How to Use PowerPoint to Create Program Flow Charts

Use PowerPoint to create a flowchart.

PowerPoint presentation software is used by various types of companies for sales, finance and management presentations. Within the presentations, the speaker may need to show sales data, revenues and how the company operates. When speakers must present information on company operations, they use program flows. PowerPoint has the functionality to allow speakers to present program flows.

Instructions

1. Click on the "Home" tab.

2. Press the down arrow beside "New Slide" on the "Slides" panel. Select the "Title and Content" slide for the purposes of this exercise. Other slide layouts that allow the addition of a program flow chart are: "Two Content," "Comparison" and "Content with Caption."

3. Select the "Insert SmartArt Graphic" icon; it contains a green arrow and a text box.

4. Click "Cycle" from the "Choose a SmartArt Graphic" dialog box.

5. Press the "Basic Cycle" icon; it is the first graphic in the selection. Click "OK."

6. Double-click within the circle and type the text to show the beginning of the process. Text can also be added to the process circles by clicking the graphic's border arrows. Another box will appear where text can be typed in for each of the circles.

Tips & Warnings

• The arrows and lines between each step in the process can be resized, rotated and adjusted by dragging the arrow's or line's border. The colors of the objects can also be changed. In addition, a program flow can be added to a blank slide layout.

• It is not necessary to place each step of a complex process flow on the slide; it will become difficult for the audience to read and understand.

References

• Microsoft: Create a SmartArt Graphic
• Microsoft: Get Visual with SmartArt Graphics
• Microsoft: Learn More About SmartArt Graphics
• Microsoft: Create a Flowchart

Resources

• Microsoft: PowerPoint 2007: Help & How-to