Importing Data to Create Organization Charts

Many organizations maintain human resources information in formats that aren't visual. With the Organization Chart Wizard template, you can create an organization chart by importing employee information already stored in corporate data sources such as databases and data files. If the organizational structure changes, you can simply update the chart rather than having to re-create ita huge timesaver, especially for large organizations. You can import organization data from Microsoft Office Excel spreadsheets (.xlsx), text files (.txt), Microsoft Office Exchange Server directories, Microsoft Office Access databases (.accdb), or any ODBC-compliant (Open Data Base Connectivity) database application.

Important

For the Organization Chart Wizard template to work, the source data must be properly formatted and include, at minimum, data identifying unique employee names and the managers to whom they report. In an Excel spreadsheet, columns of information represent data fields that can be imported to create an organization chart. For example, a human resources spreadsheet might include columns listing each person's name, manager, department, title, e-mail address, phone number, and office number.

With the Organization Chart Wizard template, you first specify the data source you want to use to import the data, and then you determine which columns contain the information for the organization chart. In a typical chart, Visio uses an Employee Name field and a Reports to field (the manager's name) to specify the reporting structure. That means that every employee name in the data source must be associated with the name of the manager to whom the employee reports (except the person at the very top of the organization). For example, if Jon Morris (employee) reports to Don Funk (manager), the data source must include both of those pieces of information so that Visio can structure the organization chart correctly.

Next, you select the data fields you want to appear in the organization chart and identify the additional fields you want to simply import as shape data (formerly custom properties) and store with each shape. Shape data is a category of information that is stored with each shape and that correspond to data. For example, a Manager shape might include a Telephone category, and the telephone number would be the shape data. Shape data for a shape might include Name, Manager, Department, Title, E-mail Address, Phone Number, and Office Number. However, your organization chart might display only each employee's name and title. The additional shape data can be viewed through the Shape Data window in Visio, but it doesn't appear in the organization chart unless you want it to.

Tip

Depending on the size and number of shapes in your organization charts, you might need to periodically zoom in to the drawing page to see the shapes and text more clearly.

In this exercise, you import data from an Excel spreadsheet to generate an organization chart for Wide World Importers. In addition to importing the Name and Reports To fields, you import data identifying the title, telephone number, and e-mail address for each employee.

Tip

For help creating organization charts, type organization chart in the Type A Question For Help box on the right side of the menu bar.

USE the Employees.xlsx file located in DocumentsMicrosoft PressVisio 2007 SBS 6_OrgCharts.

1.	Start Visio. In the Template Categories list, click Business. Under Other Templates, double-click Organization Chart Wizard. The Organization Chart Wizard template opens a drawing page, three stencils, and the first page of the Organization Chart Wizard.
2.	On the first page of the Organization Chart Wizard, make sure the Information that's already stored in a file or database option is selected, and then click Next. The next page of the wizard appears, prompting you to identify the type of data source from which you are importing data.
3.	Make sure the A text, Org Plus (*.txt) or Excel file option is selected, and then click Next. The next page of the wizard appears, prompting you to locate the file that contains the organization information.
4.	Click Browse, navigate to the 06_OrgCharts folder, and then double-click Employees.xlsx. The wizard displays the file and its path.
5.	Click Next. The next page of the wizard appears, prompting you to choose the columns in the spreadsheet that contain the information that defines your organization.
6.	In the Name box, make sure Name is displayed, and in the Reports to box, make sure Manager is displayed. Click Next. The next page of the wizard appears, prompting you to choose the fields you want to display in your organization chart.
7.	Make sure the Displayed fields list displays Name and Title. Click Next. The next page of the wizard appears, prompting you to choose additional columns (or fields) to import into your organization chart as shape data. The information doesn't appear in your organization chart, but it is stored with the shapes.
8.	In the Data file columns box, click Telephone, and then click the Add button to move Telephone to the Shape Data fields box. Telephone is listed in the Shape Data fields box.
9.	Repeat the previous step to add E-Mail Alias to the Shape Data fields box. Click Next. The next page of the wizard appears, asking you whether you want Visio to break your organization chart across pages.
10.	Make sure the I want the wizard to automatically break my organization chart across pages option is selected, and then click Finish. The wizard imports the data according to the specifications you entered, and Visio creates the organization chart on the drawing page. The Organization Chart Wizard template also opens an Organization Chart menu and toolbar.
11.	From the Organization Chart Shapes stencil, drag a Consultant shape onto the Jay Fluegel shape.   Tip At this point in the exercise, you might need to periodically zoom in to the drawing page to see the shapes and text more clearly.
12.	In the Connecting Shapes dialog box, select the Don't show this message again option, and then click OK. Visio positions the Consultant shape below the Jay Fluegel shape and draws a connector between the two shapes.   Tip To create your own organization charts from scratch or revise existing ones, simply drag shapes on top of one another as you did in the previous step. Visio positions and connects the shapes to create the organization hierarchy for you.
13.	With the shape selected, press to open the shape's text block.
14.	Type Paula Bento, press , and then type Consultant. Visio displays the employee's name and title in the shape.   Tip You can also add up to 50 employee shapes to your organization chart at once by using the Multiple shapes shape on the Organization Chart Shapes stencil. Just drag it on top of the shape that represents the manager to whom all the employees report, and then in the dialog box, select the number of and type of shapes you want to add.
15.	Click the pasteboard or a blank area of the drawing page to close the text block and deselect the shape. Notice that this shape has a dashed-line border, which indicates that the shape represents a consultant.
16.	On the File menu, click Close, and then click No when Visio asks you if you want to save the changes to the drawing. Visio and the drawing close.