My Reading on ASQ CQA HB Part V Part 1 small

Charlie Chong/ Fion Zhang
Part VA
Flowcharts and Process Mapping
Process maps and flowcharts are used to depict the steps or activities in a process or system that produces
some output. Flowcharts are specific tools for depicting sequential activities and typically use standard symbols
in their creation. Flowcharts and process maps are effective means for understanding procedures and overall
processes and are used by auditees to help define how work is performed. Flowcharts are especially helpful in
understanding processes that are complicated or that appear to be in a state of disorder. Auditors may also use
flowcharts to help understand both production and service processes during audit preparation. A flowchart may
be used to describe an existing system or process or to design a new one. It can be used to:
• Develop a common understanding of an overall process, system, and sequence of operations
• Identify inspection and checkpoints that result in a decision
• Identify personnel (by job title) performing specific steps
• Identify potential problem areas, bottlenecks, unnecessary steps or loops, and rework loops
• Discover opportunities for changes and improvements
• Guide activities for identifying problems, theorizing about root causes, developing potential corrective
actions and solutions, and achieving continuous improvement
Flowcharting usually follows a sequence from top to bottom and left to right, with arrowheads used to indicate
the direction of the activity sequence. Common symbols often used for quality applications are shown in Figure
18.3. However, there are many other types of symbols used in flowcharting, such as ANSI Y15.3, Operation
and Flow Process Charts (see Figures 18.4–18.8). Templates and computer software, both of which are easy to
use and fairly inexpensive, are available for making flowcharts.