Visualize complex processes with microsoft visio : a guide to visually creating, communicating, and collaborating business processes efficiently / David J. Parker, Šenaj Lelić.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Parker, David J., author.

Lelić, Šenaj, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Microsoft Visio.

Computer graphics--Computer programs.

Computer graphics.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (314 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Birmingham, England ; Mumbai : Packt Publishing Ltd., [2023]

System Details:

Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Biography/History:

Parker David: David J Parker's background has been in data visualization ever since he struggled to produce lists of hospital equipment from Computer Aided Design models of buildings as a budding architect in the '80s. He moved into building and infrastructure asset management in the late '80s using a Unix system and gradually migrated to Windows-based systems throughout the '90s. He became a European Business partner of Visio Corporation in 1996 and presented the database-linked Visio solutions that he was providing merchant banks in London and New York with at several international conferences. David started bVisual Ltd. in 1998, which provides Visio-based solutions to various industries, and became a Silver-level Microsoft partner. He has been a Microsoft MVP (Visio) for the last 12 years and has helped Microsoft Corp, UK and Western Europe, by providing Visio solutions, training, website content, and presentations. David has had several books on Visio published and has been presenting Visio/SharePoint integration courses for many years for Microsoft Western Europe, from Oslo in the North down to Lisbon in the South. He has presented at SQL and SharePoint Saturday conferences and writes a regular blog for people interested in Microsoft Visio. Lelic Senaj: Senaj Lelic has worked in IT since 1991, and studied economy at the university of Munich (special studies: strategic management and software based Business Process management). Starting with BORLAND, he went on to work with Visio Corporation in 1996. Since then he has worked on many visualization solutions for different customers. When Visio was acquired by Microsoft in 2000 his focus shifted to Microsoft. NET and SharePoint, extending to support technologies such as SQL Server and Microsoft Teams. One consistent activity has been the creation and planning/architecture of BPM solutions and technologies - always using Visio as the graphical engine, but extending with SQL Server and SharePoint to create powerful but easy to use BPM solutions.

Summary:

Streamline your business by creating clear, concise process diagrams with Microsoft Visio, and share them securely for viewing, reviewing, and collaboration Purchase of the print or Kindle book includes a free PDF eBook Key Features Learn built-in diagram types or create custom ones to describe flow steps effectively Unlock the skills and techniques needed to efficiently and speedily capture and communicate complex flows Understand how to store securely, integrate with other apps, and import and export flow steps Book Description Every business has process flows, but not all of them are fully described to or verified for accuracy with each stakeholder. This not only presents a risk for business continuity but also removes the ability to make insightful improvements. To make these complex interactions easy to grasp, it's important to describe these processes visually using symbology that everybody understands. Different parts of these flows should be collaboratively developed and stored securely as commercial collateral. Visualize Complex Processes with Microsoft Visio helps you understand why it is crucial to use a common, systematic approach to document the steps needed to meet each business requirement. This book explores the various process flow templates available in each edition of Microsoft Visio, including BPMN. It also shows you how to use them effectively with the help of tips and techniques and examples to reduce the time required for creating them, as well as how you can improve their integration and presentation. By the end of this book, you'll have mastered the skills needed to create data-integrated business flowcharts with Microsoft Visio, learned how to effectively use these diagrams collaboratively, but securely, and understood how to integrate them with other M365 apps, including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Power Automate. What you will learn Choose an appropriate flowchart diagram type to describe process steps Develop the skills to efficiently use Visio to draw process flowcharts Discover how to create process flows diagrams to meet the BPMN standard Find out how to synchronize Excel tables with Visio process flowcharts Store flowcharts that can also be used for collaboration securely Understand how to export flowcharts and data to other M365 apps Discover how Visio ShapeSheet functions can increase productivity Who this book is for If you're a manager, analyst, or designer of business processes, then this book will help you create professional process diagrams effectively and consistently to improve the accuracy of communication and facilitate impactful insights. This book will also be useful for beginners or power users who are seeking tips and techniques to capture process flows from context and customize diagrams to meet academic as well as corporate standards.

Contents:

Cover

Title Page

Copyright &amp

Credits

Contributors

Table of Contents

Preface

Chapter 1: Choosing the Correct Business Process Diagram Type

Technical requirements

Setting the scope with context diagrams

Starting a context diagram in Microsoft Teams

Opening a Visio document in Microsoft Teams

Determining who and what with a functional flow diagram

Starting a functional flow diagram in Visio for Web

Capturing interactions with a cross-functional diagram

Starting and ending with rounded terminator shapes

Defining process steps with rectangular shapes

Highlighting decisions with diamond shapes

Labeling swimlanes for each actor

Starting a cross-functional diagram in desktop Visio Plan 2

Starting a cross-functional diagram in Visio Plan 1

Saving a desktop Visio document to a Teams channel

Defining the detail with a flowchart diagram

Knowing when to use the flowchart shapes

Using the Off-page (reference) shape

Summary

Chapter 2: Choosing the Best Visio Edition for Our Needs

Understanding the different Microsoft Visio editions

Using Visio documents anywhere

Comparing templates and features of Visio editions

Getting to know the Visio user interface

Understanding the desktop Visio user interface

Understanding the Visio online editor user interface

Understanding the Visio Reading View user interface

Adding stencils to the workspace

Searching for shapes

Chapter 3: Learning to Manually Create Process Flow Diagrams

Setting the page size and orientation

Adding basic flowchart shapes

Using Quick Shapes and AutoConnect

Aligning shapes with Smart Guides and Dynamic Grid

Relating shapes to each other

Dragging the AutoConnect arrow

Gluing connectors to a specific position.

Reversing the direction of flow

Changing the routing style of connectors

Changing the type of connectors

Automatically changing the diagram layout

Labeling shapes and relationships

Resetting flowchart shape sizes

Moving the connector label

Working with swimlanes and separators

Adding a swimlane to a cross-functional flowchart

Moving and resizing swimlanes

Adding a separator to a cross-functional flowchart

Adding more detailed information to shapes

Using ScreenTips to store a longer description

Inserting shapes between existing ones

Creating subprocesses

Creating a new subprocesses page

Linking to an existing subprocess page

Creating a new subprocess page from selected shapes

Validating the structure of flowchart diagrams

Chapter 4: Using Visio for Desktop with BPMN

The basic idea of the BPMN approach

The terminology of BPMN

Getting started with BPMN in Visio

Finding the BPMN template

Working in the BPMN diagram environment

Changes and formatting of all BPMN shapes

Accessing the variations through metadata

Getting started with placing the shapes and formatting the shapes

Adding the start event

Extending the diagram with a task

Connecting the shapes

Visio for the web and BPMN

Validating the structure and syntax of BPMN diagrams

A built-in scenario for the BPMN template - the Power Automate export

Assigning the Power Automate elements to the shapes in the Visio diagram

Exporting the flow to Microsoft Power Automate

Chapter 5: Utilizing Data Sources to Create and Enrich Business Process Diagrams

Creating process diagrams automatically in Excel

Editing in Visio online

Editing in desktop Visio.

Using the example Cross-Functional Flowchart of the Data Visualizer process

Creating process diagrams automatically from data in Visio for Desktop

Understanding and editing the Data Visualizer Excel workbook

Running the Data Visualizer wizard in Visio

Updating the source table from Visio

Creating Visio for Desktop and Excel process diagram templates for others

Adding extra information to process steps

Chapter 6: Learn How to Diagram Efficiently

Editing the built-in ribbon to provide more options

Creating a new ribbon tab, group, and buttons

Learning useful shortcut keys in Visio

Shortcut keys common in Visio and most M365 and Office applications

Visio-specific common shortcut keys

Using short keys in desktop Visio

Banding shapes together

Selecting multiple shapes

Using the built-in containers

Controlling the layout

Aligning shapes

Distributing shapes evenly

Adding callouts for annotations

Getting Callout shapes in Visio for the web

Getting the Callout shapes in desktop Visio

Adding borders and titles

Editing headers and footers

Chapter 7: Preparing Diagrams for Presentation and Collaboration

Using themes to enhance the appearance of pages

Using variants in desktop Visio

Applying different styles to shapes

Adding data graphics to highlight information

Text / Callout

Data Bar

Icon Set

Using Color by Value

Inserting a legend

Using layers to control visibility and color

Considering accessibility

Use high contrast to ensure text is legible

Alt text titles and descriptions

Diagram navigation

Options for multi-language versions

Chapter 8: Securing and Providing Access to Diagrams

Primary questions for sharing.

Options for storing Visio files for broader distribution

Storage in OneDrive and OneDrive for Business

Storage in SharePoint Online

Adding Visio documents to Teams channels for reviewers (including shared channels)

Publishing a Visio file in Microsoft Teams on a tab

Using conversations and comments with Visio documents

Removing comments from a Visio document

Co-authoring in Teams and SharePoint

Sharing a Visio file

Protecting a Visio document from viewing

Protecting a Visio document or parts from edits

Chapter 9: Integrating Visio with Other Microsoft Apps

Exporting processes to Microsoft Word for documentation

Enhancing the Word document

Exporting diagrams to Microsoft PowerPoint for presentation

Optional Visio add-in to provide extra features

Exporting data to Microsoft Excel for integration

Creating a report definition

Running a report definition

Optional Excel add-in to convert the report into a modern table

Embedding processes in Microsoft Power BI for interaction

Preparing a Visio diagram for Power BI

Preparing data for Power BI

Embedding into Power BI

Chapter 10: Customizing Master Shapes and Templates

Understanding the importance of master shapes

Viewing the Document Stencil

Understanding the Drawing Explorer window

Shape instances inherit values from a master shape

Introducing the ShapeSheet

Reviewing existing selected process master shapes

Types of Shape Data

Adding description shape data to existing master shapes

Adding Duration to shape data

Assigning line weight, style, or color by Owner

Matching the shape color with the swimlane color

Chapter 11: Improving the Provided Flowchart Shapes

Technical requirements.

Adding the phase of swimlane to process shapes

Adding User.visHeadingText to the Separator shapes

Adding Phase to the flowchart shapes

Viewing the Phase text in the Process shape

Inheriting the labels of built-in containers

Automatically highlighting unglued connectors

Adding configuration options to callouts

Maintaining callout associations on hidden layers

Making diagrams accessible

Automatically setting high-contrast shape text

Setting the tab order

Providing meaningful alternate text

Sharing custom templates

Index

Other Books You May Enjoy.

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Accessing the variations through metadata

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9781837630349

1837630348

OCLC:

1378392053