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exceldiagramvisiobusiness-process-management

Visio Process-Diagram connected/embeded to detailed Narrative

How can I add a lot more details to each process step of a Visio process diagram e.g. an (Excel) table?

For all kind of purposes I have to draw process diagrams. Visio is one of the best tools I know in this direction, but it lacks (or I don't know), if (a lot) more details should be added to a process step.

I've asked countless people about the best approach, but till now I only heard about the following, and non of them is really good:

  1. Use index numbers for process steps and then embed the Visio process diagram into word. Reference the process steps by index number and describe it in detail. (disadvantage: having multiple documents, if changes are made changes need to be reflected in multiple documents what is time-consuming).
  2. Don't use Visio at all and draw a process diagram in Excel. Excel is perfect for adding a description to a simpler diagram, right next to the process steps. (disadvantage: only possible for simpler workflow diagrams, Excel is not a process drawing tool)
  3. Link process steps to other sub-process diagrams. (disadvantage: everything is spread into a lot areas and a detail grade of a table is still not really possible to attach it)

I can't believe in the year 2017 this is still a problem and hundert of thousands of people must have this challenge, so I'm quite sure I must be overlooking something.

Is it for example possible to embed an Excel diagram into a Visio document and link from the process steps to a specific row of this table (auto-referencing/-sorting in the best case)? If this is the best practice how to print this on paper after creation?

A research on the web shows me I'm not alone and people doing all kind of hacks to get it done, but none of these looks is looking very practical. In the worst case I can live with a solution which is basically only working in a digital document and I can print it separately in two steps.

Any help would be very welcome because it really bugs me to struggle over this simple barrier my feeling tells me that there must be a much better solution and I'm overlooking something. I'm also willing to use another tool than Visio if this is possible with it in a practical way.

Solution

  • As often, as soon as posted (after long research) I found a possible approach:

    MS Blog: https://blogs.office.com/en-us/2017/05/01/automatically-create-process-diagrams-in-visio-from-excel-data/?eu=true

    Alternate Description: http://www.free-power-point-templates.com/articles/how-to-automatically-create-process-diagrams-in-visio-using-excel-data/

    Youtube Video-Tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6_vop2kHCg

    Alternate (Visio only) approach: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=432EvYZs26Y

    I'm still more than open to better ideas and approaches. If there is a simpler better way todo it, please post it here. It would be also interesting to go the Excel/Visio route in the opposite direction. Manage all data in Visio and beeing apple to export it excel in a nice way.

    Bonus (adding/connecting Data/Excel to a Visio Diagram): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxYu78sOxSY