Diagram that represents an algorithm workflow or process. The flowchart shows the steps as boxes of various kinds and their order by connecting the boxes with arrows. This diagrammatic representation illustrates a solution model to a given problem. Flowcharts are used in analyzing designing documenting or managing a process or program in various fields

Flowchart of a C-style for loop Flowcharts are used in designing and documenting simple processes or programs. Like other types of diagrams they help visualize what is going on and thereby help understand a process and perhaps also find less-obvious features within the process like flaws and bottlenecks. There are different types of flowcharts: each type has its own set of boxes and notations. The two most common types of boxes in a flowchart are:

a processing step usually called activity and denoted as a rectangular box. a decision usually denoted as a diamond.

A flowchart is described as "cross-functional" when the chart is divided into different vertical or horizontal parts to describe the control of different organizational units. A symbol appearing in a particular part is within the control of that organizational unit. A cross-functional flowchart allows the author to correctly locate the responsibility for performing an action or making a decision and to show the responsibility of each organizational unit for different parts of a single proces

Flowcharts depict certain aspects of processes and are usually complemented by other types of diagram. For instance Kaoru Ishikawa defined the flowchart as one of the seven basic tools of quality control next to the histogram Pareto chart check sheet control chart cause-and-effect diagram and the scatter diagram. Similarly in UML a standard concept-modeling notation used in software development the activity diagram which is a type of flowchart is just one of many different diagram types.

Common alternative names include: flow chart process flowchart functional flowchart process map process chart functional process chart business process model process model process flow diagram work flow diagram business flow diagram. The terms "flowchart" and "flow chart" are used interchangeably.