Using swimlanes
- Updated: 2025/07/02
Swimlanes in process automation workflows help organize tasks by role, department, or system under the corresponding lane. They are displayed as horizontal or vertical lanes in a flowchart, with each lane representing different entities or groups responsible for parts of the process.
They run parallel to each other, creating a clear visual division. This helps to avoid confusion and identify who is accountable for each step.
Benefits
- Improved clarity: Swimlanes provide a structured, easy-to-understand visual framework for mapping complex processes such as software development, marketing campaigns, or supply chain management, involving multiple participants, ensuring clear assignment and smooth coordination.
- Process optimization: By visually organizing the workflow, swimlanes help identify bottlenecks and handoff issues between lanes, enabling more efficient and streamlined processes.
- Better communication: Swimlanes provide a shared understanding for teams and stakeholders, fostering better collaboration and alignment on project goals.
Working with swimlanes
- Navigate to the top of the editor where menu bar tools are available. Click the icon Add Swimlanes.
- The Add Swimlanes page appears. Choose from depending
on layout preferences and process flow direction:
- Horizontal lanes: Visually divide a process diagram as horizontal rows across the workflow.
- Vertical lanes: Visually divides a process diagram as vertical columns in the workflow diagram.
- Optional: Enter a name such as sales, legal, or finance in the Title field.
Similarly, you can add another swimlane as necessary. To remove all swimlanes, navigate to the top of the editor and click the icon Remove all swimlanes.
Examples
Here are illustrations of swimlanes in both horizontal and vertical layouts.
In a supply chain management process, swimlanes separate tasks across Purchase order approval, Delivery, Document validation, Inventory update, and Quality check/inspection, clearly showing how the warehouse reception flow progresses through each group's responsibilities, therefore speeding up processing and improving inventory accuracy in warehouse reception.
Similarly, in an accounts payable process, swimlanes divide tasks among the Accounting specialist team, Manager, and Finance department, illustrating how invoice payments flow through each group's responsibilities.
