Tools: Visio

Just like any other Microsoft software, I found Visio very helpful, but at the same time, I found myself a little confused. From the help from the videos of Youtube.com, I followed the instructions on how to use Visio.

                Presently, I feel that Visio is a program that I could use to build a business model or flow chart that I can show to my class or to businesses to explain the process of how something might work. From this learning experience, I can envision top corporations using Visio to create flow charts to easily explain what the strategy of their plan is to their to their C-level executives. After using Visio to create my own flow chart, my chart resembled other professional charts found in business textbooks. This means that a variety of professors can use Visio to create something visual to help students understand the subject.

 From Workplacelife.com

Here are three common projects where using Visio has worked well for me:

• Software Design - This is a pretty obvious one, just because you can easily diagram both how the software will function and what the inputs and outputs will be using a Flowchart. For instance, if you are creating a software module that calculates the taxes for several different companies, you can use Visio to plan out how these taxes will be calculated and how the module will handle calculating them for each company. Even if you are writing a description of the design, you should include a Visio diagram as it’s easier for some people to understand a visual representation than a written one.
• Process Diagrams - If you have any kind of defined process, it can almost always be represented in Visio. An example of such a process would be how a product goes from the design phase to the production phase. While a “warehouse” type example easily comes to mind, another process could be financial in nature, such as how someone applies and gets approved for a credit card or loan. Visio offers a wide variety of tools for creating these kinds of diagrams, giving you lots of options to work with.
• Hierarchy Structures - To expand, what I’m talking about here in particular would be personnel hierarchy structures, such as how your project is laid out. For example, at the top could be your boss, then you, then the three people that work for you. This also works well for client personnel structures. These kinds of diagrams are essential for new people to your project, as well as for everybody else if you have a large or often-changing project.