Flow, process and networks

Flowchart

Shows process steps, decisions and their connections.

Diagram
Process explanation
Decision logic

What it answers

What steps and decisions make up the process?

Shape: Process boxes and decision diamonds
What it shows: Order, decisions and alternative paths.

Example

The question

What happens when a customer asks for a refund?

Refund request process (flowchart)

Start: refund request. Decision: within 30 days? No: offer credit. Yes: decision: item returned? No: send a return label and check again. Yes: refund paid, then done.

Illustrative data. It belongs to no company.

When to use it

Use it when

Explaining a process or authored decision path.

Avoid it when

Unlabelled branches or an attempt to show detailed timing.

How to read it

Follow arrows from start and choose branches by their labelled conditions.

Note

Label decision branches.

The data you need

Layout: Two linked tables or structured diagram
Fields: Nodes: NodeID,Label,Type; Links: FromID,ToID,BranchLabel
One row is: One node or one directed process connection. What is the grain?
Rules: Use unique IDs and existing link endpoints. Label decision outcomes.
Optional: Shapes can also be manually authored from the same conceptual content.
Preparation: Validate the input grain and missing values. Use unique IDs and existing link endpoints. Label decision outcomes.
Units: Relationships and positions have no numeric unit by default. Label any counts, durations, probabilities or weights separately.

Two linked tables, joined by a shared key column.

Worked example

Start->Approve?; Yes->Release; No->Review. A No answer followsReview. This islogic rather than measured frequency.

Nodes: NodeID	Label	Type
n1	Start	Event
n2	Approve?	Decision
Links: FromID	ToID	BranchLabel
n1	n2	Next

All charts in the library