16 replies to this topic

[GMO]

Restarting my (inherited) HACCP plan from scratch after an audit pasting.  It was just easier to start again and get it how I want it to be.

 

But something has just occurred to me on flow diagrams.

 

Time working them out             20%

Time making them look pretty  80%

 

Do I have time to make them look pretty?  No.  Am I doing it anyway because wonky lines and lack of alignment are like nails down a blackboard?  Hell yes.

 

Who is with me on the anal retentiveness of HACCP... 

[lmarsh16]

Hi,

 

I struggled with the very time consuming task of trying to make good looking flow charts using Word and finally found online flow charting software - Lucidchart.  Very easy to use, a free trial period and minimal cost if you want to keep using it.  I have also found it very useful to use for other processes, such as work instructions, metal detector deviations and customer complaints.  You may want to take a look at it.  

 

Lynne

[agnes]

GMO,

 

I sooooo agree with you :)

 

 

I love HACCP and make sure my lines (all 12 flows) are straight otherwise they annoy me and I can not look at them :) Yep I am very anal about it.

Luckily I have discovered Microsoft Visio - which does it for me - yeahhh - easy job now :)

 

Agnes

[Charles.C]

Hi GMO,

 

Hopefully the pasting was only for the Lines.

 

I do attempt straight connecting lines.

 

Otherwise i vote for a 100% minimalist presentation. Numbered rectangles with text/CCPs in. No colours except CCPs, no Icons, no Arrowheads.

 

IMEX Word/Excel both have Pros/Cons. I prefer Excel for Workbook convenience and flexibility but definitely not for speed.

 

 IMO auditors should be prepared to read a hazard analysis. Not just look at the CCPs.

[3esa]

cannot agree with GMO more, same problems here.

[mgourley]

I'll give another vote for Lucidchart. Fantastic tool for many applications.

 

Marshall

[PS1]

Ditto using a special software to do flow charts. Doing it in Word or Excel is a nightmare

I use SmartDraw which takes me about 5mins to do a flow chart. Visio is very similar to Smart Draw but more expensive.

[trubertq]

I used Powerpoint until recently and now I use drawio which is free!!

[pooled]

Definitely put a lot of extra time into presentation, in a HACCP plan I created before, over my plant diagram I used transparent sheets each with their own colored lines showing product or personnel movement. It demonstrated paths crossing very well & made a very good impression.

[Maltus]

GMO,

 

I sooooo agree with you :)

 

 

I love HACCP and make sure my lines (all 12 flows) are straight otherwise they annoy me and I can not look at them :) Yep I am very anal about it.

Luckily I have discovered Microsoft Visio - which does it for me - yeahhh - easy job now :)

 

Agnes

 

We used Visio for several years. Finally, we stopped using it, because some clients don't use it. so, they could't open the diagrams.

[QAGB]

We used Visio for several years. Finally, we stopped using it, because some clients don't use it. so, they could't open the diagrams.

 

Hi Maltus,

 

I always transfer Visio into a Word file or PDF.

 

When I first started using Visio, there was a slight learning curve, but I can make simple flow diagrams pretty quickly now. Our processes have so many twists and turns that I had to learn how to use Visio very well.

 

 

QAGB

[classic]

Hi

 

I use Visio.  Once the diagrams have been verified by the HACCP team they are converted to a pdf file so that they can be shared as not everyone has Visio and the originals are kept in Visio so they can be amended in the future.

 

Classic

[Ashvina]

GMO,

 

I sooooo agree with you :)

 

 

I love HACCP and make sure my lines (all 12 flows) are straight otherwise they annoy me and I can not look at them :) Yep I am very anal about it.

Luckily I have discovered Microsoft Visio - which does it for me - yeahhh - easy job now :)

 

Agnes

I totally agree with you, visio made my life easier to do a proper flowchart. What i appreciate with visio is that it's got ready made icons you can use to present pumps and valves.

 

Once mastered, on visio you can do multiple changes within seconds and absolutely no need to bother about straight lines and all.

 

Ashvina

[agasr]

GMO, 

Feel for you fully.

 

For complex flowcharts, I would certainly go with a specialized software than a Microsoft Office offered options. Amongst the software, I would certainly vote for VIZIO, and suggest converting that to your program that would house the final details.

The Microsoft Office programs while good for Org charts etc., they have a lot of limitations when it comes to technical flowcharts, even if you are not making a complicated process flow chart. 

 

Hope this helps!

 

Regards,

[JohnWheat]

MS Word is sufficient for drawing arrows and boxes...http://imgur.com/Cd4KaY0

[JohnWheat]

[primadeli]

JohnWheat, you have arrowheads poking inside some of the boxes!!      My HACCP OCD can't stand it!

But seriously, i have been mostly using MS Word as well, but with the latest version, I seem to have problems making the arrows go completely vertical.  They just don't seem to have that option anymore, or maybe my programme is buggy.  I'm just trying hard to not make any changes.