Microsoft KB Archive/318330

Knowledge Base

Visio: How to Create an Organization Chart in Visio by Dragging Shapes from the Stencil

Article ID: 318330

Article Last Modified on 2/1/2007

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APPLIES TO

• Microsoft Visio 2002 Professional Edition
• Microsoft Visio 2002 Standard Edition
• Microsoft Visio 2000 Enterprise Edition
• Microsoft Visio 2000 Professional Edition
• Microsoft Visio 2000 Standard Edition
• Microsoft Visio 2000 Technical Edition

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This article was previously published under Q318330

SUMMARY

Organization charts represent the interrelationships among people, operations, functions, and activities in an organization. In Microsoft Visio, you can create an organization chart by using either of the following methods:

• Use the Organization Chart Wizard.
  

-or-

• Drag shapes that represent employee positions from the Organization Chart Shapes stencil to your Visio drawing page.

This article explains how to use the second method. It also explains how to customize the appearance of an organization chart after you create it.

MORE INFORMATION

How to Create an Organization Chart

To automatically create a hierarchy that represents your organizational structure, drag a shape from the Organization Chart Shapes stencil directly onto a shape that represents its hierarchical superior (for example, drag a Manager shape onto an Executive shape). To create an organization chart, follow these steps.

NOTE: This example uses the Executive shape, Manager shape, and Position shape to represent the different positions and their interrelationships within an organization. You can lay out your organization chart by using the shapes that you want.

1. On the File menu, point to New, point to Organization Chart, and then click Organization Chart.
2. Drag the Executive shape from the Organization Chart Shapes stencil onto the drawing page.
3. Add a name and title to the shape. To do so, follow these steps:
   1. Click the shape to select it.
      
      The square, green selection handles around the shape indicate that it is selected.
   2. Type the name of the person who holds the position that the shape represents, and then press ENTER.
   3. Type the person's title, and then click an empty area of the drawing page outside the shape.
4. Drag a Manager shape from the Organization Chart Shapes stencil directly onto the Executive shape on the drawing page.
   
   This action establishes a reporting relationship.
   
   NOTE: To quickly create multiple reporting relationships, drag the Multiple shapes shape or the Three positions shape onto the Executive shape.
5. Add a name and a title to the shape.
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 until you have added all the managers that you want to the chart.
7. Drag a Position shape from the Organization Chart Shapes stencil directly onto the Manager shape on the drawing page.
   
   This action establishes a reporting relationship.
   
   NOTE: To quickly create multiple reporting relationships, drag the Multiple shapes shape or the Three positions shape onto the Manager shape.
8. Add a name and a title to the shape.
9. Repeat steps 7 and 8 until you have added all the positions that you want to the chart.
10. Add a title to your chart. To do so, follow these steps:
    1. Drag the Title shape or the Title/Date shape from the Organization Chart Shapes stencil to the drawing page.
       
       If you use the Title/Date shape, Visio automatically displays the current date.
    2. Click the shape to select it, and then double-click Company Name. Type the name that you want.
11. On the File menu, click Save. Specify a name and location in which to save the chart, and then click Save.

How to Customize the Appearance of Your Organization Chart

To customize the appearance of your organization chart, use any of the following methods.

Change the Layout of the Entire Chart or Portions of It

1. Select the shape at the highest level of the section of the chart that you want to rearrange.
2. On the Organization Chart menu, click Arrange Subordinates (in Visio 2002) or Lay Out Subordinates (in Visio 2000).
3. Click the layout style that you want, and then click OK.

Change the Design Theme of the Chart

1. On the Organization Chart menu, click Options.
2. In the Org chart theme box, click the theme that you want, and then click OK.

Change the Color Scheme of the Chart

1. On the Tools menu, point to Macros, point to Visio Extras, and then click Color Schemes.
2. Click the color scheme that you want, and then click OK.

Add a Background to the Chart

1. Click the title bar of the Backgrounds stencil.
2. Drag the background shape that you want from the Backgrounds stencil to your drawing page.
   

When you are prompted to use the shape as the background image for your drawing, click Yes.

Add a Border or Title to the Chart

1. Click the title bar of the Borders and Titles stencil.
2. Drag the border or title shape that you want from the Borders and Titles stencil to your drawing page.

When you finish customizing the chart, click Save on the File menu.

For more information about organization charts, type organization chart in the Ask a question box or the Answer Wizard, and then press ENTER to view the topics.

For additional information about how to create organization charts in Visio 2002, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

301576 Visio2002: How to Create Flexible Organization Charts in Visio 2002

Additional query words: prb

Keywords: kbinfo KB318330

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