Turtle Diagram

Looking for great tools for visualizing process characteristics or your organization? If you want to comply with the requirements of ISO 9001, Clause 4.1 states, “The organization shall identify the processes needed for the QMS and their application throughout the organization and determine the sequence and interaction of these processes.”, a "Turtle Diagram" is very useful.

How do you use a Turtle Diagram?

A Turtle Diagram received its name, because it looks like the body of a turtle, with components as a body, legs, head, and tail. It is often used as a starting point for process analysis and improvement related to business process management (BPM) and it is a useful tool for most organizations with a clear and not too complex structure for visualizing process characteristics. A turtle diagram is a diagram that shows all factors of a process on one page, including:

• input,
• output,
• resources,
• competencies,
• documentation and
• procedures,
• KPIs (key performance indicators)
• and activities.

The Turtle Diagram is an easy and understandable way to visualize and meet the requirements to manage numerous linked activities within a organization's process, in order to enable the transformation of inputs and outputs. By placing them in a clear diagram, helps both management and employees better understanding their businss process. By describing a process starts with a "helicopter view" and visualizes a process to assist in their effective execution and improvement. This makes clear all connections with the process. It takes considerably less time to describe the processes with the help of turtle diagrams than with flowchart diagrams. The diagram helps layout the framework in an easy to follow fashion, and can identify gaps in the organization’s structure. When the diagram is laid out, the organization can further develop measures for better efficiency.Therefore, such diagrams are often used to make visual process flow which includes the:

• Process descriptions;
• Investigate Problems: Internal Data Collection;
• Formulation and overview of operational goals in relation to the parent strategic goal.

The following elements can be clarified in this:

• a person who carries out the process;
• necessary instructions and knowledge to carry out the process;
• information needed to carry out the process;
• resources needed to carry out the process;
• the location where the process is carried out;
• "trigger" or trigger that generates the process;
• contribution to achieving the objective of the process;
• the risk that the process generates;
• information that the process generates;
• contribution to the realization of the product of the process;
• output or status of the process.

Due to these characteristics, turtle diagrams are popular process flows in Quality Management Systems, since they are very suitable to visualize the effectiveness of execution and improvement of a process.

If you need more details, check out our fillable turtle diagram that is created in a PowerPoint presentation slide.