Tools Guide

Microsoft Visio

General-purpose diagramming tool. Familiar to Microsoft users.

www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/visio/flowchart-software

At a glance

Category
Diagramming & Whiteboard
Best for
Microsoft 365 users who need occasional process diagrams alongside org charts, network maps and other diagram types, and who prefer familiar Office tooling to a dedicated process platform.
BPMN support
BPMN shapes available but no semantic validation or XML export
Collaboration
Co-authoring via SharePoint/OneDrive

Strengths

  • +Familiar interface for Microsoft users
  • +Many diagram types beyond BPMN
  • +Integrates with Microsoft 365
  • +Desktop and web versions

Limitations

  • -BPMN shapes are visual only, no semantic model
  • -Cannot export valid BPMN 2.0 XML
  • -No process landscapes or value chains
  • -No AI features
  • -Diagrams live as individual files rather than in a process repository

Our take

The tool many organizations already have. Visio is a solid choice for drawing process diagrams within Microsoft 365. Its BPMN shapes are visual only, so models cannot be validated or exported as BPMN 2.0; if you need that, look at the process modeling category.

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