“Whatever you do, do it well. Do it so well that when people see you do it they will want to come back and see you do it again and they will want to bring others and show them how well you do what you do.” -Walt Disney
Event planning and management is a dynamic and challenging task. It involves meticulously-planned coordination between different teams and activities for ensuring the success of an event – a festival, wedding, conference, concert, tradeshow, convention or any other event. For designing and producing a memorable event, it is pertinent for an event planning and management company to create a competent work process in which information is effectively transmitted across multiple teams.
A well-defined channel of communication between the various teams involved in producing an event can be created with the help of flowcharts that outline the overall task and specify work breakdown structure. The importance of flowcharts in event planning can be gauged from the advantages mentioned below.
Flowcharts Enable the Event Manager to Oversee the Project Efficiently – The event manager can use flowcharts for the effective transfer of information about the project to the co-workers. With flowcharts, the manager can include different levels of details for the tasks marking a particular project and oversee the execution of all the tasks in a professional manner.
Flowcharts enable the event manager to explain the project requirements in general to different teams as well as to elaborate on the key focus areas. The flow of information within a team and across all teams can be clearly illustrated through graphical representations so that the chances of potential glitches can be eliminated at the outset. To control the project efficiently, the event manager can have one flowchart that provides an overview of the project and several subsets that clearly demarcate the tasks and activities comprising the project. The flowcharts can, therefore, be the project documents that list all the requirements of the project in a coherent order.
With Flowcharts, Responsibilities are Clearly Delegated to Different Teams – The planning and management of an event is the responsibility of the event manager, but the task involves delegation of duties to several teams. The manager has to clearly allocate specific responsibilities to different teams, thereby ensuring that the creative, technical and logistical aspects of a project are handled in the best possible way.
Flowcharts can facilitate the event manager in delegating responsibilities without any complicated written narratives with exhaustive instructions that may not be properly understood. With flowcharts in event planning, the responsibilities of all the teams can be presented in visual form, with tasks assigned according to the skills of the team members. The visual clarity offered by flowcharts makes it simple for the teams to understand their responsibilities as individual units and the process of their interaction with other groups working on the project.
Flowcharts are Useful for Reducing Stress Levels – The management of an event, especially a high-profile event, can cause a lot of stress to everyone involved because ensuring the success of the event becomes the top priority. Flowcharts can be helpful in averting needless stress about potential hold-ups because all the processes and activities associated with the event are outlined and elaborated at the beginning.
In addition, when flowcharts are used, the deadlines for completion of all tasks are also communicated beforehand. The significance of the deadlines can be reinforced via flowcharts to show how the work of one team will contribute to the accomplishment of the project as a whole. Flowcharts provide complete transparency about how the diverse steps marking a project are inter-related and how the work of one team affects the work of the other teams.
Flowcharts can Define the Communication Channel for a Project – Flowcharts underscore an excellent mechanism for the communication of the logic behind the various steps that comprise the planning and management of an event. The event manager can convey the ideas and information about a project to all teams in a systematic manner through flowcharts. A proper sequencing of diverse processes and the judicious allocation of tasks ensures that no team is overburdened at any point of time during an ongoing project.
In addition, teams can also use flowcharts, in place of meetings, for communicating with one another and for reporting the progress linked to the assigned tasks. The communication channel defined through flowcharts at the start of the project can ensure the execution of all processes without any major issues. The efficient communication network laid down through flowcharts in event planning can eliminate unnecessary activities and save time and resources.
Flowcharts can be used for Sharing Proactive Updates – Flowcharts in event planning can contribute to the enhancement of an event being planned because they make adequate provision for the sharing of proactive updates about the project. The event manager can regularly update the company executives about the progress of the project, after seeking updates from different teams.
When flowcharts are used for planning an event and outlining the various activities, the management of the company can easily determine any lapses in the performance of assigned tasks. In case the lapses affect the other tasks of the project, appropriate actions can be taken by the management to make changes if required, so that the final plans are not affected to a great extent. Furthermore, against the backdrop of the project overview flowchart, the event manager can seek frequent, brief updates from the teams to stay abreast of the latest developments. The regular updating method is vital for the project as it keeps the teams alert and focused on their tasks.
Flowcharts can Help Convey Project Requirements to Vendors – Event planning is a comprehensive job that is not limited only to the delegation of tasks to various teams and establishing timelines for task completion. It also includes the arrangements for food, transportation, equipment, and other facilities at the event venue. To cater to all these aspects that involve support from outside parties, the event manager has to ensure timely contacts with vendors.
Towards that end, the event manager can use flowcharts for making a checklist of the requirements from the vendors and conveying the information to the vendors. It is also imperative that the event manager confirms the requirements with the vendors several times in order to avoid any crisis at the last minute. The event manager should also make sure that the team members working on a project do not get involved in any communication with vendors as it may affect the execution of the event plan.
The planning and management of events is a complex activity that can be simplified by the use of flowcharts. Efficient flowcharting by the event manager can yield a good event plan in which the different activities, tasks, and processes are explicitly defined and segregated for the purpose of streamlining the project.
The proper detailing of the event plan with flowcharts results in a prudent resource and budget distribution, together with exceptional control of the project. Flowcharts in event planning essentially unfold the ability for the event manager and other stakeholders in a project to understand the workflow for the successful implementation of the planned tasks. The breakdown of the work structure via flowcharts allows the event manager to accelerate the tasks or processes that are falling behind the others and, thus, improve the progress of the project. Flowcharts can contribute to workforce efficiency, enabling the teams to work in a well-coordinated and supportive manner. Finally, flowcharts also serve as good documentation that can be used by the company’s top executives for monitoring the planning and management processes for a scheduled event.
