We are going to see how to create Swimlanes in Visio. We can see the stream link is for the File tab in the backstage view. We are going to click on new because we don’t have the template here in the most recently used. So, we click into the search box, and we are going to type in Swimlane diagram Visio here. Now, hit enter, and later we have the cross-functional flowchart that pops up. We are going to select this.
The one we are looking for, we are going to select our units. Then create now, we can see that when we insert, we click on our template. First, we have this kind of chart diagram that is inserted. The reason why it’s called swim lane, we can see swimlanes here, because the look of it is a little bit like swim lanes within the swimming pool.
We can see that we have a cross-functional flowchart. The tab that has been contextual is added where we have the groups with the commands that are needed for our Swimlane diagrams Visio. We can add swim lanes from separate pages to change the orientation.
for example
Now it is horizontal, and we can make it vertical by clicking arrange group. We can see that it is the vertical one. Now, we can resize or just change the default again. The page is added automatically. We can see that we have the Swim lane diagram Visio inserted. We change the orientation. We go back to the arrange group and back into a horizontal position. If we want to insert the Swimlane diagram Visio, we can simply both go into the insert group here and Click on the Swimlane, and it is horizontal.
If we change the orientation to vertical automatically, it will readjust to vertical, and we can insert it again. We can also decide to insert a streamline from here. In this case, it would be the vertical one. We can left-click, and drag in. And we can see that we can just insert a new Swim lane diagram Visio this way as well. If we decide to have too many Swimlane, we can just select one, and double click to select it here. We hit the delete key, and we can get rid of it. If we hit again, and we can even hit the Ctrl key to Select more Trans and delete. We will have the streamlines that we need. Now, we can see that at the very top, we have the title bar, and if we double-click, we can change this title by clicking on it.
Explore Swimlane Diagram Visio Features
Once we select the whole chart and click on it a second time, we can select the title bar in a tiny bit. So, we have a better idea to change the title to new. Then we are going to change the functions as well. We will have two functions, one will be the purchaser and the other one will be a vendor.
What we can see are the different stages if we wish to add any. So, this is one Stage, and to give an idea, we could split our Swimlane diagrams Visio with separators this way. We could insert different stages.
We can even move it down and reposition it. Now, we are just going to select it and hit the delete key at the moment. We are not going to insert any, but just to have an idea of how this works.
So, we are going to start inserting our shapes up. For example, we start with a start end that we are going to position here. We are going to complete the new purchase order. To complete the new purchase order here, we have our first shape, and then we are going to create a second shape. We need to select the whole table because we are going to make it a bit bigger. We are just going to Drag this across, and we arrange this as well.
Use Different Shapes for Visio Swimlane
We have a couple of lanes that are a little bit more space. We can insert another shape here to add the second one, and that will be a process. We are going to left-click and complete the process. Make it a bit more space here again and remove this to the left side. We are going to say that this time this is a request for approval because we need to have the approval. To add and modify, you need to select the shape, hit the right key to move it, or double click to change the text, and that will be between the brackets. So, we know what we talked about going forward, and that would be a request for approval.
Now, we are going to add another Processor or a decision at this point. We are going to left-click, place it here and say to an approved question mark. We have our decision and we enter another process again that we will place here. We can see we have the guides.
Use Connector To Connect Shapes In Flowchart
So, implement Feedback, and then we will have to create it at the end. Once we are done, we are just going to scroll down a little bit. We are going to insert a document this time, and we are going to place it here. A little bit lower, let’s say like this, and we are going to say create appeal and create a purchase order. It’s pretty mistaken here, so just select and right-click to create.
We can see that we have a certain process here that has been elaborated in written form. We are going to insert our connectors. So, we need to understand the other things that are being done and that will be to go to the home page at least. We have the connectors selected always. We are going to insert a connector here that goes to this shape. Now, we are going to select and connect the next two shapes. Then we will have a shape that will go to the next shape here. If approved then we are going to need it, because we have two solutions, either yes or no. If no, we will go back here and we are going to scroll down. If yes, we are going to create and we can move it here.
Use Of Shortcut Keys In MS Visio
So, we have created already for our purchaser a nice Swimlane Diagram Visio. We are just going to enter a couple of the other ones that we have. We are not going to finish the whole chart of the diagrams or it could take a bit too long. Therefore, we are going to give an example, Ctrl+1 to escape the connector pointer, and we will go back to the pointer tool. This time we are going to show that we need a label here.
We are going to insert another process, and this time it will be in the vendor streamline. In the vendor Swimlane, we are going to say receive PO. Then we are going to have the below-created invoice. So, we are going to scroll down a little bit, and that will be a document. Again, we are going to place below and keep the same distance. We are going to say create an invoice and receive the invoice from the buyer. So, we need a process again that will receive an invoice. We are going to end it here for now. So, receive an invoice, and we will have enough of an example. At this point, what we need to do is have another couple of our connectors.
Use Variety of Tools in Flow Chart
We are going to click on a connector within the tools group again. And it will be connected to this next shape where we’re going to scroll down a little bit. We are going to insert the connector that will go to the invoice and then send it to the buyer. We are going to do a Ctrl+1 again to go back to the pointer tool mode. We are going to zoom out to see what the result is. We can see that we have a good result. We may select the chart and make it just the right size for the page. We can decide to play with the different things here at the look of our diagram.
For example
We have a phrase here that we are not using, and if we hit delete, we are not going to be able to here. We delete it because of the shape protection container or properties prevent. The complete execution of this command is something we have seen while we were inserting pictures early on. So, to do this what we need to do if we want to get rid of the phase bar here. All we have to do is by being in the cross-functional contextual tab in the design group, we can just uncheck the show separators, which are by default selected. When we unselected it, we can see that we don’t have it anymore. If we select it, we have it again.
The same goes for the title bar, where we have a new purchase order. So, if we select it’s gone and deselect it. We have it again, so this is the way it will look like another important thing. If we decide that it might be a little bit bland that we want to change the design of our chart, all we have to do is go into the design group again and in style, when we click on the drop-down, we can see that there are different designs. For example, we have this one different look. Then we could choose another type. Let’s see how this one would look like and another once again all we have to do is move it back again.
Explore Design Feature
If we want to move the whole chart to one page, we can either drag with the mouse or play with the keys on the left-right arrows that we have on our Keyboard. So many different options to change, and let’s say we’re going to keep this quite a nice one. Play with the arrows again to have it within our page perfectly. Then if we go to the design tab this time, we can change the whole look of our chart again with these themes that we have available at a glance.
We can see a live preview, which is quite nice. It has a little bit of a shadow below the shapes. We might decide to keep it this way. We can also add some background.
We can see that we have a plain background like this. We could decide to even have instead of inserting a picture. For example, a nice world map that we insert. At this point, maybe changing the color again is too much. A bit more background that we have for example this could be quite nice if it shows enough. Let’s choose it, for now, just to give you an idea, and then we have here different layouts. If we want to change completely our process is very handy to use. For example, we are going to zoom in and see when we can change it in the layout group and see what it looks like.
Use OF Swimlane (Vertical )
So, we have our purchaser barrier and vendor processes. We have changed it literally in a couple of clicks. If we don’t like it, we can just go back and change it again. Do you have an idea of what it will look like back again? We can see live previews, and extremely handy to just complete our charter. We could even add a separator if we wish to, and we are just going to add one quickly. Just to have an idea left click, and drag where we want to insert it.
We would have an extra separator. We are just going to do a Ctrl+Z to bring everything back to normal. Because in this case it really doesn’t fit, and we saw a certain behavior with the word map behind. So, here we find Swimlane extremely powerful and handy once it is built. If we’re going to change the layouts etc we can really get fancy in literally a couple of clicks up to us whichever way we like to build it.
