If you work in government - particularly in security - you understand the importance of documentation. Government work requires a great deal of it, and such documentation often involves charts, diagrams and other visual aids in order to supplement and clarify written information.

You also understand that creating such visual information using drawing programs and graphic editors can be a slow, painful process unless you possess an uncommon skill working with the more arcane aspects of an application such as Photoshop.

Microsoft's Visio 2007 can make the creation of charts and diagrams almost effortless. Visio offers a vast database of ready-to-use templates that allow the user to quickly create a wide variety of visuals for any type of documentation.

For example, a chain of command is vital to the smooth function of any governmental agency. Visio templates help to make organization charts more useful with the ability to link to additional data, providing a more complete overview of levels of authority and responsibility. Access to such information at a glance can increase efficiency and effectiveness.

Those who are responsible for the development of security software will appreciate the way Visio shapes offers a means to create database models and software diagrams that is as flexible as your organization's unique needs. Visio shapes can be used in documents to show design of a security system, configuration of the system, as well as provide an easy-to-understand visualization of process improvement in the application of your security software.

Visio offers security developers a simple way to incorporate professional-looking diagrams into your company's documents. Process and network diagrams come standard with Visio, but they can be customized to your exact specifications. In current versions of Visio, you can copy information from Microsoft Excel and have it transform before your eyes into diagrams that make the pertinent information stand out clearly. Compatibility with Outlook e-mail, Powerpoint presentations, Access databases and Word documents makes integration of the various programs in Office easy to establish.

One of the great benefits that you will gain when using Microsoft Visio is the ease with which you can track trends. Select specific data to examine in greater detail, put it into Visio, and you can see at a glance whether you are experiencing increases or decreases in activity in specific areas that you choose to target. In this way you can explore trends that make a difference to your specific security and reporting needs, and use the diagrams in Visio to present the information to co-workers without the technical knowledge of your specific area in a way that everyone can understand.

Let Microsoft Visio be the platform from which you create customized diagrams that will help you design and implement an effective security program tailored to your company's special needs.