{"id":147,"date":"2018-02-02T08:00:42","date_gmt":"2018-02-02T07:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.getnave.com\/?p=147"},"modified":"2023-03-15T11:03:52","modified_gmt":"2023-03-15T09:03:52","slug":"benefits-project-management-process-flowchart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/getnave.com\/blog\/benefits-project-management-process-flowchart\/","title":{"rendered":"The Benefits of a Project Management Process Flowchart"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Lack of clarity is a major source of inefficiencies in any project. Whether from lack of a clear scope for each task or an unclear route from start to finish, this opacity hampers your project flow with unnecessary obstacles. This is especially important in the Kanban Method<\/a>, where maintaining smooth workflows is essential to project success. Mapping out a flowchart makes your process transparent and improves workflow efficiency.<\/p>\n

What is a Project Management Process Flowchart?<\/h2>\n

A project management process flowchart is a graphical aid, designed to visualize the sequence of steps to be followed throughout the project management process. Once your process flow has been developed, it will guide the primary phases of any future projects, from start to finish. Kanban teams<\/a> can use the flowchart to define the work in progress states and potential verification gates. With this guide in place, your team always know what comes next and your process can function as smoothly and efficiently as possible.<\/p>\n

If you haven\u2019t read our piece explaining the project management process<\/a>, we recommend checking it out before carrying on. It\u2019ll give you the background you need to fully appreciate the value of the flowchart.<\/p>\n

Why use a Project Management Process Flowchart?<\/h2>\n

The purpose of any flowchart is to help visualize required steps \u2013 especially important for a project management process. Every flowchart consists of actions, the roles responsible for executing those actions and the inputs and outputs for each step. In addition, the flowchart will also include a record of any documents and other materials required to execute actions.<\/p>\n

The goal of the process flowchart is clarity and transparency. The terminology used should be kept simple and free from unnecessary jargon \u2013 the steps won\u2019t be clear to new team members if they are full of confusing acronyms. For similar reasons, a flowchart convention should be agreed at the beginning (e.g. a square shape always stands for an action) and used consistently.<\/p>\n

Once the project management process flowchart has mapped out the steps of each phase of the project and assigned ownership of responsibilities, everyone fully understands their role, and how they contribute to the whole.<\/p>\n

Implementation<\/h2>\n

The best way to start mapping out your project management process visually is to go back to basics \u2013 pen and paper.<\/p>\n

First, think about all the different stages of your process. It\u2019s a great idea to have your whole team involved in this stage \u2013 they might be aware of steps that are frequently missed! Pay particular attention to any verification or gate actions that can block the workflow until they are resolved.<\/p>\n

Secondly, think about the flow from one step to another \u2013 are there any points where the path can split? How about if a task fails one of the verification phases, where is it sent back to?<\/p>\n

Next, assign ownership of each step. This is particularly important for verification or review phases that can only be done by a single role or decision-maker.<\/p>\n

Finally, make sure your flowchart convention is consistent and easily recognizable across the whole diagram.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s an example project management process flowchart for a development team:\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"development<\/p>\n

The convention for this flowchart is:<\/p>\n