What is it, and why use it?
A flowchart is a map of activities and decisions connected by arrows. It describes the order work follows, including loops and alternative routes.
Making the route visible helps teams find missing handoffs, rework and disagreements about what actually happens.
Explore the Flowchart Builder features and local-file workflowWhen to use it
Use it to understand a workflow, plan a changed route, or explain who does what at a decision.
When another tool fits better
Use SIPOC for a high-level boundary discussion and Value Stream Mapping when inventories, demand and end-to-end time are central. A flowchart alone does not prove why a delay occurs.
Before you start
- An agreed start/end and the people who do the work.
- Observed steps and real decision outcomes, rather than an ideal procedure.
- Optional measured times, with units and an observation period.
Use fictional or approved non-sensitive information. Do not include patient details or proprietary records in practice worksheets.
Step-by-step in CI Tools
Start in Quick Build. Add steps in the observed order and choose an appropriate Step type.
For decisions, fill Connections / branch destinations and meaningful outcome labels. Check that each destination exists.
Choose Generate Flowchart to lay out the step list. In Visual Editor, move shapes, select a shape to edit properties and use connection handles to draw routes.
Review warnings and trace every route from start to end, including loops. Use Auto Layout deliberately; freeform positioning preserves manual placement.
Use Guide & Examples for a separate reference tab, then Save to Computer. Reordering rows is not a substitute for changing connections.
Quick Build and Visual Editor share one graph
Both views edit the same steps and connections. A decision needs explicit destinations and understandable branch labels. Auto Layout changes positions; it should not be used to repair missing process logic. Save a separate future-state copy when comparing proposed work with the current process.
Completed worked examples
Demonstrations only: all organizations, observations, targets and results below are fictional. They are not clinical instructions or universal performance standards.
Healthcare operations — fictional
Referral completeness check
Starting information: A fictional referral office reviews a referral before scheduling.
- Receive referral
- Check information
- Complete → Schedule
If incomplete: request missing information, then return to Check information.
| 1 | Receive referral → Check required information |
|---|---|
| Decision | Complete? Yes → Schedule; No → Request missing information |
| Loop | New information received → Check required information |
What the result means: The missing-information loop makes rework visible. Count its frequency before deciding whether a new form will help.
General business — fictional
Order fulfilment route
Starting information: A fictional retailer checks stock after accepting an order.
- Receive order
- Check stock
- Available → Pick and pack
If stock is unavailable: agree a revised date before following the appropriate dispatch route.
| 1 | Receive order → Check stock |
|---|---|
| Decision | Available? Yes → Pick and pack; No → Agree revised date |
| End | Dispatch → Confirm delivery |
What the result means: Separate the unavailable-stock route from the normal route. An attractive diagram with an unconnected decision is not a complete process map.
Practise in a separate worksheet
Open the tool’s built-in synthetic sample as a new editable worksheet. It may differ from the worked demonstrations above. It never replaces an existing worksheet. Save any work you want to retain to your computer.
Open built-in practice worksheetYou’ll be asked to log in if needed. No worksheet is created just by reading this page.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
- Generating a layout before defining decision destinations: connect the logic first.
- Assuming arrows establish causes: they describe a workflow route.
- Entering timing guesses as facts: label estimates and verify them with observation.
Interpret the result
Trace cases through the map and compare the result with observed work. Look for repeated queues, avoidable loops and unclear ownership. A shorter drawn path is not automatically safer or faster; test any proposed change.
Record the assumptions and unanswered questions alongside the result. Use the relevant local review process before making operational decisions.
Credible further learning
These independent educational resources explain the methods. They do not endorse CI Tools Suite. Some external resources have their own access requirements.
Resource links reviewed 29 October 2026. Our interface instructions and fictional examples are original CI Tools learning material.
Put the method into practice
Start a new worksheet, use the guide beside your work and keep an editable .citools copy on your computer.
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