Product flow diagram


The Product flow diagram representation of the order by which a sequence of products is created according to Product based planning principles. It is related to the Product breakdown structure.
It is a prescribed activity of the PRINCE2 project management methodology which mandates the use of Product based planning.
Some important features of the Product Flow Diagram include:
- the PFD is a planning aid, not an outcome of planning, this is a common cause of confusion among the project managers
- the PFD should contain all of the products of the Product Breakdown Structure
- the PFD should be kept as simple/ high-level as possible for it to make sense
- all products should be 'linked into' the PFD, even if it's only to the start and the finish products
- it's vital not to get too 'hung up' on nuances such as the nature of each logical linkage in setting up a PFD
The PFD is typically created iteratively with Product Descriptions and the Product Breakdown Structure because as a project manager works through the logic they will identify missing products and additional information about products.