Decision logic with branches: ovals start and end, rectangles act, diamonds decide.
1 flowchart example
Build or buy decision
The two questions that decide whether a team builds a tool or buys one.
Shape carries the type: ovals start and end the flow, rectangles are steps, diamonds are decisions. The accent sits on one path only, the build branch, so the reader sees which outcome the team is steering toward.
A flowchart is a diagram of the steps in a process or algorithm, connected by arrows that show the order in which they happen. Its shapes follow the ANSI and ISO 5807 conventions: ovals start and end the flow, rectangles are actions and diamonds are decisions.
Read it from the start oval, following the arrows. At each diamond the flow splits into labeled branches, usually yes and no, until every path reaches an end.
When to use a flowchart
Use it to document decision logic, such as whether to build or buy a tool, so anyone can follow the same rules.
Use it to explain an algorithm, a support script or an approval rule before it is coded or written into a policy.
If the process has several teams handing work to each other, a swimlane diagram shows ownership better than a plain flowchart.
How to make a good flowchart
Keep one direction of flow, top to bottom or left to right, and avoid arrows that cross back over the diagram.
Phrase every decision as a question and label every branch leaving a diamond.
Start each action with a verb and keep it short: "Send invoice", not "The invoice is sent by finance".
If the chart grows past about fifteen shapes, split it into subprocesses and link them.
