Single long flowchart vs multiple flowcharts for a multiprocess workflow

[stuckagain]

Hi,

I am drawing a cross-functionality flowchart, to document the process between 2 disjointed software systems. The first system can initiate functionality in the second, and the second system ques changes which need to be retrieved and acted upon with in the first system. Right now a Windows Service looks like the best way for me to handle this; the service would listen for events in the second system and initiate the appropriate actions in the first system.

So, I started drawing a cross-functional flowchart to a) confirm / nail down the business process with our managers, b) find all the touch points with their api, and c) communicate this to the second system’s developers, who insist we don’t need a piece of functionality (maybe their right, hopefully this will communicate the flaws in one of our processes).

The question comes up once the Windows Service ‘listener’ app got involved, it seemed logical to break each listener process into a separate diagram. However, I feel that passing the business people a stack of 10 diagrams instead of one might confuse them.

Has anybody thought about this before? Is there a general rule for doing this? Am I over thinking this?

Thanks in advance for your comments.

Regards,
John

[JosAH]

I'd try to chop up that entire flow chart in several 'layers'. The top layer would
concentrate on depicting the communication between the two peers and noting
much else, i.e. no details on the business processes running on a particular
peer.

The next level could be split into several flow charts as well: one per business
process running on a peer. This would clearly separate the technology (the
communication part between the peers) from the business processing part.

Of course this way you'd end up with a pile of smaller flow charts but then again
each flow chart won't be cluttered with details you're not interested in at that
particular moment.

kind regards,

Jos

[stuckagain]

Thanks Jos,

I wound up breaking each section with the 'Separator' in Visio. It allowed me to keep each area logically separated, but still simplified and flowing for the business people to understand it.

I think in the future though, that I may break process up into it's own diagram.

Thanks again,
John