2. • The flowchart is a means of visually
presenting the steps in a process
• It is used to clarify the process
• It is helpful in designing/redesigning a
process
• It is helpful in RCA

3. 1. To understand the meaning of a flowchart
2. To know the basic components of the
flowchart, such as symbols and rules governing
decision flow
3. To understand the advantages and limitations
of a flowchart
4. To learn how to go about creating a flowchart

4. • It is a simple mapping tool , that shows the
sequence of actions and decisions in a
process, in a manner easy to read and
communicate

5. Woke Start the Drive to Start
car work
up work
Get Have Park the Walk into
dressed Breakfast car the office

6. • Analyzing a process
• Problem identification in any given process.
• Process improvement
• A communication tool
Get Have Start the Drive to Park the Walk into Start
Wake up
Dressed Breakfast Car work car Office Work
Problem

7. 1. Identify the process to be mapped in flowchart
form
2. Gather a team to work on the process to be
flowcharted to reduce it to simple statements
and decisions
3. Adhere to the international symbols used in
flowcharting in order to unify the flowchart to a
known standard understood all over the world

8. Terminator : Signals the start and end of any flowchart and hence process
Step : Denotes a single activity in the process
Decision : Denotes any point in the process where is decision is to be made
Sub-process : Denotes movement to an other process and hence a new flowchart
Connector : Off page connector, used to connect a single flowchart across
multiple pages
Multi-connector : Used to unify multiple decisions (multi-input) into single effect
(single output)

9. START
ACTION A
YES DECISION
NO
ACTION B ACTION C
A
END

10. 1. Keep descriptions simple and to the point
2. Maintain a consistent level of detail
3. Identify key decisions and actions in the process
4. Aim to minimize the flowchart as much as possible without
compromising content
5. Always maintain the flow in the flowchart from top to bottom or from
left to right
6. Have consistency in decision boxes by maintaining a simple Yes/No
decisions
7. Any one flowchart must have ONE and only ONE “End” box
8. In drawing a flowchart all components must be listed in logical order

11. 9. The flowchart should be clear, neat and easy to follow
10. Any step (i.e. action), or terminator symbol should only have one input line
and one output line
11. Any decision should have one input and up to three outputs
12. Multi-connectors are used to allow unification of input into any step
symbol
13. Off-page connectors are used to break up complex flowcharts in to
smaller sections
14. Sub-flowchart symbols are used to move from one flowchart (i.e. process)
to a totally different flowchart
15. Finally, the flowchart’s validity is tested by passing test data through it to
ensure that process flow depicted in the flowchart mirrors that of the
actual process being mapped
>0 <0
DECISION
ACTION A ACTION A
=0

12. START
Failed Airway
Pt. needs
Flowchart
intubation
Rapid Sequence No Pt. unresponsive Yes
Crash intubation
intubation (RSI) or near death?
Difficult Airway Yes No No Intubation attempted Yes
Difficult airway
Flowchart 3 times by experienced
Suspected?
Physician ?
Attempt
intubation
Post intubation Yes
management
Yes Attempt No BMV maintains No
Successful? Saturation >90%?
End

13. Advantages Limitations
• Hard to alter or modify
• Clarification
• Reproduction
• Communication
• The essentials of what is
• Effective analysis done can easily be lost in
the technical details of how
it is done
• Proper documentation

14. http://www.flowhelp.com/flowchart/index.html
http://www.rff.com/flowchart_samples.htm