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Flow form — Editing in VisioPurpose
Use Swimlane and Router Pool shapes to organize and graphically identify a related group of shapes that are performed within a specific work context (typically a work group) or business purpose. A router activity identified in the lane shape is associated with Assignment shapes inside the lane. During processing work items are to the appropriate user worklist or workbasket defined by the router. See router activity
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 swimlanes 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 item to the appropriate workbasket inside the lane.
To create a flow for which every shape belongs to a lane, choose CrossFunction as the Template value in the New dialog box.
Adding a swimlane shape to a flow
To add a swimlane, do the following:
- Drag a Swimlane shape (
) onto the flow diagram. When you release the mouse key, a pop-up window prompts you to select a vertical (Yes) or horizontal (No) swimlane. This option does not appear if you drag and drop and swimlane onto an existing pool. - Select the orientation that best suits your flow configuration. This drops the shape onto the diagram. By default, the swimlane is contained in a Router Pool shape (not available from the palette). You cannot overlay horizontal and vertical swimlanes.
- Select the Router Pool shape (
)to display the RouterPool properties panel. Enter a title for the shape in the Name field. 
- Select the Swimlane shape within the pool (
) to display the Swimlane properties panel. Enter a title for the shape in the Name field. - If the swimlane contains one or more assignment shapes, select a router activity 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 swimlane shape. You cannot attach a Router shape ( 
) to an assignment in a swimlane. - To add swimlanes, drag and drop Swimlane shape onto the Router Pool shape. The swimlane is inserted where it is dropped.
Working with swimlanes and router pools
- Adding a swimlane — If a swimlane is dropped over shapes on the diagram, the shapes (including shapes that overlap the lane border) move inside the lane and are centered 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.
- When you add a new lane to an existing pool, the lane positions itself to the right or left depending on which half of the pool you dropped.
- Copying and pasting a swimlane — You can copy and paste a swimlane to the router pool. The new swimlane 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 swimlane — A swimlane may be dragged to a new position within its pool. Any shapes within the lane move with it. If dragged outside the pool, a swimlane 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. You cannot drag and drop multiple swimlanes to another position in the pool. Also, you cannot drag and drop a swimlane from one pool to another pool.
- Deleting a swimlane — Select the swimlane frame and delete it. You cannot delete the last swimlane 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 swimlane also deletes the shapes within it. When you attempt to delete, a warning message appears and asks for confirmation. - Changing the width of a swimlane — 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 swimlane.
- Resizing a router pool — When you change the width of a router pool shape, all swimlanes 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 are not deleted.
- Repositioning a router pool — You can select the pool shape and move it. Do not drop a pool over another pool as one overlays the other; they do not merge.
