Purpose
You use Router Pool and Swim Lane shapes to organize and graphically identify a related group of task shapes that are performed within a specific work context (typically a work group) or business purpose. A router activity defined in the lane shape is associated with Assignment shapes inside the lane. During processing work objects are to the appropriate user worklist or workbasket defined by the router.
For example, an insurance claim application has one assignment instructing operators to collect customer information, another to verify the information and calculate payments, and a third to issue payments and update financial records. You want each to have its own work group and workbasket. You create a pool named Insurance Claim Process containing three swim lanes named CSR, Back Office, and Fulfillment. Each lane has a router activity associated with the assignments within it. During flow processing, the router assigns the work object to the appropriate workbasket inside the lane.
Adding a Router Pool shape to a flow
Drag a Router Pool shape (
) onto the flow diagram
and drop it. By default, the shape contains one swim lane. Do the following:
- Select the Router Pool shape (
) to display the RouterPool properties panel. Enter a title for the shape in the Name field.
- Select the Swim Lane shape within the pool (
) to display the Swimlanes properties panel. Enter a title for the shape in the Name field.
- If the swim lane contains one or more assignment shapes, select a router activity rule in the
Rule field (required). This router applies to all assignments inside the lane. The Router fields in the Assignment properties panels are locked and cannot be edited. Existing router field values (if any) are overwritten by the value in the swim lane shape. You cannot attach a Router shape ( 
) to an assignment in a swim lane.
- To add additional swim lanes, drag a Swim Lane shape (
) and drop it on the router pool shape. The swimlane is inserted where it is dropped.
Working with swim lanes and router pools
- Adding a swim lane — If a lane is dropped over shapes, the lane moves them (including overlapping shapes) inside the lane and centers them there. As you place additional Visio shapes, take care
not to overlap lanes. The shape will snap to the center of the closest lane. You can always move a shape from one lane to another. It will take on the router of the new lane.
- Copying and pasting a swim lane — You can copy and paste a swim lane to the router pool. The new swim lane retains the copied lane’s width, router information, and title. It does not contain the shapes that were in the copied lane.
- Dragging and dropping a swim lane — A swim lane may be dragged to a new position within its pool. Any shapes within the lane move with it. If dragged outside the pool, a swim lane is positioned as the first or last lane of the parent pool, depending on its proximity to the right or left edge of the pool.
- Deleting a swim lane —
Select the swim lane frame and delete it. You cannot delete the last swim lane in a pool. Be careful not to select the router pool frame. If the first or last lane is deleted, the other lanes remain in position. If an interior lane is deleted, the lanes to its right move to the left to close the gap.
Deleting a swim lane also deletes the shapes within it. When you attempt to delete, a warning message appears and asks for confirmation.
- Changing the width of a swim lane — Grab a resize handle along the vertical edge to widen or narrow it. The pool will widen or narrow to accommodate the added or removed space. Shapes within repositioned lanes move along with the lane. You cannot change the height of an individual swim lane.
- Resizing a router pool — When you change the width of a router pool shape, all swim lanes change proportionately. The shapes within a lane do not change size.
You can adjust the pool's height with corresponding changes to lane heights.
- Deleting a router pool —
If you delete a router pool, all of its lanes are deleted. Other shapes in the flow will not be deleted.
division, organization, organization
unit, owner
About Flow rules
Flow form