One potential challenge for organizations planning to create visual SOPs can be finding the right software tool to fit their needs.
While it is possible to create flowcharts and diagrams within Microsoft Word and PowerPoint, both are limited in their capabilities and rather cumbersome for this purpose. Microsoft Visio, on the other hand, is an excellent tool for making flowcharts and diagrams: it is easy to use, has a wide range of features and capabilities, comes equipped with a large collection of stencils and templates, and offers the convenience of fluid integration with the MS Office Suite. On the downside, however, Visio isn’t included in any version of MS Office Suite and can be quite expensive to license. Furthermore, it isn’t available in the Mac or Linux environments.
Visio’s cost might be hard to justify, especially for organizations whose diagramming needs aren’t overly complex. This research note examines some free and lower-cost Visio alternatives, which are divided into two categories: desktop and web-based.