing processes
together will help fill in gaps and find
additional responsibilities that may have
not been documented.