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Desktop Client (Flowcharter)

Knowledge Base articles that apply to one or more of the Client tools: iGrafx FlowCharter, iGrafx Process, and iGrafx Process for Six Sigma.

📄️Client: What's the difference in checking out a…

The repository window shows different kinds of icons for iGrafx files, depending upon what level of detail you're looking at within the iGrafx file (document). For example, when looking at the file/document overall, the icon shows 'stacked pages' (or stacked sheets of paper), and when exploring into the contents of the file, you will see the 'diagram' icon (a flowchart with different shapes), and may see other icons for other types of components in the file.

📄️Desktop Client: Ensuring Task Duration Accounts…

If a resource is (or resources are) required to perform a task, then the duration will be limited by when those resources are in schedule if you are running in Calendar mode. The duration is converted to some number of seconds. In addition it does matter if you're in Calendar mode or Compressed mode, as Compressed time has 'time conversion' to change what a 'day' or greater means; though Compressed mode does not use schedules, so resources will not be constrained by schedule.

📄️Desktop Client: Errors on repository documents…

When using the Client with the iGrafx platform, it is possible that operations on very long pathnames or filenames can generate errors. If the length of the path to a file, including the Client Local Repository Folder (set in Client tool, Repository Options dialog), the folders the file resides in, and the file name itself is longer than the length that the operating system (Microsoft Windows) or your database (e.g. Microsoft SQL Server) allows, then various errors are likely to occur.

📄️Desktop Client: How can I control shape…

If you have linked diagrams together in a way that means there is no unique parent for a diagram (e.g. because diagrams link back-and-forth to each other, and/or create some infinite loops), iGrafx has to 'arbitrarily' pick what the hierarchical order should be. This can affect both the display of hiearchy and of shape numbering. A linking structure with no unique parent may cause the Document Components' "Diagram Hierarchy" view to not show what you expect. In addition, iGrafx may not pick the parent shape number you desire to use in hiearchical numbering, because there are multiple parents.

📄️Desktop Client: How do I add Necessary NVA…

In general, Lean focuses only on eliminating waste or muda (Non-Value-Add or NVA) activities, and keeping Value-Add (or VA) activities. However, some people want to track the concept of Necessary Non-Value-Add (NNVA), also known as Business Value Add (BVA), which is activity that is 'required for the business' (e.g. regulatory or legal requirements) but that otherwise does not add value to the customer. While you want to seek to minimize or reduce BVA efforts, you may not be legally able to eliminate them.

📄️Desktop Client: How do I properly represent a…

In order to account for a batch at a single step, one way to do so is to use a number greater than one (1) for the number of operators on the process step. If you are accounting for a batch as a standard set of pieces that move through the entire Value Stream, then you may want to consider redefining the batch as a single piece, and adding a note or custom property to indicate the batch size. This article describes in more detail how to handle batching at a single step.

📄️Desktop Client: How do I show multiple…

Starting in iGrafx 2013, you may have multiple timelines in a Lean Value Stream Map. From the Lean menu, choose Value Stream Map Properties, and then click the Lean Timelines page. On the Lean Timelines page you can manage multiple timelines; including duplicating existing timelines. Click the page for the timeline you want to customize. Once you have defined more than 1 timeline, each shape will go on a specific timeline, and you may set the active timeline for which timeline is used for new shapes. You may drag-and-drop timelines to new locations, and can even use the Lean toolbar to change which timeline shapes are on. See the iGrafx Help system (Help menu > iGrafx Help) for more information about multiple timelines.

📄️Desktop Client: How is Inventory Lead Time…

To calculate the Inventory Time (or Lead Time) from a particular inventory step that has an Inventory Amount specified in a Lean VSM, iGrafx can use two different methods: 'Based on Takt Time' or 'Based on Activity Capacity'. Choose whichever method works best for the Value Stream Map analysis that you are doing. Some people argue that calculations based on Takt time should be used, since it is the goal that you wish to produce at, while others argue that the current state is probably operating based on the actual capacity of the steps to consume inventory. Either way, please do not lose sight of the fact that any inventory is non-value-add (NVA) and should be minimized.

📄️Desktop Client: How to make phases smaller…

When you grow the right edge of a phase to the right, it will move all contents in the next phase (if any) to the right, giving you more room in the current phase to add shapes. However, if you shrink the phase by moving the right edge of the phase to the left, you can end up overlapping content that is in the phase. In other words, it will not move the phase line boundary, but will shrink the phase, pulling objects to the right of the phase over to the left as well.

📄️Desktop Client: I've heard from Japan of a…

In Japan, there is a plug-in application  that can be installed on top of FlowCharter called "SOX+" for doing Japanese Sarbanes Oxley compliance. This application can, for example, help you enter  risk and associated controls that may be specific to the Japan's SOX auditing and reporting requirements/standards, into your iGrafx documents and create/output reports of risks and controls in order for the end users to prepare the required documents.  For example, on iGrafx diagrams, you can see a red arrow icon to indicate risk and a green arrow-looking shape for the controls.

📄️Desktop Client: OrgChart menu and editing…

Even if you have the Organization Charts (a.k.a. OrgCharter or OrgChart) optional diagram type installed in iGrafx, it's possible that the OrgChart extension project has been disabled. For example, if you have loaded custom Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) extension projects, or someone has extended your installation with custom VBA code. If the OrgChart extension is disabled, you will not have the OrgChart menu in the menu bar (in the same menu as File, Help, etc.) nor will the OrgChart Builder and Data Editor dialog boxes display.

📄️Desktop Client: Packaging iGrafx for Use with a…

If you are planning to install the iGrafx desktop Client (the 'Client') using a Software Management System (SMS), and in particular if you plan on using the SMS to determine which iGrafx Client products are licensed on the various machines of your network for the purpose of auditing which licenses are installed, it is suggested that you first package iGrafx as described below. The instructions below are guidelines, and you can of course customize them to best suit your organization’s individual needs:

📄️Desktop Client: Requirements for importing data…

iGrafx 2009 (version 13) and later uses the 32-bit Microsoft Access Database Engine drivers for importing data from Excel documents (\.xls and \.xlsx).  These drivers are typically installed with Microsoft Office.  In order for the Generators (or iGrafx in general, including Import Database Data) to read data from \*.xlsx files you need the Office 2007 versions or later installed.  Additionally, if you have a 64-bit version of Office you will need to install the 32-bit drivers separately because they are not included with 64-bit versions of Office.

📄️Desktop Client: Timeline data for parallel…

Lean Value Stream Mapping (VSM) is a methodology to help reveal the waste in processes and then prioritize lean projects to eliminate that waste in a way that has the most beneficial impact on the overall system. Lean VSM is not a tool meant to analyze variability or dynamics in a process. Lean VSM is meant to be a static analysis of a snapshot in time, with a representation of average data. However, some limited benefit may be realized by representing parallel paths in a Lean VSM, given that the scope is still within the context of one product or product family (Value Stream) and keeping a relatively static nature to the data.

📄️Desktop Client: Why is iGrafx installing into a…

On Windows 64-bit operating systems, there are two Program Files folders; one for 32-bit applications (the "Program Files (x86)" folder) and one for 64 bit applications (the "Program Files" folder). Applications such as iGrafx FlowCharter will install themselves into the 32 bit 'x86' folder if they are 32-bit applications. Said another way, if iGrafx is installing into the "Program Files (x86)" folder, you are installing the 32-bit version of an iGrafx application.

📄️Desktop Client: Will daylight savings changes…

The iGrafx software will not be affected by Daylight Savings Time (DST) changes. The iGrafx software does NOT need any patch or update for daylight savings changes. For Your Information One of the key provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 is to extend Daylight Saving Time (DST) by approximately four weeks. In compliance with this provision, beginning in 2007, DST dates in the United States and Canada will start three weeks earlier (200 A.M. on the first Sunday in November).