Introduction to this Self-Paced Training Companion€¦ · ©2009 iGrafx (Corel, Inc.) Page 1 The iGrafx® family of products provides you with easy to use tools to document, improve,

iGrafx® Self-Paced Training Companion

©2009 iGrafx (Corel, Inc.) Page 1

Introduction to this Self-Paced Training Companion

The iGrafx® family of products provides you with easy to use tools to document, improve, and manage your processes. This document is a companion to the "Creating Process Diagrams in iGrafx" self-paced online training provided by iGrafx, to help you learn iGrafx process diagramming. The example covers creating a Process diagram for Global Finance Limited, which is an up and coming global financial services provider that has rapidly expanded into markets across twelve countries. A team at Global Finance has been tasked with documenting the credit application process in order to understand why the process is taking longer than customer requirements. In addition to this companion guide, please remember that the Help menu within iGrafx provides reference and other information. From the Help menu, choose iGrafx Help. There are also other learning materials on the iGrafx website, at http://www.igrafx.com/.

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION TO THIS SELF-PACED TRAINING COMPANION .................................................................................................................................... 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 1

DIAGRAM TO CREATE (EXAMPLE 1: DEPARTMENTS) ....................................................................................................................................................... 2

INSTRUCTIONS FOR CREATING THE EXAMPLE 1 DIAGRAM (ADDING DEPARTMENTS) ....................................................................................... 2

DIAGRAM TO CREATE (EXAMPLE 2: SHAPES) ...................................................................................................................................................................... 5

INSTRUCTIONS FOR CREATING THE EXAMPLE 2 DIAGRAM (ADDING SHAPES) ...................................................................................................... 5

DIAGRAM TO CREATE (EXAMPLE 3: LINES) ......................................................................................................................................................................... 9

INSTRUCTIONS FOR CREATING THE EXAMPLE 3 DIAGRAM (ADDING LINES) .......................................................................................................... 9

DIAGRAM TO CREATE (EXAMPLE 4: LINKS AND NOTES) ............................................................................................................................................... 12

INSTRUCTIONS FOR CREATING THE EXAMPLE 4 DIAGRAM (ADDING LINKS AND NOTES) ............................................................................... 12

DIAGRAMS TO CREATE (EXAMPLE 5: SUBPROCESS HIERARCHY) ............................................................................................................................. 17

INSTRUCTIONS FOR CREATING THE EXAMPLE 5 DIAGRAM (ADDING A SUBPROCESS) ...................................................................................... 18

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Diagram to Create (Example 1: Departments)

Credit Application Process1.igx

Client

Financial Consultant

Support

Credit

Compliance

Start

Instructions for Creating the Example 1 Diagram (Adding Departments) iGrafx uses the term Swimlane® and Department interchangeably. We will now perform the steps necessary to add departments to our diagram.



Creating the New Document and Diagram Before drawing a diagram, you must create a new document (file) and diagram within the file. To create a new Process type diagram in a document:

· If the Welcome dialog box is displayed, click the New Document button and choose Process

· If the Welcome dialog box has been closed, then From the File menu, choose New, and then Process (File > New > Process)

This creates a new Process type diagram, with a department named “Dept. 1” and a “Start” shape already placed for you:

Dept. 1 Start

Adding Departments Departments in iGrafx show resource specialization, responsibility for performing a task, cost center, etcetera. We will now add Departments: 1. Click the Department icon on the Toolbox toolbar (by default, it’s on the left side of the iGrafx window), and choose Insert Department:



This displays the Insert Department dialog box:

2. Type the department name “Financial Consultant” and click the Apply button. (Leave the location as Top Level) 3. Type the department name “Support” and click the Apply button. 4. Type the department name “Credit” and click the Apply button. 5. Type the department name “Compliance”. 6. Click OK. You should now have five (5) departments: Dept. 1, Financial Consultant, Support, Credit, and Compliance. Renaming a Department To rename a department, simply click on it and start typing:

1. Click on the department named “Dept. 1” 2. Type in a new name of “Client”.

As you add or move shapes, departments will grow or shrink as necessary. If you want to change the size of a department, remember that you can click on the department, put your cursor over the dark square at its corner, and press-and-hold your mouse button to drag the department to a new size.



Diagram to Create (Example 2: Shapes)

Client


Support

Credit

Compliance

Start

Enter Information

Calculate Value of the

Proposal

Review Information

Correct?

Request Missing

Information

Provide Missing

Information

Perform Credit Review

OK?

OK?Perform

Compliance Review

Confirm Value of the Proposal

Document Decision

Document Decision

Notify Client of the Final Decision

Receive Decision

End

Instructions for Creating the Example 2 Diagram (Adding Shapes) iGrafx allows you to quickly and easily add shapes (optionally adding lines at the same time) to your diagram. We will now perform the steps necessary to add shapes to our diagram.



Adding Activity Shapes We will start adding shapes to our diagram with the rectangular ‘Activity’ shape. The Activity shape indicates that some work is performed, usually by the resource defined by the swimlane. The Activity should start with a verb. Place a rectangle (Activity) in the diagram: 1. Click the rectangle, or Activity, icon on the Toolbox toolbar: 2. Move the cursor into the diagram. 3. The cursor changes to a pencil with a shape (the placement cursor):

4. Press and hold the (left) mouse button while you move the cursor. This is also known as “click and drag”. 5. Move your cursor to the “Financial Consultant” swimlane. 6. Use the outline of the shape to place the shape underneath the Start shape. 7. When you’re satisfied with the placement, release the mouse button. 8. Type “Enter Information” for the name of the shape. Your diagram should now look like this:



We will now add a couple more Activity shapes to the diagram: 9. Move your cursor to empty space in the diagram, where there is not any shape or other object.

10. Click (press and release) your left mouse button, and iGrafx returns to Selector Tool mode: 11. Click your mouse button again, to return to placement mode:

12. Press and hold the (left) mouse button while you move the cursor. 13. Move your cursor to the “Support” swimlane. 14. Place the shape underneath the Enter Information shape and release the mouse button. 15. Type “Calculate Value of the Proposal” for the name of the shape. 16. Use steps 9-11 to return to the placement cursor. 17. Place the shape to the right of the Calculate Value of the Proposal shape and release the mouse button. 18. Type “Review Information” for the name of the shape. 19. Click in empty space, to return to the Selector Tool (arrow) icon. Your diagram should now look like this:



Adding Decision Shapes

Place a diamond (intelligent Decision shape) in the diagram:

1. Click the diamond icon (Toolbox toolbar): 2. Move the cursor into the diagram. 3. The cursor changes to a pencil with a shape (the placement cursor). 4. Press and hold the mouse button. 5. Use the outline of the shape to place the decision shape to the right of the “Review Information” shape. 6. When you’re satisfied with the placement, release the mouse button. 7. Type “Correct?” in for the name of the decision. Your Support swimlane (department) should now look like the following:

SupportCalculate

Value of the Proposal

Review Information

Correct?

For diamonds (decisions) the connection lines are automatically created with decision case labels. By default, the first line drawn from a diamond is labeled “No” and the second one is a “Yes”. You can define your own label text. Drawing lines is covered in a later exercise. Completing the Exercise Remember that iGrafx expands Departments automatically to contain all shapes. Keep adding Activity (rectangle) and Decision (diamond) shapes until your diagram looks like the picture supplied above, under the “Diagram to Create (Example 2: Shapes)” heading found at the beginning of this example. Use the ‘Start’ shape (above the Activity shape on the Toolbox toolbar) for the “End” shape at the right edge of the diagram.

Client


Support

Credit

Compliance

Start

Enter Information


Proposal

Review Information

Correct?

Request Missing

Information

Provide Missing

Information


OK?

OK?Perform

Compliance Review


Document Decision

Document Decision


Receive Decision

End



Diagram to Create (Example 3: Lines)

Client


Support

Credit

Compliance

Start

Enter Information


Proposal

Review Information

Correct?

Request Missing

Information

Provide Missing

Information


OK?

OK?Perform

Compliance Review


Document Decision

Document Decision


Receive Decision

End

No

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

No

Instructions for Creating the Example 3 Diagram (Adding Lines) In iGrafx you can quickly create connection lines in your diagram directly from Selector Tool (Arrow cursor) mode, without having to lock into a line-drawing mode. In addition, iGrafx will also automatically label lines leaving a Decision shape. We will now add lines to our diagram.



Drawing Connection Lines To connect two shapes with a connection line:

1. Ensure the Selector tool (Arrow cursor) is chosen (Toolbox toolbar): 2. Move the cursor inside the Start shape, near the bottom side.

3. Press and hold4. Drag the cursor to the inside of the top side of the “Enter Information” rectangle activity shape.

down the left mouse button.

5. Release the mouse button. This draws the connection line:

Start

Enter Information

6. We’ll repeat this for more shapes. Move your cursor to the inside the Enter Information shape, near the bottom side, drag (press-hold the

mouse button) the cursor to the inside of the top side of the “Calculate Value of the Proposal” rectangle activity shape, and release the mouse button. You’ve now connected the Enter Information and Calculate Value of the Proposal shapes together:

Enter Information


Proposal

7. Put your cursor inside of the Calculate Value of the Proposal shape, press-drag the mouse to the right, to the inside of the Review Information shape, and release the mouse; you’ve drawn another line:


Proposal

Review Information



8. Repeat the same technique (Arrow cursor inside a shape, press-drag-release to inside the shape to connect to) to place a line between the

Review Information shape and the Correct? Decision shape:

Review Information

Correct?

Drawing Decision Case Connection Line Remember that decision lines are automatically labeled with ‘No’ or ‘Yes’; the first line you draw will be labeled ‘No’.

1. Move your cursor inside the diamond. 2. Press and hold your mouse button 3. Drag your cursor slightly inside the “Request Missing Information” shape. 4. Release the mouse button; the ‘No’ line is drawn. 5. Repeat steps 8-11, dragging to inside the “Perform Credit Review” shape; the ‘Yes’ line is drawn.

The portion of the diagram with the Decision should now look like the following:

Review Information

Correct?

Request Missing

Information


No

Yes

Remember that you can right-click on the ‘No’ case text to choose ‘Yes’, and vice-versa.

Now you can complete your diagram using the picture in “Diagram to Create (Example 3: Lines)”, using the arrow cursor (Selector Tool) press-drag-release from inside to inside of shapes to draw lines. If the arrow cursor does not work for you for some reason, you can use the Connector Line

Tool on the Toolbox toolbar: to place yourself explicitly in line-drawing mode. If you use the Connector Line Tool, note that iGrafx will return to the arrow cursor (Selector Tool) after drawing the line; clicking empty space will return you to the Connector Line Tool.



Diagram to Create (Example 4: Links and Notes)

Client


Support

Credit

Compliance

Start1

Enter Information

2


Proposal

3Review

Information

4

Correct?

5

Request Missing

Information

6

Provide Missing

Information

7


8

OK?

9

OK?

10Perform

Compliance Review

11


12Document Decision

13

Document Decision

14


15

Receive Decision

16

End17

No

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

No

Instructions for Creating the Example 4 Diagram (Adding Links and Notes) iGrafx has powerful features for increasing the readability and usefulness of your diagram, whether that’s linking to related data, annotating the diagram with notes, displaying automatic shape numbers, or other features. We will create a link from the activity shape “Review Information” to



a spreadsheet or other file, add a note to the step explaining the linked file, and test that the link can be followed. We will also display shape numbers on the diagram, and optionally renumber shapes if needed.

Links to External Files We will link to another file, such as a spreadsheet with data or a word processing file; this allows you to reference work instructions, forms to be used, videos, etc.: 1. Select the “Review Information” shape in the Support department. 2. From the Insert menu at the top of the application, choose Link. 3. Click the “File or Web Page” button (on the left in the Add Link dialog box).

Note: You may not have the ‘Process Central Link’ choice if you have not installed Process Central.

4. Browse to the file or web page that you want to link to. Click on the folder icon, to browse for a file, browse to the file you want, and click Open.

5. Click in the “Key Modifiers” box and click the Ctrl key. (You may also use the Shift or Alt key; or a combination of those keys). 6. Click in the “Description” box and type a description for this link. For example, you dialog box may now look like the following:



7. Click OK, to create the link. The “Review Information” shape now has a link icon in the lower-right corner:

Review Information

We will now activate (follow) the link, to show what we linked to: 8. Right-click on the “Review Information” shape, to show the context menu. 9. Click on the link you created; your Description will be shown in the context menu at or near the bottom:

The data you linked to opens in the application for that file type; e.g., a spreadsheet opens. Please close the file you opened and return to iGrafx. Note: Since you used the Ctrl key as a Key Modifier, you could have instead pressed and held the Ctrl key and double-clicked on the shape to follow the link.



Notes We will now make a note of what the linked data is: 1. Select the “Review Information” shape if it is not already selected. 2. Click the F6 key (or from the View menu, choose Note). 3. In the note window, type a note about what data you linked to and why. (For example, “Please update the process data spreadsheet linked to

by this step.”). Your note window should now look like the following:

4. Click the “x” button, to close the Note window. The shape now has a ‘yellow sticky’ icon to indicate a note, and when you place your cursor over the shape, the note appears in a yellow ‘tooltip’:

Automatic Numbering iGrafx automatically numbers the shapes based on the order they were placed in the diagram. To show shape numbers:

1. Click on the Shape Numbering icon (Toolbox toolbar): 2. Choose Show All Shape Numbers. You can optionally use the Auto Renumber and Manual Renumber tools to number the shapes in any order desired. iGrafx automatically avoids any duplicate numbers from being created.



Optional: To automatically renumber the shapes by the flow of connection lines through the diagram:

1. Click on the Shape Numbering icon (Toolbox toolbar): 2. Choose Auto Renumber. This displays the Automatic Renumber dialog box:

3. Click OK. The shapes are renumbered. If the numbers are still not how you would prefer them, you can manually renumber shapes. Click on the Shape Numbering icon on the Toolbox

toolbar, , and choose Manual Renumber. This displays the Renumber dialog box. Set the number to the number you want, and then click on a shape with the renumber wand cursor. The shape is given that number, and the Renumber dialog box automatically increases to the next number in the sequence. Keep clicking numbers until you have the sequence you want, and then click Finished.



Diagrams to Create (Example 5: Subprocess Hierarchy)

Top-Level Process:

Client


Support

Credit

Compliance

Start1

Enter Information

2


Proposal

3Review

Information

4

Correct?

5

Request Missing

Information

6

Provide Missing

Information

7


8

OK?

9

OK?

10Perform

Compliance Review

11


12Document Decision

13

Document Decision

14


15

Receive Decision

16

End17

No

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

No

Add Subprocess Here

Subprocess:

Credit

Start

Review Financial

Statement of the Applicant

Document Capacity to Repay the

Loan

Security?Review the Use of the

Loan

No

Review Collateral or Guarantees

Yes

Document Risk Factors

End

(See next page for instructions.)



Instructions for Creating the Example 5 Diagram (Adding a Subprocess) iGrafx can quickly and easily create hierarchical relationships between diagrams, creating subprocesses and allowing you to ‘drill down’ into more detailed levels of process description. At Global Finance, the team has decided to detail a subprocess for the step Perform Credit Review. We will now add and draw that subprocess. Creating Hierarchy (Links to Diagrams in the Same File) You can easily capture processes ‘top-down,’ ‘drilling down’ into successive levels of detail by connecting diagrams together. We will now create a subprocess for the Perform Credit Review activity shape: 1. Double-click on the “Perform Credit Review” activity shape. This displays the Properties dialog box. 2. Select (click on) the Process page, under the Guide category (left side of dialog). 3. From the Activity Type drop-down menu, choose Subprocess:

4. Click the New button (to the right of the process name drop-down):

5. Type “Perform Credit Review” in the New Component dialog box:



6. Click OK, to close the New Component dialog box. 7. Click OK, to save and close your changes to the Perform Credit Review activity properties. The shape now has a drop-shadow, to indicate

there is a sub-process for this shape:


8

Activating the Subprocess (Internal) Link To follow the link to the sub-process: 1. Right-click on the Perform Credit Review shape. 2. Choose the “Perform Credit Review” link from the context menu. This opens the new diagram you created previously:

Dept. 1 Start

Drawing the Subprocess Diagram We will now draw the subprocess diagram, using some of the functionality in iGrafx that accelerates drawing a process diagram:



Place a rectangle (Activity) in the diagram: 1. Click the rectangle, or Activity, icon on the Toolbox toolbar: 2. Move the cursor into the diagram. The cursor changes to a pencil with a shape (the placement cursor):

3. Put the placement cursor inside of the Start shape. The cursor changes to the place and connect cursor; a pencil with two shapes and a line

connecting the shapes:

4. Press and hold the (left) mouse button while you move the cursor to the right. Notice that an outline of the shape appears, along with a line

connecting the two shapes. 5. Use the outline of the shape to place the shape to the right of the Start shape. 6. When you’re satisfied with the placement, release the mouse button. 7. Type “Review Financial Statement of the Applicant” for the name of the shape.

8. Click in empty space in the diagram to return to the arrow cursor (Selector tool) mode iGrafx returns to Selector Tool mode: Your diagram should now look like this:

Dept. 1 Start

Review Financial


9. Click your mouse button again, to return to placement mode:

10. Put the placement cursor inside of the Review Financial Statement of the Applicant shape. The cursor changes to a pencil with two shapes and

a line connecting the shapes:

11. Press and hold the (left) mouse button while you move the cursor to the right, place the shape where you want it, and release the mouse

button (i.e. drag-drop the activity) to get this:



12. Type “Document Capacity to Repay the Loan” for the name of the shape.

13. Click in empty space in the diagram to return to the arrow cursor (Selector tool) mode iGrafx returns to Selector Tool mode: Now we will drag-drop a Decision shape, and connect it to more activity shapes. 14. Click the Decision (diamond shape ), put your cursor inside of the “Document Capacity to Repay the Loan” shape, drag it (press-hold the

mouse button) to the right, and then release the mouse button to get this:

15. Type “Security?” for the name of the shape. 16. Now click on the Activity shape, , on the Toolbox toolbar, place your cursor inside the Decision, and drag from the Decision diamond to

the right to get this:

Note: The red cross-hatched fill is a warning that you have not yet drawn all Decision paths (cases) from this decision. This is the correct-by-construction “real-time checking” feature of iGrafx. We can ignore this for now, as we are about to draw the other path.

17. Type “Review the Use of the Loan” for the name of the shape.

18. Click in empty space to return to the arrow cursor (Selector Tool) mode: 19. Now click again in empty space to return to the placement cursor:



20. Put the placement cursor inside of the Security? Decision diamond shape, and drag-drop the Activity rectangle shape below the Decision. 21. Type “Review Collateral or Guarantees” for the name of the shape. A portion of your diagram now looks like this:

Note that iGrafx automatically labels the next line drawn from the Decision shape as ‘Yes’. This is correct-by-construction functionality. Remember that if you want to switch the Yes and No, simply right-click on the text to change it; e.g. right-click on ‘Yes’ and choose ‘No’.

22. Click in empty space to return to the arrow cursor: Note: If you were already in the arrow cursor, you might get placement mode again. If you do, simply click Esc – the Escape key – to temporarily return to the arrow cursor Selector Tool mode.

23. Place your arrow cursor in the “Review Collateral or Guarantees” Activity, and drag (press-hold-release the mouse button) the line into the bottom of the “Review the Use of the Loan” Activity. Now your diagram should look like this:

(Remember that you can use the Connector Line Tool to draw lines as well) 24. Click on the Start shape, (the rectangle with rounded corners, above the activity rectangle shape on the Toolbox toolbar), place your

cursor inside of the “Review the Use of the Loan” shape, and drag-drop to the right to place and connect it. 25. Type “End” for the name of the shape. Your diagram should now look like this; the subprocess diagram we showed at the beginning of this

example:



Dept. 1

Start

Review Financial


Document Capacity to Repay the

Loan

Security?Review the Use of the

Loan

No

Review Collateral or Guarantees

Yes

End

Returning to the Parent Process To return to the parent process diagram, you can do one of the following:

· Use the Back Button: Click the ‘back’ button, , on the Standard toolbar. This assumes you have not viewed other diagrams after viewing the subprocess. The back button works like the back button on your internet browser.

· Close the sub-process diagram: By clicking the “x” button for the diagram window (not for iGrafx) in the upper-right corner of the iGrafx

window, you close the currently open diagram (but not file). iGrafx still has the file open, so it does not prompt you to save.

ß Close the diagram window with this button, not the application close above it.

· Use the Document Components Window: The Document Components window is covered next in your self-paced training. You can view all of the components of the file, or even the hierarchical structure of the diagrams, in the Document Components window. From the View menu, choose More Windows, and then Document Components Window. Simply double-clicking on the diagram you want to see will open it.

You have reached the end of the example. Please return to your self-paced training window. iGrafx is a trademark of Corel, Inc. Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Other products may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Documents

Introduction to this Self-Paced Training Companion€¦ · ©2009 iGrafx (Corel, Inc.) Page 1 The iGrafx® family of products provides you with easy to use tools to document, improve,