How to draw a process map on a Mac
A process map shows how a piece of work gets done: the steps, the decisions along the way, and where it ends. SimpleDiagrams 5 is a Mac app for drawing one quickly, in a friendly sketch style.
What goes on a process map
Four symbols cover most process maps. All four come with the app, in the Basic library or on the keyboard.
Start and end
An oval marks where the process starts and where it finishes. Press O for an ellipse, or use the Circle from the Basic library.
Steps
A box for each step, named with a verb, such as “Check the order”. Press R for a rectangle, or use the Square from the Basic library.
Decisions
A diamond holds a yes-or-no question, with one arrow out for each answer. Use the Diamond from the Basic library.
Arrows
Arrows show what happens next. Draw them with the Connector tool, and they stay attached when you move a box.
Draw one in SimpleDiagrams
- Place the steps. Drag a Square from the Basic library for each step, left to right or top to bottom. Double-click a shape to type its name.
- Add the decisions. Drag in a Diamond and write the question in it, such as “In stock?”.
- Join them up. Choose Right-Angle Connector from the Connector tool, then drag from one shape to the next. It finds its own route with square corners, and a new one when you move a shape. Double-click a connector to label it Yes or No.
- Line them up. Select a row of steps and choose Arrange ▸ Align, then Arrange ▸ Distribute to space them evenly.
- Add the details, if you want them. Right-click the Square in the Library panel, choose Edit Shape Data and add fields such as Owner and Time. Every step gets them. Page Data then shows the whole page as a table, ready to copy into a spreadsheet or export as CSV or JSON.
- Share it. Export a PNG, PDF or SVG, or print it. To paste it into a document or a slide, select it and press Command-Shift-C to copy it as an image.
Show who does what
Draw a long rectangle for each person or team and type their name in it. Send each one to the back with Arrange ▸ Send to Back, and lock it with Command-L so it stays put while you work. Then put every step in its owner’s lane.
Right-angle connectors go around shapes in their way, and that includes a lane between two steps. If a connector takes the long way round, right-click it and turn off Route Around Shapes.
Value stream maps
A value stream map is a process map for making and delivering a product. As well as the steps, it shows inventory, shipments, the information that drives the work, and a timeline of how long it all takes.
The free Value Stream library has the standard symbols, from the process box and data box to kanban cards and the kaizen burst. Its process shapes come with fields for cycle time, changeover time and uptime, ready to fill in and compare in Page Data. SimpleDiagrams doesn’t add them up; copy the table into a spreadsheet for that. Download the library free with a SimpleDiagrams account.
Download SimpleDiagrams 5 and try it free for 7 days
The free trial is in the download from this site. The Mac App Store edition is paid up front and has no trial.
The user guide has more on connectors and shape data.
Does your team use BPMN notation? See BPMN diagrams on your Mac.
Just need a quick flowchart? See how to make flowcharts on your Mac.
Drawing process maps in Visio or OmniGraffle now? See why SimpleDiagrams is a Visio for Mac alternative and an OmniGraffle alternative.