How to Show a Loop (Rework) in a Visio Flowchart
Real processes repeat: a document goes back for changes until it's approved. Learn how to draw a rework loop in a Visio flowchart so it stays clear and easy to read.
Step by step
Intro
- Loops in flowcharts. Real processes repeat. Here a requirements document goes back for changes until it is approved, and the flowchart shows that rework loop clearly.
- Basic Flowchart Shapes. All the shapes come from the Basic Flowchart Shapes stencil in the Shapes pane.
The main path
- Build the main path. Drag a Start/End shape onto the page and type Draft requirements. Below it, add a Process shape labelled Stakeholders review. Connect Draft requirements to Stakeholders review, so the arrow runs down the main path.
The decision
- The decision. The loop branches off at a decision. Add a Decision shape and type Approved? Connect Stakeholders review to the Approved? diamond.
The rework step
- The rework step. If the answer is no, someone fixes the document. Add a Process shape labelled Update document off to the side, so the main path stays in a straight line. Connect Approved? to Update document, then select that connector and type No to label it.
- Close the loop. Close the loop by connecting Update document back to Stakeholders review. Visio routes the connector around the other shapes for you.
The way out
- The way out. A loop needs a way out. Add a Start/End shape labelled Signed off for when the answer is yes. Connect Approved? to Signed off and label that connector Yes.
- Done. Click an empty part of the page to clear the selection. The full loop is now easy to read: review, decide, update and review again, until the answer is Yes.
Loop rules
- Loop rules. 2 rules for loops. The loop branches off at a decision, not at a normal step. And the arrow goes back to the step that gets repeated, here Stakeholders review, not to the start.
Common mistakes
- Looping back from a normal step. A Process shape has only one way out, so the reader can't tell when the loop stops. Put a Decision shape first and let its No branch start the loop.
- Sending the arrow back to the start. That says the whole process starts again from Draft requirements. Point the arrow at the step that really repeats, which here is Stakeholders review.
- Leaving the decision branches unlabelled. 2 bare arrows coming out of a diamond don't say which way is which. Select each connector and type Yes or No.
- Putting the rework step on the main path. Then the loop line crosses the main flow and the chart gets hard to follow. Place Update document off to the side so the straight path reads as the normal case.
When a business analyst uses this
In a process-mapping workshop on document sign-off, a BA draws the review and approval cycle as a loop so stakeholders can see where documents bounce back. The No branch shows where rework adds time, which is often the first thing the team decides to fix.
Questions people ask
How do you show a loop in a flowchart?
Use a decision diamond with 2 labelled branches. The No branch goes through any rework step and back to the step that repeats, and the Yes branch leads out of the loop.
How do you show a loop in Visio?
Use the Start/End, Process and Decision shapes from the Basic Flowchart Shapes stencil. Connect the rework step back to the repeated step, and Visio routes the connector around the other shapes.
Can I draw the same loop in draw.io?
Yes. draw.io has the same flowchart shapes, including the decision diamond. The rules don't change: branch at a decision, label Yes and No, and point the arrow back at the step that repeats.
