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Faizan
Process flow describes how things move through systems: messages through the Internet, electricity through your car's wiring, your steps in playing a computer game or how sea water moving through a desalination plant. Process flow is often depicted by process charts (each picture depicts one stage of processing) or flow charts (tracing your way through the chart is like tracing one path through the system). There are several different kinds of process flow.
Data Flow
Process flow that describes how data moves through a system can be represented by either process charts or flowcharts. Typical examples are the information that flows into a business (or department) and the information that is input to a computer, or computer program. Systems that process data have a couple of distinguishing characteristics: multiple inputs and places where the data may split or duplicate. Multiple inputs make flowcharts a little unconventional (the usually have only one starting place) but still possible. The data splitting--half a message goes one place, the other half some place else--makes flowcharts problematic. Process charts are usually a better way to represent this type of process flow. Data flow is sometimes modeled by Data Flow Diagrams (DFD).
Document Flow
Document flow is a lot like data flow with one big difference: documents don't usually divide. A document usually stays intact until it is filed or thrown away. Document flow is easier to represent than data flow for the simple reason that documents are easier to see than data--especially when the data is in computer readable format. Examples of document flow are found whenever there are forms to fill out or forms to process. Massages that go through the post office are also good examples. Compare what happens to these documents to what happens to email messages to see the clear contrast between data flow and document flow.
Program Flow
Program flow is very different from either data flow or document flow. Program flow is about "control" moves through the system. In program flow, an outside agent is going through the system doing things. The archtypical example of program flow is the computer program, where the Central Processing Unit (CPU) is moving through the system (program) doing things. For the traditional computer program, there is only one entry point which makes this type of process flow perfect for flow charts. Another example of program flow is a cook following a recipe. The cook moves through the recipe--perhaps ignoring some optional steps--until the end. In both cases, the movement of an agent through the system produced a desired result.
System Flow
System flow differs from the other types of flow in that all the parts of a system are active at the same time. In the other types of flow parts of the system may not be active much of the time--data or documents may only flow into some parts of the system on special occasions. Program flow likewise may rarely visit some parts of the system. System flow looks at the whole system where every part is active all of the time. Examples of system flow include factories and the human body--everything is going on at the same time. Neither process charts or flowcharts are adequate to model system processes. The best approach is to break the system down into small parts and describe what each one does--this is called a Process Flow Diagram (PFD). These have no labeled start and end--they are simply diagrams of the system.
Data Flow
Process flow that describes how data moves through a system can be represented by either process charts or flowcharts. Typical examples are the information that flows into a business (or department) and the information that is input to a computer, or computer program. Systems that process data have a couple of distinguishing characteristics: multiple inputs and places where the data may split or duplicate. Multiple inputs make flowcharts a little unconventional (the usually have only one starting place) but still possible. The data splitting--half a message goes one place, the other half some place else--makes flowcharts problematic. Process charts are usually a better way to represent this type of process flow. Data flow is sometimes modeled by Data Flow Diagrams (DFD).
Document Flow
Document flow is a lot like data flow with one big difference: documents don't usually divide. A document usually stays intact until it is filed or thrown away. Document flow is easier to represent than data flow for the simple reason that documents are easier to see than data--especially when the data is in computer readable format. Examples of document flow are found whenever there are forms to fill out or forms to process. Massages that go through the post office are also good examples. Compare what happens to these documents to what happens to email messages to see the clear contrast between data flow and document flow.
Program Flow
Program flow is very different from either data flow or document flow. Program flow is about "control" moves through the system. In program flow, an outside agent is going through the system doing things. The archtypical example of program flow is the computer program, where the Central Processing Unit (CPU) is moving through the system (program) doing things. For the traditional computer program, there is only one entry point which makes this type of process flow perfect for flow charts. Another example of program flow is a cook following a recipe. The cook moves through the recipe--perhaps ignoring some optional steps--until the end. In both cases, the movement of an agent through the system produced a desired result.
System Flow
System flow differs from the other types of flow in that all the parts of a system are active at the same time. In the other types of flow parts of the system may not be active much of the time--data or documents may only flow into some parts of the system on special occasions. Program flow likewise may rarely visit some parts of the system. System flow looks at the whole system where every part is active all of the time. Examples of system flow include factories and the human body--everything is going on at the same time. Neither process charts or flowcharts are adequate to model system processes. The best approach is to break the system down into small parts and describe what each one does--this is called a Process Flow Diagram (PFD). These have no labeled start and end--they are simply diagrams of the system.
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