The first structured method fordocumenting process flow, the "flowprocess chart", was introduced by Frankand Lillian Gilbreth in the presentation"Process Charts: First Steps in Finding theOne Best Way to do Work", to members ofthe American Society of MechanicalEngineers (ASME) in 1921.[2]

Wikipedia excludes Lillian Gilbreth here

American engineer Frank Gilbreth is widelybelieved to be the first person todocument a process flow, havingintroduced the concept of a “ProcessChart” to the American Society ofMechanical Engineers in 1921. Quote fromMindTools.com

Not correct! was Frank and Lillian Gilbreth

Highly doubtful he was first person todocument a process flow

Process Charts: First steps in finding theone best way to do work [ORIGINALTEXT]

Understand a process at a glance

Easy to understand

Short learning curve

identify improvements

pinpoint inefficiencies

find blockers/bottlenecks

Improve consistency

A flowchart is a visual

representation of the sequence of steps and

decisions needed to perform a process. Each

step is noted within a diagram shape. Steps are linked by connecting lines and

directional arrows.

Examples

A data flow diagram (DFD) is a graphicalrepresentation of the "flow" of datathrough an information system, modellingits process aspects.

Example Data Flow Diagram

BPM notation

Example Business Process Models

Business process modeling (BPM) insystems engineering is the activity ofrepresenting processes of an enterprise, sothat the current process may be analyzedor improved.