As your business scales, so too do its workflows. Before you know it, your business has an abundance of workflows, each with its own intricacies, stakeholders, and dependencies. Managing all of these workflows, let alone modifying them, can be difficult if you don’t have the right tool.
Microsoft Visio was created to combat this. It simplifies the process of designing, visualizing, and optimizing workflows. Today we’ll look at some key advantages of Microsoft Visio and how it can be used to improve your workflows.
What Is Microsoft Visio?
Microsoft Visio, previously Microsoft Office Visio, is a diagramming and visualization tool designed to help individuals and teams create digital charts and workflows that are simple, easy to understand, and optimized for visual clarity. It was created by Shapeware Corporation, which later became Visio Corporation before being acquired by Microsoft in 2000.
From creating simple cross-functional flowcharts to designing entire network infrastructures – its versatility makes it a go-to solution across all industries, making it one of the best workflow management tools available today.
Microsoft Visio Licensing Options
There are a few Microsoft Visio licenses to be aware of, but the license you choose will depend on what type of access you require to the software, as well as how you’d like to pay (subscription vs perpetual license).
The below table will give you some insight into each license:
| License | License type | Best for |
| Visio Standard | Perpetual | Individuals or teams who only require basic diagramming tools. |
| Visio Professional | Perpetual | Individuals or teams who need access to more advanced diagramming capabilities and collaboration tools |
| Visio Plan 1 | Subscription | Individuals who only need access to a lightweight, browser-based version that’s capable of basic diagramming. |
| Visio Plan 2 | Subscription | Teams or professionals who need extensive functionality and want the ability to work with a full desktop app or browser-based tool. |
In addition to these licenses, Visio also has several versions. Each version brings its own additions. For instance, Visio Standard 2019 includes templates and shapes that weren’t found in Visio Standard 2016. Similarly, if you want the latest and greatest, going for Visio Professional 2021 is the preferred option over Visio Professional 2019.
6 Ways Microsoft Visio Improves Workflow
Microsoft Visio’s benefits are plentiful. Rather than turn this into an extensive review of Microsoft Visio, here are some proven ways that Microsoft Visio can objectively improve your workflow.
1. Simplifies Complex Workflows
Complex, hard-to-understand workflows pose a risk to any business. People are less likely to retain information if there’s too much of it, leading to interruptions in production and a breakdown in communication.
Identifying and eliminating inefficiencies reduces time and money, improves productivity, and cuts down on wasteful processes and resource usage. Microsoft Visio utilizes a user-friendly interface that encourages users of any level to simplify complex workflows into clear and digestible flowcharts.
2. First-Party Integration with Microsoft Ecosystem
While some tools like Lucidchart offer third-party integration with some Microsoft products, Microsoft Visio offers first-party integration as it’s an official Microsoft product. If you’re already an Office 365 user, importing data from other products like Excel, Word, and PowerPoint is easy because the functionality is literally built-in. This allows for rich, data-connected diagrams that update in real-time as changes are made.
3. Real-Time Collaboration
Like other Microsoft products, collaboration is a key component of Microsoft Visio, especially if you plan to use Visio for business. Multiple users can collaborate on diagrams at the same time, improving cross-team collaboration. This results in faster feedback, increased productivity, and a more streamlined workflow. And, considering the number of employees working from home is increasing worldwide, collaborative features are more important than ever to enable remote work.
4. Vast Template Library
Creating something from scratch is always rewarding, but it’s not the only option. Microsoft Visio comes with thousands of templates for charts and diagrams of all kinds, including:
- Flow Charts
- Org Charts
- Network Diagrams (Azure, AWS, and more)
- UML Diagrams
- Floor Plans
- Swimlane Diagrams
- Circuit Diagrams
These are just a few. With templates, you can quickly and easily set up workflows with minimal effort. You can also choose a template to use as a foundation and customize it to your needs. Either way, the myriad of templates available makes it a valuable visual workflow tool.
5. Auto-Generate Organizational Charts
One of its most useful features is the ability to auto-generate org charts, among others. You can import data directly from Active Directory (AD), which will then automatically generate an org chart from the user account’s information. Alternatively, you can import the data from other sources like a Microsoft Excel worksheet or text file. You can use this org chart as it is, or simply as a means of getting the data inside Microsoft Visio for you to then organize to your liking. Microsoft Visio is a common recommendation by the community for this reason alone.
6. Information Rights Management (IRM) Compliance
Personal data has become more important than ever before. There are many industries with strict compliance requirements that your business must comply with in order to operate. Healthcare, government and defense, pharmaceutical and biotechnology – these are just a few markets that prioritize data security, as the risk of a data breach is too high.
To assist with adherence to these requirements, Microsoft has Information Rights Management for Visio. This is a separate software tool that acts as an add-on to the main software, as well as other select Microsoft products. It allows you to limit access to protected Visio documents and manage access on an individual or group basis using permissions.
Get Started with Microsoft Visio
Inefficient workflows are an obstacle to a fast-paced and efficient work environment. Microsoft Visio aims to change that by giving you the features necessary to simplify the creation of optimized workflows to cut through waste and prioritize efficiency.
As there are several licenses and versions to choose from, there’s a good chance you’ll find one that suits your needs. Take advantage of the workflow improvement benefits that Microsoft Visio has to offer today by exploring the range of Microsoft Visio licenses we have to offer as a Certified Microsoft Partner.
