Introduction
After reviewing the basics of process modeling and drawing, let's see some tools and possibilities to draw our Processes.
The real thrill comes just now; as we become able to model and draw a process, we will have a better insight to our company immediately. However, the next question comes: what shall we do with the already drawn process models and how to implement our perfected processes?
Today we will gain a glimpse into the world of process management systems, which are able to run the previously modeled processes, may distribute tasks and control their completion while also paying attention to all deadlines.
Process drawing tools
It is important to choose the right tool for process modeling. An appropriate process drawing tool shall contain all process elements by default (steps, decisions, connectors, lines, etc.) in a form that fits our aims. At the same time, we shall choose a system that is easy to use and understand, that is capable of modeling any process we may want to draw in the future, thus becoming a time proof solution.
Free or paid?
Luckily, we may choose from a number of tools these days, if we need to draw our Business Processes. One of the most widespread software for this purpose is Microsoft Visio, that enables professional use and also supports team collaboration. However, Visio is rather expensive; buying a license would only worth in case you are a business process expert, dealing with a large number of complex business processes daily. The good news is that there are many software out there that enables great functionality while keeping their prices low - or even free.
In our experience, these solutions are perfect for all SMEs, so we collected some we think are the best:
draw.io
The first tool we'd like to introduce is draw.io, a free, browser based solution. We can find all elements by clicking on the Flowchart option in the left menu bar. Here we will find the elements such as steps, decisions, connectors, lines, arrows, and others we may use or ignore as we wish. By clicking on one element, it appears on the editor area, with freely assignable qualities (such as size, position or connector direction) Setting the connectors is a bit hard as there are turning points pre-included in the connectors. (which is by the way useful in case we would like to direct our process to a different direction. However, it also means that beyond the starting and finish points, we must set up the place of the middle point too.
Draw.io is able to integrate with Google Drive or with other online storage solutions. Shall you need your processes in different formats, Draw.io can export them into PDF, HTML or XML as needed.
All in all, Draw.io is a great solution for process drawing. It is feature - rich, free and very easy to use. Browser based operation is another great plus, but if you are looking for an on premise solution, keep reading!
EvolusPencil
EvolusPencil is not intended explicitly for process drawing; it's a software UI mockup tool, yet it offers a great range of process drawing features. It contains all basic process elements and editing is really easy, therefore we included it in this post.
After downloading and installation it is ready to use, no need to set up anything or to install any plugins or such. Evolus Pencil is a free software without any limitations, no ads or other disturbing popups, as a really great plus to the application.
It is easy to use - after a process is written up, just choose 'Flowchart' from the main menu on the left. Then choose the elements to be used and draw the process. That's it - your newly drawn process model can be saved or exported to many different formats and provides the same professional look as Draw.io
Conclusion
In case we would like to professionally introduce our processes, and prepare standard flowcharts, the above free tools are great for doing so. As it is clear, we can use a browser based solution or install a small application to our computer. The main principles are the same at each case: making business processes transparent by using standard elements in our drawing.
And the purpose of all this is...
Besides making business operations more transparent and understandable - so we can see exactly what is happening where, who does what, etc. - there's a much greater yield of drawing business processes. Namely when we see that we have many processes and realize that we shall manage these by using a process editor software, we will have the fundamental knowledge of using such software. And do not forget the export and integration features of the above systems: we may not need to draw our processes again when implementing a workflow system - only load the ones we prepared previously. Keep in mind that a good process editor software is able to implement processes and run them in certain workflow systems!
Also, this was the last post of our "About business process" series. We've covered lots of topics and tried to give a really good introduction to business processes. Nonetheless, similar posts may come in the future, focusing on fundamental BPM issues, however, if you followed us all the way through this series, you know more about business processes than most small business owners. So congratulations, and keep following us for more BPM expertise!
