Finding Your Flow: Visio, Mural, and Lucidchart for Process Mapping

Day 3 of Green Belt is always a turning point.

By then, we’ve covered the foundations and start diving into the real work—mapping processes, seeing how everything connects (or doesn’t), and recognizing where waste, confusion, or opportunity lives. And every cohort, without fail, someone asks:
“Which tool should I be using for process mapping?”

It’s a good question—and the answer is, as always, “it depends.”

Let’s talk about three popular tools that came up in our last class: Visio, Mural, and Lucidchart. Each one has its strengths, and each one brings something different to the table, depending on what you need and how your team works.

Microsoft Visio: The Old-School Powerhouse

Visio is the corporate classic. If you’re working in a Microsoft-heavy environment, chances are you’ve encountered it already. It’s precise, polished, and built for creating formal process maps that look sharp in boardroom decks.

But here’s the thing: while Visio gives you full control over formatting, it can be a bit clunky. It’s not the most intuitive for beginners, and it doesn’t play as nicely when you’re trying to collaborate in real time. Still, when you need that clean, professional look—Visio delivers.

Mural: The Digital Whiteboard for Messy Thinking

On the opposite end of the spectrum is Mural. It’s colorful, open-ended, and perfect for the “sticky note” phase of mapping. When you're in a room (or Zoom) with a team, and you’re just trying to make sense of a spaghetti mess of tasks, handoffs, and pain points—Mural is magic.

There are no hard rules in Mural, and that’s kind of the point. It invites everyone in. It gets the ideas out of people’s heads and onto the canvas. That said, it’s not where you’d want to finalize a process map. Think of Mural as your sketchpad, not your final draft.

Lucidchart: The Happy Medium

Then there’s Lucidchart—the tool that tends to win the popularity contest among our Green Belts. It strikes a balance between structure and collaboration. It’s easier to use than Visio and more structured than Mural, which makes it a great go-to for day-to-day process mapping.

Lucidchart feels modern, integrates well with tools like Google Drive or Microsoft Teams, and is built for working together. Whether you’re mapping a simple process solo or co-creating something complex with stakeholders, it adapts.

So Which Should You Use?

Here’s our advice: don’t marry a tool—marry the mindset.

If you’re brainstorming with a team, use Mural.
If you’re building a polished deliverable for leadership, go Visio.
If you’re doing most things in between, Lucidchart is a great home base.

What matters most is why you’re mapping a process. Is it to understand? To improve? To teach? The goal should always guide the tool.

Ready to Go Deeper?

These are exactly the kinds of conversations we love inside Green Belt training. We go beyond templates and symbols—we talk real tools, real challenges, and how to actually make this stuff work in your organization.

If this sparked your curiosity—or if you’re still trying to figure out what the best approach is for your team—then come join us.

🟡 Our next Green Belt class kicks off in August, and it's shaping up to be another great group. If you’re ready to step into your next level as a change agent, this is your invitation.

Get more info or reserve your spot here. We’d love to see you on the bright side.