While most flowcharts represent the steps in a process, cross-functional flowcharts show a broader picture: the relationships between process steps and functional units. Use cross-functional flowcharts to capture the flow of a process from department to department or show how a process affects different functional units in a corporation.

This article describes how to:

• Choose between a vertical and a horizontal layout
• Create a cross-functional flowchart
• Add, delete, and adjust bands
• Move and extend process shapes
• Divide a process into phases
• Continue a cross-functional process on the same page

And provides:

• Tips for improving and revising cross-functional flowcharts

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Cross-functional flowcharts capture the relationship between process steps and functional units.

Choose between a vertical and a horizontal layout

You can present any cross-functional process either vertically or horizontally. A vertical layout places slightly more emphasis on the functional units while a horizontal layout emphasizes the process.

In a horizontal layout, bands representing functional units run horizontally across the drawing page, highlighting the process.

In a vertical layout, bands representing the functional units run vertically from the top to the bottom of the page, highlighting the functional units.

Create a cross-functional flowchart

To create a cross-functional flowchart

1. On the File menu, point to New, point to Flowchart, and then click Cross-functional Flowchart.
2. In the Cross-functional Flowchart dialog box, choose the basic options that you want to start with, and then click OK.

   Note   After you click OK, you can add or delete bands, but you can't change the orientation, add bands with another orientation, or add a title bar.

3. Double-click <Process Name> and then type a name for the process that the flowchart represents.
4. Click a band label and then type a name for the function that the band represents. Repeat for each band.

   Tip   To zoom out from the flowchart, choose a smaller magnification from the Zoom list on the Standard toolbar.

5. Click the title bar of the Basic Flowchart Shapes stencil to display its shapes. Drag the Process or Decision shape from the stencil to the appropriate band(s) to represent the first step in the process.
6. On the Standard toolbar, click the Connector tool . Leaving the first shape selected, drag a second shape onto the bands. The shapes connect automatically. Repeat to continue adding process steps, decisions, or data.
7. When you're finished adding shapes, on the Standard toolbar, click the Pointer tool , and then save the flowchart.

Tip   If you don't like the way a connector bends, click the connector. Pause the mouse pointer over one of the green midpoints until the pointer becomes a two-headed arrow. Click and drag until the connector bends the way you want.

You can revise a cross-functional flowchart as necessary by adding or deleting bands, shapes, separators, and other features. You can also add process shapes from other types of flowcharts, such as Audit and Workflow diagrams. To locate the shapes, on the File menu, point to Stencils, point to Flowchart, and then click the stencil that you want to open.

Improve and revise cross-functional flowcharts

You can improve and revise a cross-functional flowchart by:

• Adding, deleting, or adjusting bands.
• Moving or extending process shapes.
• Dividing the process into phases that you can manage separately.
• Breaking a long process and continuing it on the same page.

Add, delete, and adjust bands

Move and extend process shapes

Divide a process into phases

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A separator indicates a close relationship among a group of process steps. If you drag a Separator shape, all the steps below or to the right move along with it.

By using a Separator shape, you can indicate the steps that make up one phase of a process and move all the related steps together.

To add a separator

1. Click the title bar of the Cross-Functional Flowchart Shapes stencil to display the shapes that it contains.
2. Drag a Separator shape from the stencil to the place in the flowchart where you want to indicate a separation in the process. The shape extends across all of the bands.

Continue a cross-functional process on the same page

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By using On-page reference shapes, you can break and continue a large cross-functional process on the same drawing page.

To continue a cross-functional process using on-page references

1. Create a cross-functional flowchart. Continue adding shapes until you run out of space on the page.
2. With the last shape selected, on the Standard toolbar, click the Connector tool .
3. Click the title bar of the Basic Flowchart Shapes stencil to display the shapes that it contains. Drag an On-page reference shape to the drawing page near the last step in the process. The shapes connect automatically.
4. On the Standard toolbar, click the Pointer tool .
5. With the On-page reference shape selected, type a letter or number to label the shape.
6. Click the title bar of the Cross-Functional Flowchart Shapes stencil to display the shapes that it contains. Drag a Separator shape onto the functional bands to the right of, or below, the process that you have already created.
7. Click the title bar of the Basic Flowchart Shapes stencil to display the shapes that it contains. Drag another On-page reference shape to where you want to continue the process. With the shape selected, type the same letter or number you used to label the first On-page reference shape.
8. On the Standard toolbar, click the Connector tool. With the second On-page reference shape selected, drag a shape from the Basic Flowchart Shapes stencil that represents the next step in the process that you are continuing.
9. Continue dropping shapes until the process is complete or until you reach the edge of the page. Repeat Steps 2 through 8 if you want to continue the process another time.