MARLBOROUGH, MA—DATASCOPE WMS has simplified the process of documenting business processes at Ken’s Foods, Inc. by using Microsoft Excel to develop process flow diagrams. By capturing data in Excel and exporting it to Microsoft Visio, the team has not only captured Ken’s “As-Is” processes but also mapped out the future-state flow of data and processes (also known as the “To-Be”).
“Using standard Excel templates and letting the software do the work has made things so much easier,” said Joe Bowden, Account Manager. “We can generate and re-generate diagrams as needed, and we can automate both the shapes and colors on the documents.”
Creating and editing Visio diagrams typically involves manual work: choosing the correct shapes, drawing arrow connectors between process steps, typing in step descriptions, and selecting the correct fill colors. However, Visio Plan 2, a subscription-based service offered by Microsoft, enables advanced Excel integration. After using Excel to capture process steps, generating a diagram automatically takes just a few clicks. The primary work becomes making the diagram look as impressive as possible.
Editing the process steps in a diagram is also easy. As Visio can link to Excel as a data source, updating the Excel sheet and refreshing the data set can update the diagram.
“In a big project, using tools that turn hours into minutes gives us more opportunities to focus on what’s important for the client,” continued Bowden. “We can run through multiple iterations of the same process and develop the best possible solution.”
