Optimize Processes, Increase Collaboration, and Build Strategies with Business Diagrams

Business process modeling is the practice of documenting how work gets done within an organization. It can take many forms, such as a flowchart or a BPMN diagram. Process modeling provides advantages like:

• Improving cross-functional communication
• Illustrating how individual teams contribute to organizational strategy
• Identifying opportunities for increased efficiency and standardization

Process Modeling

SOPs help organizations define the steps to complete a particular activity with efficiency and consistency. These documents help teams by:

• Providing a documented source of truth
• Onboarding new employees
• Improving or automating workflows

Standard Operating Procedures

As part of Business Process Management, BPMN diagrams provide a standardized way to depict and detail a sequence of activities. Constructing a BPMN diagram helps teams:

• Improve efficiency through the process
• Adapt to new business needs
• Align cross-functional teams

BPMN Diagramming

Strategic planning is a goal-setting practice that business leaders and leadership teams use to define a direction for an organization’s future. Its important business functions include:

• Defining your position and organizational identity
• Providing a baseline for further planning
• Developing a standard for prioritization

Strategic Planning Process

Constructing a business model canvas is a way of creating a vision for the future, either for a new business model or evaluating a current one. You can use this visual framework for situations such as:

• Creating or evaluating a new business
• Understanding competitors
• Expanding or refining an existing business

Business Model Canvas

Risk assessment is a crucial business exercise, and there are three different steps to the process with ways to visualize each one:

• Identify risks with a concept map
• Analyze risks with a concept map or risk analysis chart
• Evaluate risks using your documented information

Risk Assessment Procedures

Visualize the internal and external positives and negatives of your organization with a SWOT analysis. This tried-and-true business exercise is essential for:

• Evaluating your position in the competitive landscape
• Prioritizing organizational initiatives
• Brainstorming or planning for a new business model 

SWOT Analysis

Flowcharts are one of the most popular types of diagrams, and for good reason. There are tons of types of flowcharts that help describe anything with a linear flow. Try making a flowchart for:

• High level project timelines
• Ideas for how you expect a process or user flow to work
• Testing plans or experiments

Flowchart Software

Swimlanes add a level of clarity to the common flowchart by creating zones that show what business function or person is responsible for certain tasks. Use a swimlane diagram to show:

• How work or ideas are shared across the organization
• What tasks can be done at the same time within a process
• Clear roles and responsibilities within a workflow

Swimlane Diagrams