#flowchart template

Basic flowchart dataset example (visio data visualizer) If Visio Data Visualizer keeps rejecting your dataset, start with a basic flowchart example that is known to import. A basic flowchart dataset is the simplest version of the model: • Process Step ID • Process Step Description • Next Step ID • Connector Label (optional) • Shape Type No swimlanes. No phases. Just a clean graph. Why this matters: Most import failures come from small data issues that are hard to see in a big file: • duplicate IDs • missing referenced IDs • invalid shape type values • blank rows (including a blank line at end-of-file) • branching stored incorrectly A known-good basic dataset lets you validate the rules in minutes: 1. Import the example into Basic Flowchart (Data Visualizer) 2. Confirm it renders cleanly 3. Replace the step text with your own steps 4. Add or change connections by editing Next Step IDs 5. Re-import to regenerate Before import: remove blank lines and confirm headers match exactly. 3 practical tips that prevent headaches: • Connector Label can be left blank, but it is useful for decisions (Yes/No, Approved/Rejected) • treat Step IDs like primary keys – stable forever, never reused • if a step branches, store multiple next steps in 1 cell: 7,8 (comma-separated, no spaces) • keep Step Description consistent (verb + object + condition) so the process reads clearly When should a basic flowchart be used instead of a swimlane diagram? • early drafting and discovery • documenting a simple workflow with 1 owner • building the first “process as data” model before adding lanes • troubleshooting imports (basic flowchart isolates the core dataset rules) When to move to swimlanes (cross functional flowcharts): • multiple teams • lots of handoffs • ownership and approvals are part of the problem • lanes (Function) and phases (Phase) are needed to represent reality Once the process is a dataset, more becomes possible: • updates become row edits, not diagram surgery • audits become counts (handoffs, approvals, loops, rework) • AI analysis becomes reliable because it can read the dataset, not a screenshot • multiple stakeholder views become possible by reclassifying lanes and phases And if you need to convert an existing .vsdx diagram into a dataset without rebuilding by hand, a dataset generator can do the first pass quickly. Lite can validate the workflow on the first 20 steps. Standard removes the limit for full diagrams. A simple rule of thumb: If the diagram takes longer to update than the process takes to change, the diagram will never be trusted. A dataset-first workflow fixes that. #Visio #DataVisualizer #Flowchart #ProcessMapping #Excel #BusinessAnalysis #ContinuousImprovement process improvement, process mapping, operations, business analysis, workflow, visio, swimlane, automation, lean, standard work