Microsoft s Visio is diagramming and drawing software that uses templates to allow users to draw anything from an organization chart to a floor plan simply by dragging-and-dropping a pre-drawn graphic onto the work area. Visio allows non-artists to create network diagrams, website maps and intelligent mapping systems with professional-looking results. With Visio users can create diagram solutions of any kind.

Visio offers scanner and photo images, sound clips and videos that can be incorporated into your diagram, and support to import and manipulate images from other sources. Visio makes large difficult projects possible and makes small projects a snap. Visio s templates are sorted by industry classification, and there are additional templates that can be downloaded. Visio is the ideal tool for packing a lot of information into one visual aid.

Sample Visio diagrams: Timeline, organization chart, block diagram, cross functional flowchart, rack diagram

The Visual Advantage:

Visio 2003 is the diagramming application in the Microsoft Office System that lets you transform your business processes, sharpen communication, and visualize your complex systems. With business and technical diagrams created in Visio, you’ll spend less time designing, documenting, and maintaining processes and systems, train new employees faster, and communicate complex information clearly, concisely, and effectively in a way that text and numbers alone cannot. 

Business Process A sophisticated suite of business process management tools and templates make Visio indispensable for planning, design, and communication for business professionals—information workers, sales & marketing, HR, operations, managers, and consultants.

Use Visio templates to create productivity-enhancing diagrams .

Business process visuals, such as fault-tree analysis diagrams, cause and effect flowcharts, and audit diagrams, illustrate process flow, highlight bottlenecks, and illuminate workflow.

The Business Process category in Visio  is for teams charged with documenting, analyzing, modeling, automating, maintaining, and tracking business processes. Anyone invested in tightening up business processes to reduce cost of business, time to market, or duplication of effort can use these drawing types, some of which are open-ended to support multiple uses and some of which are targeted directly at specific business needs.

For example, a manager might use the cross-functional flowchart template to diagram his or her group’s product development cycle and to see how processes work, which departments they involve, and how to reduce time to market. After illustrating proposed changes for executives and winning approval, the manager can fine-tune resource allocation and determine which departments should make key business process decisions. Finally, the diagram can go to new hires to illustrate workflow and processes.

Organization charts

Organization charts show reporting relationships and organizational structures.

Organization charts are invaluable tools for managers and HR professionals. For example, a manager participating in reorganizing a department or company can visualize how to restructure departments, estimate staffing needs, see team structures, and determine project roles when developing project schedules. HR professionals can show new hires their position in the larger company structure, and post org charts on the corporate intranet so anyone in the organization can quickly confirm that they’re talking to the right people about the right issues.

Timelines

Timelines show a sequence of events or a process over time, making them a favorite for managers, project leads, administrators, event planners, individual team members.

For example, project managers can use timelines to convey the scope and progress of a project in project status meetings; show team members how deadlines fit into the big picture, and track and publish process-completion dates. Create an expanded view of subsections of the project to provide more detail for the specific individuals involved.

Charts and graphs

Charts and graphs make numerical data easier to understand at a glance.

For example, a financial planner might illustrate stock portfolio values and market trends, a salesperson might show regional returns, a quality assurance professional might illustrate distribution of problem areas in a product under development.

Marketing diagrams

Marketing diagrams, such as feature comparison matrices, Venn diagrams, and other sales and marketing visuals, display data more effectively than text.

 Power

The new and enhanced templates and tools in Visio 2003, as well as specific diagram types for facilities management and engineering, give technical professionals—IT, developers, and engineers—a window on their data so they can manage and maintain complex systems. Use Visio to document and diagram:

Networks

Network diagrams support network managers, IT professionals, and facilities managers, showing network communication flow, cabling, and equipment.

For example, during the planning phase of a network expansion, IT professionals can use detailed network diagrams to determine how remote locations should be interconnected. As they begin implementation, they can illustrate presentations or progress reports for execs with a high-level view of the company network. Once the network is up and running, they can support end users by creating diagrams that show the distribution of products throughout the organization and help users find printers, copy machines, and other devices to connect to. For the maintenance phase, they can use network diagrams to illustrate disaster-recovery plans, cabling runs, and company assets.

Databases

Database diagrams represent database schemas, making them useful for designing and revising database models, troubleshooting schemas, or explaining how to decipher database structures. For example, a database developer might use an Express-G diagram to show one object s relationship to other design components in a model. Or a business domain expert might use an ORM diagram to specify business requirements for application design.

Software

The eight templates in Visio 2003 designed for software developers, architects, program managers, and administrator’s support and aid in software design, usability testing, implementation, and administration. Specific templates support COM and OLE diagrams; the Gane-Sarson notation; Jackson, ROOM, and UML diagrams; Windows XP UI prototyping; and enterprise-system and program structure diagrams.

For example, before beginning to code, a developer could prototype a UI and run it by usability testing to see if users follow the logic of the screens. Then, she might show high-level static software structures in presentations and specs to communicate to test and program management. Or, a dev team might use the Data Flow Model template to write pseudo-code for an existing process data flow or describe nested layers of data flow throughout systems.

Developers working with object-oriented programming could use the COM and OLE template to diagram publicly exposed COM and OLE interfaces or show the relationship between COM objects and the interfaces they reference.

Web Sites

Web site diagrams show the organization, hierarchy, and flow of Web sites. Web developers can use high-level conceptual diagrams to plan site navigation and separate sites into distinct areas of concentration, visualize, data communication between separate areas of a site. Then they can communicate the site structure to content providers to help them more effectively target their information.

For a more detailed view, developers can generate site maps for existing sites and use them to maintain and troubleshoot the sites. Site maps are particularly helpful for those who inherit sites they’re not familiar with and who need to analyze the site s organization and to classify its content. With the site map template, developers can quickly find and fix broken links, generate a report listing all the links in a Web site, or track changes on a Web site by comparing two maps of the same site and generating a report listing the differences. Jump directly from hyperlinks in the diagram to the link on the site it represents.

Electrical, process, and mechanical engineering projects

The electrical, mechanical, and process engineering templates in Visio 2003 are designed for engineers. Engineers of any type can use diagrams for planning, designing, and troubleshooting, and for distribution to engineering teams for review and comment on design concepts.

For example, electrical engineers can represent schematics and wiring, design and troubleshoot circuit boards, or estimate the maximum wattage output of a power system.

Mechanical engineers can design and draft parts, including feature definitions, notes, and dimensions; visually represent one part or a series of parts in a mechanical assembly; and illustrate technical documentation, such as service manuals.

Process engineers can create process flow and piping and instrumentation diagrams to represent liquid transfer systems and materials distribution processes.

Building sites and office spaces

The Visio Building Plan templates illustrate every aspect of a building’s design, architecture, and interior, from floor plans and landscaping to security systems, HVAC components, furniture, and reflected ceiling plans. These diagrams store a wealth of data below the surface, as well, including model and serial numbers with which you can allocate and document assets. Use space and building plans to allocate space for teams, document floor plan distribution, document the wiring and location of controls for work orders, and to design your company s security system and post the plan to prepare employees for an emergency.

Key Benefits

An agile business in a tight economy, distilling direction out of an information-rich environment, requires easy-to-learn tools, watertight business processes, and flawless teamwork. Visio 2003 is designed to meet the demands of both the cost-conscious small businesses and the complex global corporate environment.

Productivity. Pre-drafted diagrams, a diagram gallery designed to help you browse for the template that best suits your needs, and improved search features assist you to find up-to-date shapes and info with a single click. With new and improved templates and shapes, you can start creating sharp, sophisticated diagrams fast.

Integration. Re-use data across multiple applications without retyping, reformatting, or duplicating research. Effortlessly integrate work done in any Microsoft Office System application: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Project, and Outlook, into Visio diagrams. Extract data from Visio for use elsewhere.

Mobility. With Visio support for Tablet PC and digital ink, you can annotate diagrams in your own handwriting, on the road, in meetings, or on location while reviewing sites or projects with customers.

Collaboration. Collaborate on diagrams and communicate clearly in team settings, whether your team is the entire staff of a small business, or spread out across an enterprise in offices around the world.

Programmability. Use the rich Visio object model, built-in Visual Basic for Applications environment and the Visual Basic Editor, XML file format and extensive Software Development Kit to build custom solutions on the extensible Visio platform. Or embed the Microsoft Office Visio Drawing in LOB applications built on Windows, .NET Framework, and Web platforms.

System Requirements

The following components are required to install and run Microsoft Office Visio 2003.

Windows Operating System. Microsoft Windows 2000 with Service Pack 3 or later or Microsoft Windows XP or later required.

Processor. Pentium 233 MHz or higher processor, Pentium III recommended.

Random Access Memory. 128 MB of RAM or more recommended.

Storage Requirements. Hard disk space requirements vary depending on configuration; custom installation choices might require more or less. The minimum hard disk requirements for Microsoft Office Visio Standard 2003 and Microsoft Office Visio Professional 2003 are as follows:

Visio Standard 2003. 160 MB of available hard-disk space, including 75 MB on the hard disk where the operating system is installed.

·         Visio Professional 2003. 210 MB of available hard-disk space, including 75 MB on the hard disk where the operating system is installed.

Monitor. Super VGA (800X600) or higher resolution monitor.

Internet. Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 or later browser. Dial-up or broadband Internet access, provided separately; local or long-distance charges may apply.

Additional items or services required to use certain features.

Speech recognition. Pentium II 400-MHz or higher processor; close-talk microphone and audio output device for speech recognition

Ink. Certain inking features require that you run Visio 2003 on Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition.

Advanced collaboration functionality. Certain features require Microsoft Windows Server 2003 running Windows SharePoint Services.

Conclusion

With Visio 2003, you can see the flow of information or documents, capture business knowledge, heighten understanding of process flows, support system analysis efforts, and manage and communicate the requirements of internal and external systems projects.

Cost reduction, high customer satisfaction, and faster time to market can be realized by having a clear understanding of process steps and system components. Visio 2003 helps business and technical people document, design, communicate, and automate complex ideas, processes, and systems so they can make better decisions and take more effective action.