Swimlane diagram template

We know that 66% of knowledge workers aren’t very happy with how their team works together. It’s time to change that. A swimlane diagram (also called a swimlane flowchart) uses the visual metaphor of a pool to provide clarifying structure to complex processes and responsibilities. It can help team members or different teams work together more efficiently by visualizing everyone’s “swimlane.”

If you’re onboarding a new team member or experiencing confusion on project responsibilities, using our swimlane diagram template is a great solution. Use vertical “lanes”' to divide focus areas and shapes and connectors to show how tasks or projects move ahead in the workflow.

What is a swimlane diagram?

A swimlane diagram, also known as a cross-functional flowchart or a process map, is a type of flowchart that visualizes a process flow across different departments and people. Swimlane diagrams are named after the horizontal or vertical lanes that divide and display the tasks or activities performed by each team or person involved in a process. 

Each lane represents something or someone specific and the diagram shows how tasks flow between these lanes. Going back to the pool metaphor, a swimlane diagram shows an intricate relay race that your team will crush as long as you follow it.

Use a swimlane diagram to:

• Build understanding for process workflows, bottlenecks, and efficiency

• Improve collaboration between different teams and departments

• Identify handoff and communication gaps in business processes

• Guide better decision-making and project management

How to use the swimlane diagram template

Get started on your own swimlane diagram template here.

Step 1: Define the process flow, inputs, and outputs

Identify the process you want to map out and identify key steps, decision points, and the roles or actors involved.

Step 2: Determine the lanes for the process

Identify the different stakeholders or departments involved in the process and create a lane for each one. 

Label a lane sticky note for each key stakeholder or team in the process. Be sure to create more lanes if necessary.

Step 3: Map out the process steps

Place each process action in the appropriate lane. Use the oval sticky note to indicate the starting point and process end. Add steps for each key point in the process. Connect the steps with arrows to indicate the flow of the process. 

Be sure to document steps that happen at the same time but in different lanes. This will help identify any inefficiencies or understand how dependencies may be slowing the process down.

Step 4: Add key decision points

Identify any decision points in the process and add them to the swimlane diagram. Use the diamond shape to represent decision points and connect them to the appropriate process steps.

Step 5: Document any delays or wait times

Add timeframes for the process. If there are any delays or wait times in the process, add them to the swimlane diagram using the delay shape in the template. Label them accordingly.

Step 6: Add documents and annotations

Add document tiles to represent where data or information exists that can be read. 

Also be sure to include notes and comments on the diagram to clarify any ambiguities in the process or to provide additional context for stakeholders.

Step 7: Review and refine

Review the swimlane diagram with stakeholders and refine it as necessary to ensure accuracy and clarity.

Swimlane diagram best practices

• Get your working team involved: Involve all relevant stakeholders in the swimlane diagram creation process so everyone has a clear understanding of the process and can contribute to its improvement.

• Clarity, clarity, clarity: Make sure to clearly define the inputs and outputs of the process to ensure that everyone understands what goes into the process and what comes out of it.

• Don’t be afraid to use color: Use different colors on the flowchart symbols to highlight key information, such as decision points, delays, and other critical aspects of the process flow. This can help draw attention to important information and make the swimlane diagram more visually appealing.

Advantages and disadvantages of using swimlane diagram

Swimlane diagrams offer clear advantages in visualizing complex processes, making it easy to see who is responsible for each task. 

Advantages of using swimlane diagrams

• Clear visualization: Makes it easy to see responsibilities and roles at a glance.

• Organized structure: Divides tasks into lanes, helping to clarify who handles what.

• Identifies bottlenecks: Highlights inefficiencies in the workflow for improvement.

• Improves collaboration: Encourages smoother teamwork by showing cross-department interactions.

• Tracks accountability: Ensures each stakeholder knows their role and responsibilities.

But, with every disadvantage, there are some drawbacks to consider.

Disadvantages of using swimlane diagrams

• Complexity: Can become cluttered and hard to follow in complex workflows with many steps.

• Time-consuming: Requires significant effort to create and maintain, especially for large projects.

• Limited for dynamic processes: Needs frequent updates to stay accurate as workflows change.