On projects like internal controls, audits, SOX, CSOX and ICFR programs, it’s easy to get lost in a vortex of details. The same is true for process design and system implementations. What teams often need most is a clear view of the big picture.
That’s where the bird’s eye diagram comes in. It gives process owners, auditors and leaders a clear, aerial view of how a process works. Think of it as a supercharged version of the familiar swim lane diagram. We’ve been using, testing and refining this method with clients for over a decade.
What sets a bird’s eye diagram apart from more technical techniques is that it’s more of an art than a science. Accuracy matters, but what matters more is that the diagram is engaging, easy to understand and resonates with your audience.
In this short video, I walk through four steps for creating your own bird’s eye diagram:
1. Start with the big picture
- Begin with the “big stuff”: stakeholders and players, key controls, key process steps and key systems.
- This gives your diagram its structure before the details go in.
2. Fill in the finer details
- Add system inputs and outputs, sub-steps, interfaces and data flows.
- Connect the dots with arrows to show how everything relates.
3. Use your diagram to ask probing questions
- Every time we do this with clients, I learn something new about their processes, even with long-standing clients.
- No diagram is perfect on the first try. Use workshops, discussions and feedback loops to refine it over time.
4. Focus on the message, rather than form
- Learn basic flowchart symbols and standards like BPMN for consistency.
- Consistent layout, fonts, colours and shapes matter, but don’t get caught up in the rules.
- What counts most is that your diagram clearly communicates the process and its interconnections.
Bird’s eye diagrams take some skill and practice, but the payoff is significant. Stakeholders genuinely enjoy engaging with them, they communicate a lot of information in a small space, and they consistently spark new ideas and learning for teams and leadership.
Watch the video below to see how it works. 👇