Handling and processing data is crucial for different organizations. Due to this, there are various management tools for handling such matters. The flowchart is one such tool, which is useful for your workflow planning. This diagram covers all forms of data, from customer information to programming code. If you’d like to put one together quickly, then download one of our professional Data Flowchart Templates! Create a chart for data mapping, business payments, website maintenance, and more. Our templates are easily editable in Google Docs, making them suitable for people with Google accounts. So, go ahead and download today—import and export data more efficiently with our original samples!
How to Make a Data Flowchart in Google Docs
Working on data and information usually ends up as a long and tedious task. That’s why it’s important that you create a streamlined workflow with a flowchart.
Chron (a US-based publication) points out that flowcharts are very helpful due to how versatile they are. And so, whether you’re taking store inventory or creating a classification database, a flowchart serves well for data-related work.
Are you putting together your own process chart in Google Docs? Then let us help with our tips just below!
1. Access the Drawing Window for Your Data Flowchart
You can’t go wrong with Google Docs when it comes to making a diagram! But first, you need to open up the Drawing window.
In the toolbar, go to Insert > Drawing and then pick New. After doing so, the smaller Drawing window is now open within Docs’s work area.
2. Name Your Data Flowchart Using a Text Box
Once you’re in the Drawing window, it’s time to start working on your chart. For this, you need the text box feature.
In the Drawing window’s own toolbar, click on the Text Box button (the “T” icon) and then place the text box at the top of the drawing area. When thinking of what to write for your title, go with something that describes the chart’s contents—like “Computer Data Training System” or “Financial Log Library Flowchart.”
3. Use Symbols to Denote Your Data Flowchart’s Steps
There’s a variety of symbols used in a flowchart, and out of those are a few commonly used basic ones. Insert these symbols into your chart document by accessing the Drawing window’s Shape menu.
For the starting (and ending) point in your process, use the oval shape. Meanwhile, actions and tasks are represented by rectangles. Next, for both inputs and outputs, use parallelograms. And finally, diamond shapes are for your decision steps, which lead to at least two diverging workflow paths.
4. Add Lines into Your Data Flowchart
It’s imperative that your flowchart properly shows how one step transitions to the next. So, you need a few interlinking lines for this.
Open the Select Line menu (next to Shape) and then choose one of the Connector options. Place the line between two adjacent shapes, click-dragging one end of the line to a shape’s purple node. Then, do the same for the opposite end with the other shape, which now gives both shapes a self-orienting line.
And with that, creating your own data flowchart is now as simple as 1-2-3! Don’t forget about our Data Flowchart Templates for an even easier time with your content creation.
