Functional organizational chart: presentation and creation guide

Why and how to create a functional organizational chart? This article explains in detail the steps to follow to build and optimize your internal structure and hierarchy diagram, using modern tools and appropriate software. This will help you implement a dynamic and digital organizational structure optimization strategy.

Definition and issues

What is a functional organizational chart?

An organizational chart is a diagram that visually represents the structure of a company. When it is described as functional, it highlights the distribution of responsibilities and tasks among the different departments and functions. This organizational chart creation tool allows for the establishment of a clear and precise organizational diagram, thus facilitating the visualization of the organization and the understanding of the internal hierarchy.

In practice, a functional organizational chart often takes the form of a hierarchical diagram or a schematic that details the internal communication flow and the distribution of functions within the organization. It serves as a guide for creating an organizational chart, which also allows for process mapping and the identification of key areas for optimization within the organizational structure.

What is the purpose of a functional organizational chart?

The value of a functional organizational chart lies in its ability to clarify the structure and hierarchy of the organization. It allows for a digital and interactive visualization of the distribution of responsibilities and roles, thus facilitating management and communication among team members. Thanks to this organizational diagram, companies can quickly identify areas for collaboration and task redefinition, contributing to the overall optimization of their internal processes.

Furthermore, the functional organizational chart plays a strategic role in employee training and organizational management strategy. It serves as a reference for allocating tasks and illustrating the organization's structure. In short, it provides a guide and a benchmark for measuring the effectiveness of the internal structure.

The different types of organizational charts

There are three main types of organizational chart:

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

Create a functional organizational chart step by step

Identify the functions and services

Creating a functional organizational chart begins with identifying all the functions, services, and departments within your company. Clearly defining the roles and responsibilities of each service is essential for establishing a coherent division of tasks. For example, in a recruitment agency, it can be helpful to distinguish between the human resources department, the communications department, and the digital marketing department.

This phase involves a detailed analysis of internal processes and may draw on management training and organizational structure benchmarks to compare with other companies. This step is crucial as it serves as the basis for defining the hierarchical organizational plan.

Collect and report information

Once the functions have been identified, all information relating to each function and service must be collected and recorded. This includes gathering data on responsibilities, tasks, communication flows, and interactions between departments.

To achieve 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 for a clear visualization of all internal processes.

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

Design a clear organizational chart

The creation phase involves designing an organizational chart that must be clear, visually appealing, and interactive. For this, it is recommended to use organizational chart software or a chart creation tool such as Microsoft Visio, Canva, Lucidchart, Visme, or Creately.

The goal is to create a hierarchical diagram that visually represents the distribution of responsibilities and tasks. Using organizational chart templates or company organizational chart models allows for standardized construction of a functional organizational chart, resulting in faster and more efficient training.

A good organizational chart should also incorporate elements of functional organizational chart design that facilitate visualization of the organization and understanding of the internal communication flow.

Validation, distribution and updating

Once your functional organizational chart is created, it is essential to validate it with managers and teams to ensure that the distribution of roles and the configuration accurately reflect the organization. This step allows you to identify any inconsistencies and make the necessary corrections.

Once validated, the hierarchical diagram must be distributed internally, either digitally or in print, to serve as a management guide and benchmark for the organizational structure. It is also important to implement an automatic update process to ensure the organizational chart remains current in light of organizational changes.

This step can be supported by collaborative tools allowing each team member to report changes, thus ensuring a dynamic and optimized configuration of your organizational chart.

Tools and templates for creating a functional organizational chart

The tools

To create a functional organizational chart, numerous tools and software programs are available for building and configuring your diagram. You can use simple tools like Word or Excel to create a basic diagram, although these require licenses. Among the free tools, Google Slides and Google Sheets allow you to insert diagrams and customize them to your liking.

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

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

The models

Many websites offer downloadable or customizable company organizational chart templates. Here are also some examples of functional organizational charts based on company type.

In most cases, a company organizational chart presents the following structure:

• CEO
• Deputy Director General
• Department Directors
• Managers
• Employees

These functional organizational chart examples serve as a guide for creating an organizational chart by providing a pre-established structure that can be adapted to your organization. They allow you to visualize the distribution of responsibilities and tasks in a clear and structured way.

Online organizational chart templates can be downloaded and customized to your requirements, helping you create an organizational structure that is both aesthetically pleasing and functional. This type of organizational chart benchmark is particularly useful for inspiration and for training in creating organizational charts.

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

What are the three types of organizational charts?

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

Is an organizational chart mandatory in a company?

Although a hierarchical organizational chart is not legally required, it is strongly recommended to clarify the organizational structure and improve internal management. It is a valuable tool for employee training and for implementing an effective organizational management strategy.

How to adapt a functional organizational chart to changes in the organization?

To remain relevant, it is essential to implement an automatic update system and integrate a collaborative workflow that allows the team to report changes. Using interactive, digital software facilitates visualization of the hierarchy and allows for adjustments to the organizational chart configuration based on internal developments. This provides a practical example of optimizing the organizational structure and helps maintain a dynamic organizational management strategy.