What is an organizational chart?
An organizational chart is a visual representation of the hierarchical structure and interpersonal relationships within an organization or institution. It is usually presented in the form of tree diagrams, hierarchical diagrams, etc., showing the relationships and hierarchies between different departments, positions, positions and personnel.
An organizational chart can help people understand the structure and division of responsibilities of an organization more clearly. It is used in many situations:
Hierarchical relationships: The organizational chart shows the relationships between different levels, from top management to lower level employees, clearly showing the hierarchy of management.
Departmental division: Through different branches and nodes, the organizational chart shows the connections and functional divisions between different departments, branches or units within the organization.
Responsibilities and authority: An organizational chart can reveal the distribution of responsibilities and authority among different positions and positions, as well as the working relationships between superiors and subordinates.
Team members: In the architecture diagram, you can indicate the specific personnel in each position or department to help understand the position and role of everyone in the team.
Communication paths: Organizational charts can show communication paths between different levels, helping to promote effective communication and collaboration.
Decision-making process: Architecture diagrams can help people understand the decision-making process by showing how decisions are passed through different levels.
Change and Adjustment: When an organization changes, adjusts, or expands, architecture diagrams can help management and employees better adapt to the new structure.
What software is better for making organizational charts?
What software is better for making organizational charts? Before recommending useful software, let’s first take a look at what functions a software suitable for drawing organizational charts should be equipped with.
5 drawing software to easily draw organizational charts
The above introduces the functions that software suitable for drawing organizational charts should have. After evaluating more than 20 drawing software, we have summarized and sorted out these 5 tools that have superior performance and are convenient and easy to use. Let’s take a look below.
1 Gliffy
Gliffy is an online drawing tool that focuses on helping users create various types of diagrams, including flow charts, organizational charts, mind maps, etc.
- Rich graphics library: Gliffy provides a diverse set of icons, symbols, and shapes that you can easily drag and drop into the drawing area to represent different positions, departments, and personnel.
- Drag-and-drop editing: Gliffy's drag-and-drop editing makes the drawing process easy and intuitive. You can easily add, move, and adjust elements to create a clear organizational chart.
- Custom styles: You can freely adjust the color, size, font and other styles of elements to suit your design needs and make the chart more personalized.
- Real-time collaboration: Gliffy supports real-time collaboration among multiple people. Team members can edit charts at the same time, jointly improve the organizational chart, and work together effectively.
- Template selection: Gliffy provides a variety of preset templates for organizational charts. You can quickly start drawing based on these templates, saving time and ensuring the consistency of the chart.
- Export and share: After drawing is completed, you can export the chart to common file formats (such as PNG, PDF, SVG) to facilitate sharing and communication with your team, colleagues or others.
- Cloud storage support: Gliffy allows you to save the diagrams you draw in the cloud and access and edit them anytime and anywhere, making your work more flexible.
2 Lucidchart
- Rich template library: Lucidchart provides a variety of preset templates covering different types of organizational chart designs, allowing you to start drawing faster.
- Intuitive drag-and-drop editing: Lucidchart's drag-and-drop editing makes it easy to add, move and adjust chart elements. You can freely draw and adjust various shapes and connections in the diagram.
- Real-time multi-person collaboration: Lucidchart supports multi-person real-time collaboration. Team members can edit charts at the same time and exchange opinions with each other, thereby efficiently improving the charts together.
- Customized style: You can customize the style of chart elements as needed, such as color, font, shape size, etc., to meet specific design requirements.
- Cloud storage and access: The drawn organizational chart can be saved in the cloud, allowing you to access, edit and share it on different devices at any time.
- Integration performance: Lucidchart is integrated with common tools such as G Suite and Microsoft Office to facilitate users to seamlessly switch between different platforms.
- Export and share: After completing the diagram, you can export it to multiple formats (such as PNG, PDF) and share it with colleagues, teams or others to promote communication and collaboration.
3 Draw.io
Draw.io is an open source online drawing tool.
- Free drawing: Draw.io provides a rich graphics library, allowing you to freely draw and design chart elements to create an organization chart that matches the characteristics of your organization.
- Drag-and-drop editing: You can easily drag and drop icons, shapes, and connections to create organizational charts with clear hierarchy.
- Cloud storage support: Draw.io supports connection with cloud storage platforms (such as Google Drive, Dropbox), allowing you to easily save and share drawn charts.
- Multi-device support: Since it is a web-based tool, you can use Draw.io on different devices to access and edit your organizational chart at any time.
- Export in multiple formats: After drawing is completed, you can export the chart to multiple formats, such as PNG, PDF, and SVG, to share it with your team and others.
- Open source customization: Draw.io is an open source tool, and you can customize its functionality and styling as needed to meet specific design requirements.
4 Creately
Creately is an online drawing tool designed for team collaboration.
- Multi-person real-time collaboration: Creately emphasizes team collaboration and supports multi-person real-time collaborative editing, allowing team members to participate in the design and modification of the organizational chart at the same time.
- Rich template library: Creately provides a variety of preset templates, covering different styles and needs. You can quickly start drawing based on these templates.
- Customized styles: You can freely adjust the color, font, shape and size of chart elements to make the organization chart more in line with your brand or needs.
- Cloud storage support: Creately saves the diagrams you draw in the cloud for easy access, editing and sharing at any time, thereby promoting work flexibility.
- Multi-device support: Since it is web-based, you can use Creately on multiple devices, from computers to tablets to mobile phones, to easily manage charts.
- Export and share: After drawing is completed, you can export the chart to multiple file formats (such as PNG, PDF) and share it with your team, colleagues or others.
- Integration performance: Creately supports integration with Jira, Confluence and other tools to facilitate team use in project management.
5 boardmix
Boardmix is a domestic collaborative drawing tool that is easy to use and powerful.
- Real-time multi-person collaboration: Provides multiple functions such as voting, leaving messages, stickers, audio and video communication, etc., supports multi-person real-time collaborative editing, and team members can participate in chart design and modification at the same time.
- Rich graphics library: Provides a rich variety of icons, symbols, shapes, and templates for creating unique organizational charts.
- Flexible drawing tools: Provides a variety of brush tools such as ballpoint pens, fountain pens, dotted line pens, lasso, and washi tape, as well as lines, shapes, icons, text and other tools, allowing you to draw freely and create beautiful creations!
- Export and share: After completing the chart, you can export it to a variety of file formats, such as PNG, PDF, link sharing, web use, and view without downloading.
- Collaboration tools: In addition to drawing, boardmix also provides rich collaboration tools, such as comments, discussion boards, and real-time chat, which help team members exchange ideas and provide suggestions in diagrams.
- Cloud storage: Your drawing content can be saved in boardmix's cloud and accessed and edited on different devices at any time.
- AIGC generation capability: Built-in powerful AIGC generation capability, supports calling AI to generate flow charts, mind maps, SWOT analysis, etc. with one click, an efficient source of inspiration!
The above are the 5 software recommended in this article that are suitable for drawing organizational charts. If you are interested, you can try it yourself~