Cross Functional Flowchart
Plan for any undesirable actions, outcomes, or behaviors that occur in the workplace. Clarify different team responsibilities and identify bottlenecks using a Cross-Functional flowchart.
About the Cross-Functional Flowchart
Cross-functional flowcharts (also known as a “swim lane diagram” or “cross-functional process map” ) can help you visualize business relationships and end-to-end project contributions. These elements that depend on each other can include the relationship between functions and stakeholders (such as departments and clients) or project phases and milestones.
The map format allows you to make your business processes or project phases more transparent with added layers of detail and structure.
Keep reading to learn more about cross-functional flowcharts.
What is a Cross-Functional flowchart?
A cross-functional flowchart shows how people from different teams contribute to, and complete, a business process or project.
The lanes in the chart can help separate and clarify which department, employee, or person outside of the business contributes to a business or project.
Each person (such as a customer, client, or representative from a specific function) who contributes to the big-picture process is assigned a lane. That assigned area outlines all the activities they are responsible for moving forward to the finish line.
When to use a Cross-Functional flowchart
Cross-functional flowcharts can be used to improve your team and organizational processes. These changes can include the need to work out what factors create inefficiencies and address delays that impact both internal and external stakeholders.
A cross-functional flowchart can also help different teams or departments better understand each other’s responsibilities and capabilities. These details are especially useful when people haven’t worked together before or struggle to understand what different teams do on a day-to-day basis. Consistently collaborating with an online flowchart creates greater transparency and alignment.
Create your own Cross-Functional flowchart
Making your own cross-functional flowchart is easy. Miro’s virtual collaboration platform is the perfect flowchart maker and canvas for sharing them. Get started by selecting the Cross-Functional Flowchart Template, then take the following steps to make one of your own.
1. Decide what your lanes are.
Decide what divisions (functions) or identities (internal or external stakeholders) need representation on the flow chart.
2. Define what the start of your process is.
What’s the first action that triggers a series of tasks or interactions? Maybe it’s a client confirmation or a customer request. Each division will have a different starting point, but you’ll see that there may be points in the journey or interaction where functions or individuals coincidentally meet (or need to coordinate and communicate, for a smoother process to roll out).
3. Keep adding steps to your process until you get to the last step or endpoint.
What does the flow of information look like from start to finish? What decisions need to be made? Ask yourself and your team these questions as you map out each situation. Try to convert your quick sketches to sticky notes, shapes, and connecting lines that work together to create a logical flow chart.
4. Update your flow chart as needed—and use it alongside other process-based templates.
Cross-functional process maps were designed to work alongside – or be connected to – other templates, such as a product roadmap or stakeholder mapping tool. Rally your teammates, stakeholders, and leadership team around a people-first vision by helping them see the bigger picture alongside the all-important details.
Get started with this template right now.
Work Plan Template
Works best for:
Mapping, Project Planning
A work plan is essentially a roadmap for a project. It articulates the steps you must take to achieve the desired goal, sets demonstrable objectives, and establishes measurable deliverables. An effective work plan guides you throughout the project lifecycle, allowing you to realize an outcome by collaborating with your team. Although work plans vary, they generally contain four core components: goals, strategy, tactics, and deliverables.
Product Ops Canvas
Works best for:
Product Management, Planning
The Product Ops Canvas template helps product managers align product strategies with operational capabilities. By mapping out key operational processes, tools, and metrics, this template fosters alignment between product and operational teams. With sections for identifying bottlenecks and optimizing workflows, it supports continuous improvement in product operations. This template serves as a guide for driving efficiency and scalability in product management processes, enabling teams to deliver high-quality products at scale.
Outcome Mapping Template
Works best for:
Diagrams, Mapping, Project Management
Use Miro’s outcome mapping template to improve your operational efficiency. Outcome mapping will help you visualize all the possible strategic outcomes for your upcoming project, allowing you to see into the black box to identify any potential challenges along the way.
User Persona Template
Works best for:
Marketing, Desk Research, User Experience
A user persona is a tool for representing and summarizing a target audience for your product or service that you have researched or observed. Whether you’re in content marketing, product marketing, design, or sales, you operate with a target in mind. Maybe it’s your customer or prospect. Maybe it’s someone who will benefit from your product or service. Usually, it’s a whole collection of personalities and needs that intersect in interesting ways. By distilling your knowledge about a user, you create a model for the person you hope to target: this is a persona.
Milestone Chart Template
Works best for:
Project Management, Strategic Planning, Project Planning
When your team is collaborating on a large project, keeping track of the many tasks and multiple timelines can be a challenge. That’s why you need a milestone chart. These visual representations of important project events will make it simple for your team to stay on schedule and reach goals on time. And it’s so easy to get started — just determine the major milestones, use our template to create a milestone chart, and define the key dates and deliverables each milestone will require.
Product Metrics & Analytics
Works best for:
Product Management, Planning
The Compelling Product Offer template assists product teams in defining and measuring key product metrics effectively. By identifying performance indicators, setting benchmarks, and tracking progress, this template enables teams to evaluate the success of product initiatives objectively. With sections for defining KPIs, visualizing data, and analyzing trends, it provides actionable insights for driving product improvements and optimizations. This template serves as a dashboard for monitoring product performance and making data-driven decisions that enhance the overall product offering.