Create a process map to document the flow of steps in your
process.
Insert a process map
- Choose .
- Click a process map template, and then click Create.
Add shapes and connectors
-
In the
Shapes gallery, click a shape, and then click the
workspace.
-
To connect the shapes, click a connector in the
Shapes gallery.
To ensure that shapes stay connected even when you move them,
connect the shapes at their anchor points. Anchor points turn green when they
are connected to a shape.
Start point
End point
Tip
To quickly connect shapes at their anchor points, select a shape on the map, click the arrow in the direction where you want to place the new shape, and then choose the shape. Engage automatically connects and anchors the new shape to the existing shape.
Format shapes and connectors
-
Right-click the shape or the connector to format, and then choose one
of the following options:
After you format a shape or a connector, you can set the new format as the default.Option Description Text Change the font type, font style, font size, and color of the text on a shape or a connector. Paragraph Change the alignment or apply bullets or numbering to the text on a shape or a connector. Lines Change the color, type, and size of a connector or of a shape's outline. Fill Change the color, pattern, pattern color, or shadow color of the shape or the connector. - (Optional) Right-click the shape or the connector and choose Set as default format. The next time you add a shape or a connector of the same type, the new default format is applied. For example, if you set the fill of a Process shape to blue, and then set it as the default format, the next time you add a Process shape, it will be blue.
To create a set of reusable formatting options, go to Edit and create reusable formatting options.
Add the same shape or connector multiple times
To save time, you can use Multi-Insert to add the same shape or connector to the map multiple times.
-
Choose
,
and then choose the shape or connector to add.
-
Choose either of the following options:
- For shapes, click the workspace until you add as many shapes as necessary.
- For connectors, hold the mouse pointer on a shape, click an anchor point, and then drag the connector to an anchor point on a different shape. Use this method to connect as many shapes as necessary.
- Click Multi-Insert again to turn it off.
Add comments to a shape
By default, the Comments field is in the task pane on the Process tab. For information on how to change the location of a data field, go to Manage data fields from the task pane.
- Right-click the shape to add the comment to, and then choose .
-
In the task pane, enter a comment.
The comment symbol appears above the shape.
After you insert a comment you can do either of the following:
- To see the comment in a tooltip, hold the mouse pointer on the comment.
- To open or edit the comment in the task pane, double-click the comment.