Charting and Diagramming

Techniques
Dr. Goutam Sen

Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur

West Bengal, India
1

It is not enough to be
busy... The question
is: what are we busy
about?
Henry David
Thoreau

OUTLINE
1. Overview of Charting and Diagramming
Techniques
2. Network Diagrams
3. Traditional Engineering Charting and
Diagramming Techniques
4. Block Diagrams and Process Maps

Objectives of Charts and Diagrams

1. To permit work processes to be communicated
and comprehended more readily
2. To use algorithms specifically designed for the
particular diagramming technique
3. To divide a give work process into its constituent
elements for analysis purposes
4. To provide a structure in the search for
improvements
5. To represent a proposed new work process or
method

How to Create the Chart or Diagram

Analyst is intimately familiar with the process
and develops a graphic to represent it
Analyst observes and records information
about the process
One-on-one interviews with those familiar with
the process
A graphic model of the process is developed
based on the interviews
Group meetings with personnel familiar with
process
A graphic model of the process is developed
based on the group meetings

How to Analyze the Chart or Diagram

Algorithmic analysis (e.g., line balancing, critical

path methods)
Checklists general questions applied to the
particular process
Brainstorming team activity in which
participants contribute recommendations
Separating value-added and non-value-added
operations
Value added steps:
1. Important to customer
2. Physically change the product or service

Categories of Charts and Diagrams

1. Network diagrams
2. Traditional industrial engineering charts and
diagrams
3. Block diagrams and process maps

Network Diagrams
Consist of:
Nodes representing operations, work
elements, or other entities
Arrows connecting the nodes indicating
relationships among the nodes
Two-way flows (movement of materials):
Maximum number of arrows = n(n -1)
One-way arrows (precedence):
n n 1
Maximum number of arrows =

Network Diagram
Example: critical path method (CPM)
network diagram used in project scheduling

Traditional IE Charts and Diagrams

Operation charts
Process charts
Flow diagrams
Activity charts

Operation Charts
Graphical and symbolic representation of the
operations used to produce a product
Two types of operations:
1. Processing and assembly operations
Changing the shape, properties or
surface of a material or workpart
Joining two or more parts to form an
assembly
2. Inspection operations
Checking the material, workpart, or
assembly for quality or quantity

Operation Chart for Subassembly

Checklist of Questions
What alternative starting material could be
used?
Make or buy decision: should the part be
produced in our factory or purchased?
Is this processing operation necessary?
Can this operation be eliminated, combined, or
simplified?
Could a different joining method be used?
Is this inspection necessary?
Could the inspection task be automated?

Process Charts
Graphical and symbolic representation of the
processing activities performed on something
or by somebody
Principal types of process charts:
1. Flow process chart analysis of a material
or workpiece being processed
2. Worker process chart analysis of a
worker performing a task
3. Form process chart analysis of the
processing of paperwork forms

Flow Process Chart

Uses five symbols to detail the work performed on
a material or workpart as it is processed through
a sequence of operations and activities:
Operation processing of a material
Inspection check for quality or quantity
Move transport of material to new location
Delay material waiting to be processed or
moved
Storage material kept in protected location

Flow Process Chart

Form for Flow Process Chart

Flow Diagram
Drawing of the facility layout with the addition of
lines representing movement of materials or
workers within the facility
Arrows on the lines represent direction of
movement
Often used in conjunction with a process chart
Can be used to detect excessive backtracking,
which might be missed in a process chart

Flow Diagram

Flow diagram for worker

setting up a milling
machine
Note the large number of
trips back and forth
between the milling
machine and the tool crib

Activity Charts
A listing of the activities of one or more subjects
(e.g., workers, machines) plotted against a time
scale to indicate graphically how much time is
spent on each activity
Types of activity charts:
Right-hand/left-hand activity chart (a.k.a.
workplace activity chart)
Worker-machine activity chart
Worker-multimachine activity chart
Gang activity chart (a.k.a. multiworker
activity chart)

Activity Chart
Activity chart for a worker performing a
repetitive task

Shading Formats for Activity Charts

Right-Hand/Left-Hand Activity Chart

Task involves placing pegs into a peg board
Note that left hand is used as a workholder

Worker-Multimachine Activity Chart

Can be used to indicate machine interference
(when a machine must wait for service because
worker is currently servicing another machine)

Block Diagrams
Graphic consisting mostly of blocks and arrows to
portray the relationships among components of
a physical system
Commonly used in linear control theory, where
Arrows represent the flow of signals or
variables in the system
Blocks contain transfer functions that define
how input signals are mathematically
transformed into output signals

Block Diagram
Used to depict flows and interrelationships
among components in complex systems
Block diagrams are commonly used in linear
control theory, as shown below for a feedback
control system

Process Maps
Basic process map is a block diagram showing
the steps in a process
Widely applied to business processes
Also applicable to production, logistics, and
service operations
Levels of detail:
High-level process map macroscopic view
of process and includes only the most
important steps
Low-level process map used to map each
of the steps in a high-level process map

Symbols in the Basic Process Map

Process map symbols: (a) beginning/ending
point of the process, (b) task or activity step,
and (c) decision point
Symbols are connected by arrows to indicate
sequence

Basic Process Map

Alternative Forms of Process Maps

Relationship process map block diagram that
shows the input-output connections among
departments (or other functional components)
of an organization
Cross-functional process map block diagram
showing how the steps of a process are
accomplished by various departments
Departments listed as rows separated by
dashed lines
Also called a swim-lane chart

Relationship Map

Cross-Functional Process Map

33
Dr. Jitesh Thakkar, IIT Kharagpur

MARKS: 10
TIME: 20 MINUTES

A motorist experienced a flat tire on the driver side

rear wheel of his car and went through the
following procedure to replace the flat tire with
the spare. The tire change occurred in the
middle of the day in his own driveway about 20
ft in front of his garage. He first secured the
other three wheels of the car with six bricks
from his garage to prevent the vehicle from
rolling (two trips back and forth to the garage).
He then took out the jack, crank and lug nut
wrench from the trunk of the car, and read over
the attached instructions for operating the jack.
Dr. Jitesh Thakkar, IIT Kharagpur

34

He removed the spare tire from the trunk and

placed it near the rear left wheel. Next, he
proceeded to position the jack under the car at
the recommended support beam on the car
frame. He began to turn the crank to elevate
the car. After the left rear portion of the car was
lifted a few inches, but before the flat tire was
lifted from the driveway surface, he used the
lug nut wrench to loosen the five lug nuts
securing the tire to the wheel hub. He then
returned to the task of elevating the car,
turning the jack crank until the flat tire was
completely off the driveway surface.
Dr. Jitesh Thakkar, IIT Kharagpur

35

The next step was to remove the loosened lug nuts,

placing them in a nearby position with reach. The
flat tire was then removed and lifted into the trunk.
The motorist moved the spare tire into position and
lifted it onto the five studs protruding from the
wheel hub. He reached for the five lug nuts, one at
a time, placing them onto the studs and rotating
them until finger tight. The lug nut wrench was
used to tighten the five nuts. With the tire secure,
he proceeded to lower the car by cranking the jack
down slowly until the spare tire supported the car.
For good measures, he again tightened the five lug
nuts now that the car was securely on the ground.
Dr. Jitesh Thakkar, IIT Kharagpur

36

He collected the hardware, put it back into the

trunk, and removed the bricks from the other
three wheels and put them back into his
garage.

Document this tire changing

procedure using a worker
process chart.
37
Dr. Jitesh Thakkar, IIT Kharagpur

38

 Construct process chart and flow diagram for:

a) Making coffee in an electric coffee maker
b) Mailing an insured package at the post office
c) Installing an antenna on top of the house