Analyzing supply chain processes using flowcharts

- The easiest way to document a process is often to write down the steps in a sequential list, but reading a list is generally not the easiest way for someone else to understand how the process works. In this video, we're going to look at flow charts and how drawing a simple picture can help you communicate much more effectively. A flow chart is a diagram that illustrates the steps in a process. We generally give each step both a name and an ID number, and we use different shapes to describe different kinds of activities. For example, a rectangular box generally means that some work needs to be done, and a diamond means that a decision has to be made. Let's build a flow chart to explain the process that Two Trees Olive Oil follows when receiving a new shipment at their warehouse. The process begins when a truck arrives. We'll use a small circle for the start of the process, the security guard notifies the receiving supervisor, that's an action, so we use a rectangle, and then the supervisor decides if the truck is allowed to pull up to the dock door. That's a decision, so it's a diamond. If the supervisor decides that the truck can proceed, then the truck can move to the dock door. The truck is unloaded, the products are received into the warehouse management system, and the truck departs, which is the last step in the process. A flow chart makes it easy for anyone to quickly understand all of the steps in a process and the order in which they occur, but it doesn't show us who's responsible for each step. For that, we can use a cross functional flow chart, which is often called a swim lane because it looks like the lanes in a swimming pool. Here's the swim lane for the same receiving process at Two Trees Olive Oil. Now you can look down each lane and see exactly who is responsible for each step in the process. When you need to explain a process to someone else, a flow chart can be a powerful tool for simplifying what you need to convey. And in supply chains, where our processes often involve people for many different functions, a swim lane is often the best way to help everyone understand what needs to be done and who needs to do it for the supply chain to work properly. Think of a situation where drawing a flow chart would make it easier for you or for one of your colleagues to explain a process. Take a moment right now to use a swim lane flow chart. Write down the steps of the process and who's responsible for each step.