Functional organization chart: Presentation and creation guide

Why and how to create a functional organization chart? This article explains in detail the procedure to build and optimize your internal structure and hierarchy scheme, using modern tools and suitable software. What promote the implementation of an optimization strategy of the dynamic and digital organizational structure.

Definition and issues

What is a functional organization chart?

An organization chart is a diagram that visually presents the structure of a company. When it is qualified as functional, it highlights the distribution of responsibilities and the distribution of tasks between the different services and functions. This organizational creation tool makes it possible to establish a clear and precise organizational scheme, thus facilitating the visualization of the organization and the understanding of the internal hierarchy.

In practice, the functional organization chart is often in the form of a hierarchical diagram or a diagram which details the internal communication flow and the distribution of functions within the organization. It is a guide to create an organization chart which also makes it possible to carry out a process mapping and to identify the key points to optimize in the organizational structure.

What is the interest of a functional organization chart?

The interest of a functional organization chart lies in its ability to clarify the structure and hierarchy of the organization. It makes it possible to visualize in a digital and interactive manner the distribution of responsibilities and roles, thus facilitating management and communication between team members. Thanks to this organizational scheme, companies can quickly identify the points of collaboration and redefinition of tasks, which contributes to the overall optimization of their internal process.

In addition, the functional organization chart plays a strategic role in training employees and in organizational management strategy. It serves as a reference for the distribution of flows and the illustration of the organization of the organization. In short, it constitutes a guide and a benchmark to measure the effectiveness of the internal structure.

The different types of organization chart

There are three large forms of organization chart:

• The hierarchical organization chart which represents the chain of command vertically, clearly showing the management structure and the relations of authority.
• The matrix organization chart incorporates a dual structure, where employees are both grouped by function and by project, thus facilitating flexibility and collaboration in a complex environment.
• The horizontal or flat organization chart, is generally developed in small businesses, where there is no intermediate management. It illustrates a relative equality between employees.

Create a functional step -by -step organization chart

Identify functions and services

The creation of a functional organization chart begins with the identification of all the functions, services and departments present in your company. It is essential to clearly determine the roles and responsibilities of each service to establish a distribution of coherent tasks. For example, in a recruitment company, it may be useful to distinguish human resources service, communication department, and digital marketing department.

This phase implies a detailed analysis of internal processes and can rely on management training and organizational structural benchmarks to compare with other companies. This step is crucial because it serves as a basis for defining the hierarchical organization plan.

Collect and postpone information

Once the functions have been identified, it is necessary to collect and postpone all the information relating to each function and service. This includes collecting data on responsibilities, tasks, communication flows and interactions between departments.

For this, tools such as spreadsheets or management software can be used to import and index this data centrally. The goal is to establish a configuration that allows a clear visualization of all the internal processes.

For example, a company can organize workshops to collect information from each department, then use this data to create a graphic representation of its organizational structure.

Conceive a clear organization chart

The creation phase goes through the design of an organization chart which must be both clear, design and interactive. To do this, it is recommended to use organization charts or an organizational creation tool such as Microsoft Visio, Canva, Lucidchart, Visme or Creately.

The objective is to carry out a hierarchical diagram which presents in an illustrated manner the distribution of responsibilities and tasks. The use of organization charts or corporate organization charts model makes it possible to standardize the construction of a functional organization chart and to gain in training and speed.

A good organizational scheme must also integrate functional organizational design elements which facilitate the visualization of the organization and the understanding of the internal communication flow.

Validation, dissemination and update

Once your functional organization chart is built, it is essential to validate it with managers and teams in order to ensure that the distribution of functions and configuration faithfully reflect the organization. This step makes it possible to detect possible inconsistencies and to make the necessary corrections.

After validation, the hierarchical diagram must be distributed internally, whether in digital or printed form, to serve as a management guide and benchmark for the organizational structure. It is also important to set up an automatic update process so that the organizational scheme remains up to date in the face of organizational developments.

This step can be based on collaborative tools allowing each member of the team to report the changes, thus ensuring a dynamic and optimized configuration of your organization chart.

Tools and models to create a functional organization chart

Tools

To create a functional organization chart, there are many tools and software adapted to the construction and configuration of your diagram. You can use simple tools like Word or Excel to make a basic diagram, although they require licenses. Among the free tools, Google Slides and Google Sheet allow you to insert diagrams and personalize them at your convenience.

For more advanced needs, specialized software such as Microsoft Visio, Canva, Lucidchart, Visme and Creately offer a multitude of functional organization charts.

These tools facilitate the mapping of the functions and the configuration of a functional diagram by offering templates and models that you can adapt according to your needs.

Models

Many sites offer downloadable or customizable business organization charts. Here are also some examples of functional organization charts depending on the typology of the company.

In most cases, a business organization chart presents the following structure:

• CEO
• Deputy Managing Director
• Department directors
• Managers
• Employees

These example of functional organization charts serve as a guide to create an organization chart by providing a pre -established structure which can be adapted to your organization. They make it possible to visualize the distribution of responsibilities and tasks in a clear and structured manner.

Business organization charts available online can be downloaded and personalized according to your requirements, helping you make an organizational diagram that is both aesthetic and operational. This type of organizational benchmark is particularly useful for drawing inspiration and for training in the creation of organization charts.

FAQ - Frequent questions

What are the three forms of organization chart?

The three main forms of organization chart are: the hierarchical organization chart which presents the cascading structure with clear levels, the matrix organization chart which combines functions and projects to promote collaboration within the team, and the horizontal organization chart which favors a flat structure and direct communication between the members.

Is an organization chart in business?

Although a hierarchical organization chart is not legally compulsory, it is highly recommended to clarify the organizational structure and improve internal management. It constitutes a precious tool for training employees and to implement an effective organizational management strategy.

How to adapt a functional organization chart to organizational developments?

To remain relevant, it is essential to set up an automatic update system and integrate a collaborative workflow that allows the team to report changes. The use of interactive and digital software facilitates the visualization of the hierarchy and makes it possible to adjust the configuration of the organizational scheme according to internal developments. This is a practical case of optimizing the organizational structure and helps maintain a dynamic organizational management strategy.