In brief
A company org chart represents the structure of the organisation: it shows units, positions and reporting lines, and tells anyone joining the company who decides, who coordinates and who to turn to. Drawn once and left in a file, it goes out of date within a few weeks. Linked to HR data and updated whenever people change role, it becomes a working tool: it counts people by unit, measures how many direct reports each manager has, lets you simulate a reorganisation before carrying it out and helps you communicate changes to the people who live them.
This guide starts from definitions and models, moves on to the method for building and maintaining the org chart, and arrives at workforce planning: starting from today's workforce, estimating the one that will be needed, and turning the gap into action on hiring, development, transfers or structure. Where OrgChart Agile, the EcosAgile software, is discussed, the statements are limited to what is reported in the product manuals and on the product website.
1. What a company org chart is and what it is for
The org chart (in Italian, organigramma) is the diagram that shows how a company is organised: the units (divisions, departments, offices), the positions within them and who reports to whom. Anyone looking at it should be able to answer three questions: who decides on this matter, who works with whom, and who do I turn to.
Person, position, role and organisational unit
Four words that are often confused, and on which the quality of everything else depends:
- Person: someone who works in the company.
- Position: the seat provided for by the structure. It can be filled or vacant, and it remains even when the person leaves.
- Role: the set of tasks and responsibilities assigned to a position.
- Organisational unit: the grouping in which positions are placed, for example a division, a department or a site.
Many org charts draw only people. When a person leaves, the position disappears from the diagram, and with it the data needed for planning: how many seats we have, how many are filled, how many are not.
Hierarchical lines and functional lines
The hierarchical line shows who a person answers to for work assignment and for appraisal. The functional line shows who they answer to for technical expertise or for a project. In a matrix organisation the same person has both, and the org chart must be able to show them separately.
A distinction is also made between line units, which have hierarchical authority, and staff units, which provide support, such as an executive office or a research department: this is a distinction also described in Wikipedia's entry on the org chart (Organigramma). In the diagram below, staff sits to the side, with a dashed line.
Org chart, organisational structure and job descriptions
| Concept | What it is | Answers the question |
|---|---|---|
| Org chart | The graphical representation of the structure, which can lag behind reality | Who sits where and who reports to whom? |
| Organisational structure | The real set-up: how activities, responsibilities and decision-making powers are divided among units and positions | How does the organisation really work? |
| Job descriptions | The description of the tasks and responsibilities of each position | What does the person in that position do? |
An example with three levels
Example of a three-level org chart
The same example, in table form:
| Level | Position | Reports to |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chief executive officer | Board of directors |
| 2 | Sales director | Chief executive officer |
| 2 | Operations director | Chief executive officer |
| 2 | HR director | Chief executive officer |
| 3 | Italy sales manager | Sales director |
| 3 | Production manager | Operations director |
| 3 | Recruitment and training manager | HR director |
Why HR, managers and employees need it
- HR uses it to measure size and imbalances, prepare reorganisations and keep data aligned with the systems that produce it.
- Managers see their own remit in it: who is on their team, which positions are vacant, who they coordinate with.
- Employees find in it a colleague, the head of an area, the person who decides. In a company with several sites, it is often the only place where you can tell who is who.
For more on the role of the org chart in the life of the company, see the article the key role of the org chart.
2. The main types of org chart
There is no org chart model that suits every company. The model describes how the company groups its people and where the power to decide sits. Five forms cover most cases.
| Model | How it groups people | Advantages | Limits | Suited to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hierarchical or functional | By specialisation: sales, production, administration, HR | Clear roles, concentrated expertise | Functions that work in silos; slow decisions when several functions are involved | Companies with a stable offering, growing SMEs |
| Divisional | By product, market or geographical area | Each division answers for its own results | Duplicated functions across divisions, less exchange between one division and another | Groups with different business lines or markets |
| Matrix | With two reporting lines: the function and the project or product | Skills work together on projects | Two managers, conflicting priorities; it must be made clear who decides | Project-based organisations, engineering, consulting |
| Flat | Few levels, many direct reports per manager | Fast decisions, direct communication | Managers with many direct reports; career paths are less visible | Small companies, autonomous teams |
| Network or team-based | Autonomous teams that coordinate with one another | Flexibility, quick adaptation | Requires clear coordination rules; hard to represent in a single diagram | Fast-changing contexts |
Functional
grouped by specialisation
Divisional
grouped by product, market or area
Matrix
two managers per person
How it is drawn: pyramid, flag, tree
The same org chart can be represented in different ways. Wikipedia's entry on the org chart (Organigramma) describes four: pyramid, which grows in width; flag, which grows in height; mixed, a combination of the two used when space is lacking; tree, similar to the folder list on a computer. The choice depends on the space available and ease of reading, not on the structure: the model, whether functional, divisional or matrix, stays the same.
Pyramid
grows in width
Flag
grows in height
Tree
like a folder list
How to choose the right model
Start from how the company really makes decisions, not from how it would like to make them. Three questions help: is the offering uniform or split into different lines? Who decides on a project, the function manager or the product manager? How much do speed and control matter? Many companies combine several models, for example a functional structure for support activities and a divisional one for the business.
The models are described in more detail in the in-depth article org chart models.
3. How to create a company org chart
To build a useful org chart, start from the organisation's data, not from the drawing. The drawing comes afterwards, and it is the shortest part.
| Step | What you do | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Purpose | Decide who it is for and at what level of detail: employees, managers, HR, top management | A list of the audiences and of the fields each must see |
| 2. Data | Collect the data from the source that governs it, usually the HR system or the employee master data | A list of people and positions with the same fields for everyone |
| 3. Units and positions | Define the organisational units and the positions, including vacant ones | A structure with no gaps |
| 4. Reporting lines | State for each position who it reports to, distinguishing hierarchical and functional lines | A tree with no loops and no isolated people |
| 5. Layout and views | Choose orientation, visible levels, and the fields shown in each person's box | One or more views per audience |
| 6. Validation | HR and management check who sits where, and correct at the source, not in the drawing | An approved version |
| 7. Publication and maintenance | Publish and establish who updates it, when and from which source | An update process with an owner |
The minimum data
- Unique identifier of the person or position
- First name and surname (or vacant position)
- Role or title
- Organisational unit
- Direct manager, that is, who the person reports to
- Site
- Type of working hours, if you want counts in FTE
- Hire date, if you want to read length of service
- Photo and contact details, if the org chart also serves as a directory
The most common mistakes
People without a manager, duplicates of the same name, circular reporting lines (A answers to B, who answers to A), inconsistent levels between one unit and another, forgotten vacant positions, data frozen at a point before the latest transfer. Almost all stem from a single cause: the org chart was drawn by hand and not compared with the source.
In OrgChart Agile: a resource is "orphan" when its ReportTo field does not match any identifier present and it is not marked as the top of the chart (Root Level). The program does not lose it: it collects it in a dedicated section, and a button with a number shows how many there are. The box identifier must be alphanumeric, because special characters can compromise some functions. Source: product manuals 0320 and 0321.
For more on the method, see cloud org chart management.
For the step-by-step method, with the starting table and the checks to run before publishing, see the in-depth article how to create a company org chart (in Italian).
4. From the static org chart to the dynamic, cloud-based one
A static org chart is a file drawn with a presentation or graphics programme. It works as long as the structure does not change. As soon as it changes, someone has to redraw it by hand, and in the meantime two or three different versions circulate in the company.
A dynamic org chart is born from data: the structure is a list of people, positions and reporting lines, and the drawing is generated from that list. If the list changes, the drawing changes.
| Aspect | Static (drawing file) | Dynamic (data-driven) |
|---|---|---|
| Updating | Manual, at every change | Updated data is imported and the structure realigns |
| Where the data sits | In the drawing | In a structured source; the drawing is a view |
| Versions | Copies of the file with different names | Versions managed by the system, with history |
| Browsing | You look at everything at once, on printed pages | You navigate by levels, search for a person, open the profile |
| Who sees what | Whoever receives the file sees everything | Levels and fields can be limited by audience |
| Analysis | Counts made by hand | Counts and indicators calculated on the data |
Views, sub-charts and drill-down
An org chart of a thousand people cannot be read on one page. A good system lets you see it in levels: you start from the top, open a branch, isolate a department in a separate drawing (the sub-chart). Views are different ways of showing the same data: one for the general audience with name and role, one for HR with the management fields.
Profiles, directory and filters
The drawing answers "how is the company built". The directory, a table-style list with filters, answers "who is this person, where do they sit, how do I reach them". They are two ways of getting to the same data, and it is worth having both.
Publication
The org chart is published as a PDF to distribute or as a web page that can be consulted by anyone with access. A PDF captures a specific date: it must be dated, and it must be replaced when the structure changes.
In OrgChart Agile: the org chart is read in views (some predefined, others customisable), each a different representation of the same data; an indicator at the bottom right of each box says how many items there are beneath it. Sub-charts isolate parts of the org chart, and searching by name, by photo or from the directory leads to the person. The PDF is exported with an index, page numbers, date, annotations and sub-chart arrows, each optional; the PPT, JPG and HTML formats are provided in the Plus and Pro plans. Sources: product manuals 0320 and 0322; orgchart-agile.com website.
The in-depth articles: cloud org chart management and org chart and internal communication (in Italian).
5. Org chart and workforce planning
Workforce planning links strategy to structure: it asks which people and capabilities the company needs to do what it has decided to do, compares the result with today's workforce and turns the difference into action. Strategic workforce planning does this over a horizon of several years and applies to the whole organisation, not just one department.
It is not the same as the headcount budget. The budget decides how many positions to fund next year; workforce planning asks which capabilities are needed, where and to do what, and only then arrives at the numbers.
| Step | Question | What to look at |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Current state | What workforce do we have today? | Headcount and FTE by unit, costs, age and length of service, vacant positions |
| 2. Future demand | What workforce will we need? | Strategic plan, expected volumes, projects, expected departures |
| 3. Gap | Where do they not match? | Differences in number, skills, placement |
| 4. Scenarios | What routes do we have? | Alternatives compared: hire, train, move, reorganise |
| 5. Actions | What do we do, and who monitors it? | Recruitment, development and internal mobility plans; progress indicators |
The five steps of workforce planning
The CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development), the British body for human resources development, proposes in its guide a six-phase model and a model known as the "seven rights". The framework above is a five-step summary of them, not a reproduction.
Current state and future state
The org chart is the snapshot of the current state and, if versions can be saved, also the place where the future state is drawn. What needs comparing are the numbers: how many people per unit, how many managers and with how many direct reports, how much the structure costs.
Headcount and capacity
Headcount counts people, FTE (full time equivalent) counts capacity: two half-time employees equal one FTE. Workforce planning needs the second measure, because two units with the same headcount can have very different capacity.
Gaps, skills and actions
A gap can be one of number (people are missing), of skill (they are there but cannot do the work), or of placement (the right people are in the wrong unit). The response changes: you hire, you train, you move. Skills and appraisals remain in the talent management systems; what the org chart needs is the result, to see where the gaps are.
In OrgChart Agile: the standard fields manual provides fields for the budgeted cost of a position (BudgetedPositionCost) and the staff cost per unit (DepartmentCost), and calculated fields for headcount and FTE aggregated across all the boxes beneath a unit; calculated fields and workforce planning functions are provided in the Plus plan. The source fields must be populated in the import, otherwise the calculations are not correct. Sources: product manual 0321, updated to 21 October 2026; plans page of the orgchart-agile.com website.
For the historical and methodological background: workforce planning and workforce and the strategic org chart (in Italian).
6. Organisational KPIs: headcount, span of control, levels, turnover and vacancy
An org chart linked to data lets you read certain indicators without building a separate spreadsheet. The indicators below are those most often needed for structural decisions. The formulas are working definitions: each company adapts them, but must always use the same ones.
| KPI | What it measures | Working formula | How it helps decisions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Headcount by unit | How many people work in a unit and in its sub-units | Number of people | Compare units, spot imbalances |
| FTE | Capacity in full-time equivalents | Sum of (working-time percentage / 100) | Size the workforce allowing for part-time and reduced hours |
| Span of control | How many direct reports a manager has | Number of direct reports | Identify overloaded managers or managers with few reports |
| Hierarchical levels | How many steps separate the top from the base | Number of levels | Assess long decision chains |
| Staff cost per unit | The economic weight of a unit | Sum of costs | Compare with the budget |
| Turnover | How many people leave in a period | Leavers in the period / average headcount x 100 | See where the organisation is losing people |
| Vacancy | How many planned positions are not filled | Vacant positions / planned positions x 100 | Measure the missing capacity |
| Average age and length of service | The make-up of a unit over time | Average across all the people in the unit | Plan succession and continuity |
Span of control
Span of control is the number of people a manager directly manages. For years organisations have searched for the right number, the same for everyone. The consulting firm McKinsey, in an article on the subject, argues that no such number exists and that comparison with competitors is often misleading, because it ignores how each company works. It identifies four factors that make the reasonable span vary: how much time the manager spends on their own work as opposed to managing, how standardised the processes are, how varied the work of the direct reports is, and what skills the team's work requires.
In practice: a very high span in a team doing standardised work can be fine, while the same span in a team of specialists with different tasks cannot. The number must be read together with the team's context.
Wikipedia's entry on the org chart (Organigramma) also cites span of control among the indicators that an org chart linked to data can make readable, together with budget variances and people close to retirement. The drawing below shows why the number alone is not enough: the same people, two very different structures.
Narrow and tall
top: 3 direct reports · middle: 2 · 3 levels
Flat
top: 9 direct reports · 2 levels
Levels, turnover and vacancy
Too many levels slow down decisions and distance those who decide from those who execute; too few overload managers. Turnover and vacancy come from the HR systems that record departures and open positions, and must be read by unit: the company average hides precisely the units where the problem is concentrated.
In OrgChart Agile: the standard calculated fields aggregate the data of all the boxes beneath a box: headcount (also by gender, full-time and part-time), FTE, span of control, hierarchical level, staff cost per unit, average age and length of service, counts of leave and of active people. Twenty customisable calculated fields are also available, which can use any imported field as a basis. Turnover and vacancy do not appear among the standard calculated fields in the manual: they remain to be calculated in the system that records departures and open positions. Conditional formatting applies colour and border to all the boxes that meet a condition; advanced conditional formatting with KPI highlighting is provided in the Pro plan. Calculated fields, dashboards and analyses are provided in the Plus plan. Sources: product manuals 0320 and 0321 (21 October 2026); plans page of the orgchart-agile.com website.
The topic is linked to workforce and the strategic org chart (in Italian).
The in-depth articles: span of control and organisational levels (in Italian), with the calculation and how to read the values, and the organisation's KPIs (in Italian), with a worked example.
7. What-if scenarios and change management
A what-if scenario is a future structure drawn before it is made operational. HR and management can compare different set-ups, move a role or a team, see how headcount and span of control change, and decide with the numbers in front of them. Without a scenario, the organisation is changed by looking at one piece at a time.
When it is used
- Growth: new units or new managers are needed, and you have to work out where to put them.
- Reducing levels: you want to shorten the decision chain and want to know how many direct reports the remaining managers will have.
- Mergers and acquisitions: two structures must coexist and then integrate, with duplicate roles to resolve.
- New business unit: a group of people is moved and the effects on the rest are measured.
Comparing current state and future state
The most useful comparison is a table of a few indicators, the same for every scenario. The one below is an example with fictitious numbers.
| Indicator | Today | Scenario A | Scenario B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Organisational units | 14 | 11 | 12 |
| Hierarchical levels | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| Average direct reports per manager | 4,2 | 5,8 | 5,1 |
| Managers with 10 or more direct reports | 1 | 4 | 2 |
| Positions to fill | 0 | 6 | 3 |
Scenario A shortens the chain the most, but loads four managers with ten or more direct reports. This is exactly the kind of effect that the drawing alone does not show.
Managing change
A reorganisation has two parts: the project and the way people experience it. It is worth deciding in advance who is informed first, with what message and on what date, and what changes for each person. The new org chart, published at the same moment as the communication, avoids the phase in which everyone discovers the change from a colleague.
Versions and change history
Every important change should leave a trace: what changed, when, and on whose decision. You need separate versions for the structure currently in force, for historical ones and for scenarios, and a register of changes.
In OrgChart Agile: the File menu manages the org chart versions: New creates one starting from a top box, Open opens an existing one, Save As saves the current one under a name. Versions serve both to keep the history and to run simulations on the workforce, and they contain the boxes, their position, the sub-charts and the annotations; different formatting is saved in the views, not in the versions. Each version has an authorisation level that decides its visibility, so different versions can be shown to different audiences. The product brochure states that the change log catalogues all changes. What-if scenarios are provided in the Plus plan. Sources: product manuals (quick guide 0330, user guide 0322), product support, OrgChart Agile brochure of 17 December 2025, pricing page of the website.
On organisational change: organisational change management.
When two structures have to be integrated after an extraordinary transaction, see the in-depth article org charts in mergers and acquisitions (in Italian).
8. Roles, skills and career paths
The org chart can become an organisational view of people data: besides who sits where, it shows which positions are critical, where there are few substitutes, who has a growth path. The topic is wider than drawing the structure and has its own place in talent management policies; here only what the org chart can show is of interest.
Profiles and position data
For each person or position there can be a record with role, unit, site, length of service and contact details. The record is the point at which the org chart stops being a drawing and becomes a list of verifiable facts.
Skills and gaps
A skills view serves to see where a unit has few people with a skill that the plan requires. The data originates in the system that manages skills and appraisals. The org chart shows it, for example by colouring the boxes according to a rule.
Critical positions and succession
A position is critical when a sudden departure would stop an important process. For each critical position it is worth knowing who could replace whom, and how quickly. This is a talent management decision. The org chart serves to see it in the structure: which critical positions have no replacement, in which branch.
Career paths and internal mobility
The structure shows the possible moves: from specialist to manager, from one unit to another. An org chart with clear levels makes visible to an employee where they can go, and to HR where mobility is blocked because an intermediate level is missing.
In OrgChart Agile: the standard fields include appraisal data (latest performance and potential rating), length of service, working arrangement and compensation data, which are imported from files; the Profile tab shows all the information on a resource, and the fields shown in the box are chosen in the box properties. Management of appraisals remains in the originating HR system. Sources: product manuals 0320 and 0321.
For critical positions and the successor matrix, see the in-depth article org chart, skills and succession planning (in Italian).
9. Org chart and internal communication
An up-to-date org chart saves a kind of time that nobody measures: the time spent asking "but who looks after this?". There are five occasions when it is needed.
- Who does what and who decides. In a company with several sites or several units, the person responsible for a topic is not obvious. The org chart says so.
- Onboarding. A new joiner needs to understand within a few days where they fit and who they will work with. An org chart with photos, roles and contact details shortens the time.
- Directory and contacts. A table-style list with filters by unit and site avoids searching through old emails.
- Collaboration between functions. Seeing who sits in another unit and who they report to makes it easier to involve them.
- Communicating changes. A new structure published together with the announcement gives certainty about what has really changed.
For this reason the level of detail to show to everyone must be decided with care: name, role, unit, site and work contact details are almost always enough. The other fields are reserved for those who need them (see the section on governance).
In OrgChart Agile: a person is searched for by name from the Search panel, or by choosing the photo from the gallery (Find by Photo, only for those with an uploaded photo). The Directory lists resources in table form; the standard fields include contact details (mobile, telephone, work site). Photos, square at 150 x 150 pixels and a maximum of 50 KB, are transferred via SFTP together with the data file. The org chart can be shared in read-only mode with dedicated user accounts. Sources: product manuals 0320, 0321, 0324 and product support.
There is an in-depth article on this topic: org chart and internal communication (in Italian).
10. Integrating the org chart with HRIS and other data sources
The quality of an org chart depends on the quality of the data that feeds it and on how often that data arrives. If the HR system changes and the org chart does not, after a few months nobody trusts the drawing any more.
| Method | When it suits | Precautions |
|---|---|---|
| Excel or CSV file uploaded manually | Small structures, few changes, a first trial | Needs a named owner and a schedule; the file must be checked before uploading |
| Scheduled file on SFTP | The HR system produces an export at fixed times | The file layout must remain stable; any change to the fields must be agreed |
| API | When you want data to pass from system to system, with standard and custom fields | Requires a project with IT and a definition of who is the source of each piece of data |
| HR system of the same suite | Employee master data and org chart are already in the same environment | Changes to the master data may arrive with a delay, for example after an overnight recalculation |
From source to publication
- Source: establish which system is the source of each piece of data (master data, structure, costs).
- Field mapping: match the columns of the source to the org chart fields.
- Hierarchy mapping: indicate which field identifies the person and which their manager.
- Checking: before uploading, look for duplicates, non-existent managers, wrong formats.
- Synchronisation and publication: upload, check on screen and publish the approved version.
In OrgChart Agile: you can upload a CSV or the dedicated Excel file, synchronise with People Express, connect via SFTP (with an agreed overnight transfer) or use the APIs for standard and custom fields. The number of integrations with HR systems and scheduled flows depends on the plan (scheduled flows and photo import via SFTP are provided in the Pro plan). In the Import Wizard you choose the source system and see the columns matched to the fields before confirming; the procedure flags wrong columns, missing mandatory fields and format errors. For import from a text file via SFTP the manual specifies: .txt format with a semicolon as separator, a header row with the exact field names, dates in dd/mm/yyyy format; duplicate identifiers are flagged in the outcome. The website states that it integrates with HR systems such as Workday, Personio, SuccessFactors, SAP, INAZ and Zucchetti. Sources: orgchart-agile.com website (Integrations and FAQ pages), product manuals 0324 and 0321, product support.
For the product's integrations: integrations on orgchart-agile.com.
For the ways of connecting, from manual editing to scheduled import, see the in-depth article integrating the org chart with HRIS and other data sources (in Italian).
11. Security, privacy and governance of the org chart
An org chart contains information about the organisation and, almost always, personal data: names, roles, contact details, sometimes compensation or appraisals. Who can see what must be decided before publishing, with HR and with whoever is responsible for data protection.
A starting principle: only the necessary data is needed
Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR) lists minimisation among the principles of processing: personal data must be adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary in relation to the purposes. Applied to the org chart, this means asking, for each field, who needs to see it. This guide describes principles and functions: it is not legal advice, and the framework for your own company should be defined with the data protection officer or with a consultant.
Who sees what: an example set-up
| Audience | Fields they see | Fields they do not see |
|---|---|---|
| HR | Full structure and management fields | No exclusions, within the tasks assigned |
| Managers | Structure, roles and data of their own branch | Compensation and appraisals of other branches |
| Employees | Name, role, unit, site, work contact details | Compensation, appraisals, leave data |
| External parties (if published) | Structure and roles | Unnecessary personal data |
Authentication, tracking and retention
Access is governed through users and groups, preferably with the company's centralised authentication (SSO), so that anyone leaving the company loses access at the moment they are deactivated. Important changes must be tracked: who changed what and when. Personal data is not kept longer than necessary: historical versions of the org chart contain it too.
In OrgChart Agile: each view and each version is assigned an authorisation level (User, Manager, Professional) that decides who sees it; for each view you can set the maximum visible level and a filter criterion on the data. Read-only access requires a user account and password. Single Sign-On (Microsoft 365 / Azure AD, Google, LDAP, SAML 2.0) is provided in the Plus plan, while access groups are three in the Core plan and unlimited from Plus; multi-factor authentication is provided where activated. Some capabilities, such as access logs and integrations, depend on the plan. The product website declares ISO/IEC 27001 and ISO 9001 certifications, a European Union datacentre of "Tier IV-class", monitoring with logging of the main events and the role of data processor (processor) under the GDPR. Sources: orgchart-agile.com website (Security, Integrations, FAQ), product manuals 0320, product support.
More details on the product's security: security on orgchart-agile.com.
On the subject of access, see the in-depth article security and governance of the HR org chart (in Italian).
For groups with several companies and thousands of positions, see the in-depth article org charts for large companies and groups (in Italian).
12. How to choose org chart software
Org chart software should be chosen according to how often the structure changes and what the diagram has to be used for. For a document presented once a year, a drawing programme is enough. When the structure changes during the year, the org chart serves several people and you want to derive indicators from it, you need functions of a different level.
| Category | When it is enough | What else to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Drawing tool | Few changes a year, one person who updates it, no linked data | If you need a second user or linked data, you quickly reach the limit |
| HRIS feature | The org chart is used to look up who sits where, with the data already in the system | Check views, scenarios and access control: they vary from product to product |
| Dedicated org chart software | A changing structure, several audiences, scenarios, indicators and data from several sources | Integrations, access governance, versions, cost of administration |
The fifteen criteria
The criteria apply to any product, ours included. For each of them, it is worth asking for a demonstration on your own data.
- Which sources does it import data from, and how often?
- How are fields and hierarchy mapped, and who checks for errors?
- Does it handle vacant positions as well as people?
- Does it represent hierarchical and functional lines?
- Does it allow different views for different audiences?
- How do you navigate a very large org chart?
- Does it calculate indicators on the data, and which ones?
- Does it let you save versions and simulate scenarios?
- Does it record who changed what?
- How is access governed, at the level of view, field and person?
- Does it support the company's centralised authentication?
- Where is the data hosted and what certifications does the supplier hold?
- How is it published and in which formats can it be exported?
- What happens at scale: how many people can it handle, and with what performance?
- What is the overall cost: licence, set-up, training, the time of whoever maintains it?
The cost should not be judged on the licence alone. What counts is the time for set-up, the ongoing effort of whoever keeps the data aligned, and the cost of what is avoided: manual updates, versions floating around, requests for clarification.
If the section on the dynamic org chart has clarified what you need, the EcosAgile page on OrgChart Agile describes how the product fits into the HR suite, and the product website lists its features.
Discover OrgChart Agile Go to the product website
The fifteen criteria, with the test to run in a demo, are in the in-depth article company org chart software: how to choose (in Italian).
13. How to implement an org chart system in your company
Introducing a data-driven org chart is a small project if the data is in order and a longer one if it is not. Almost all the time is spent preparing the source, not configuring the tool.
| Phase | What you do | Output |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Source audit | Identify the systems and files where people, units, managers and sites are held; look for gaps and duplicates | A list of sources and quality problems |
| 2. Model and ownership | Decide the organisational model to represent and who owns each piece of data | An owner for each piece of data |
| 3. Configuration and template | Configure the fields, the views by audience and the access levels | Views ready |
| 4. Pilot and validation | Load part of the organisation, have HR and managers check it, correct the mapping and the data | An approved version |
| 5. Launch and maintenance | Load the whole organisation, communicate it to those who need it, set the schedule for updates | An update process with a calendar |
Before starting: the checklist
- There is a source for people, positions and managers
- Every person has a unique identifier
- Every person has a manager (except the top)
- Vacant positions are listed
- It is clear who updates and when
- The audiences and the visible fields have been decided
- Whoever approves the first version has been identified
Moving from PowerPoint, Visio, Excel or OrgPlus
The starting point is always the same: the data. From an Excel file or a CSV you rebuild the org chart in a data-driven system; from a drawing in PowerPoint or Visio the data must first be extracted into a list. OrgPlus Desktop is no longer activated on new workstations, while existing installations continue to be supported; for those who need more users or remote access, the cloud solution is OrgChart Agile.
To try the tool on your own data, OrgChart Agile offers a 15-day free trial on the Core plan, up to 500 records.
If your org chart currently lives in desktop software, in Visio or in PowerPoint, the steps for moving it to the cloud without losing models and structure are in the in-depth article migrating the org chart from desktop to cloud (in Italian).
14. Frequently asked questions
What is a company org chart?
It is the visual representation of an organisation's structure. It shows units, positions and reporting lines, and helps you understand who decides, who coordinates and how the units connect. If it is fed by HR data and updated dynamically, it can also be used to analyse and plan the workforce.
What is the difference between an org chart and an organisational structure?
The organisational structure is the real set-up: how activities, responsibilities and decision-making powers are divided among units and positions. The org chart is its graphical representation and may lag behind reality. Job descriptions are a third document: they describe the tasks of each position, not where it sits.
What are the main types of org chart?
There are five main ones: hierarchical or functional (by specialisation), divisional (by product, market or area), matrix (with two reporting lines), flat (few levels) and network or team-based (autonomous teams that coordinate). Many companies combine several models. The choice depends on how the organisation really makes decisions.
Which org chart is best suited to an SME?
For a growing SME the functional model is the most common, because it clarifies roles with few units. A flat structure works when people are few and managers can handle many direct reports. If the offering splits into different lines, you move to a divisional model. It is worth reviewing the model when the company changes size.
How do you create a company org chart?
Start from the data, not from the drawing: collect people, positions, managers and sites from the source that governs them, define units and reporting lines, choose layouts and views, have HR and management validate the structure and publish. Finally, establish who updates it and how often. The steps are described in section 3 of this guide.
What data is needed to create an org chart?
You need a unique identifier, the name, the role, the organisational unit, the direct manager and the site. For counts in FTE you need the type of working hours; to read length of service, the hire date. Photos and contact details are needed if the org chart also serves as a directory. Vacant positions are entered like the others.
How do you keep an org chart up to date?
The most reliable way is to link it to the HR data source and import changes on a set schedule, by a named person. Updating the drawing by hand only works for small structures. After every change of manager or unit the org chart must be reviewed, and the versions in circulation replaced or dated.
What is a dynamic org chart?
It is an org chart generated from data: the structure sits in a list of people, positions and reporting lines, and the drawing is a view of it. When the data changes, the drawing realigns. It lets you navigate by levels, search for a person, use different views for different audiences and calculate indicators on the data.
What is the difference between a static and a cloud org chart?
A static one is a drawing file, updated by hand and distributed in copies. A cloud one is an online service fed by data: several people consult it from the same place, with different access, and the circulation of obsolete versions is avoided. The cloud requires a decision on who can see which data, because more people access it.
How is the org chart used for workforce planning?
It serves as the snapshot of the current state (headcount, FTE, costs, vacant positions) and as the basis for drawing the future state. The two are compared to identify gaps, and you decide whether to close them with hiring, development, transfers or changes to the structure. Workforce planning adds the future demand, which the org chart alone does not provide.
What is span of control?
It is the number of people a manager directly manages, that is, their direct reports. It is an indicator of a manager's coordination load. There is no value valid for everyone: it depends on how standardised the work is, how varied it is, the time the manager spends on their own work and the skills of the team.
How many direct reports should a manager have?
There is no right number for every company. According to McKinsey, the reasonable value depends on four factors: the time the manager spends on their own work, the standardisation of processes, the variety of the direct reports' work and the skills required of the team. It is worth comparing units with one another, and reading the extremes in context.
Which KPIs can be read in an org chart?
The most used are headcount by unit, FTE, span of control, hierarchical levels, staff cost per unit, average age and length of service. Turnover and vacancy come from the HR systems that record departures and open positions, and are read by unit. Each indicator should be defined once only and always calculated in the same way.
How do you simulate a company reorganisation?
Save a version of the org chart as a scenario, modify it by moving roles or teams, and compare a few indicators with the current state: units, levels, average direct reports, managers with many direct reports, positions to fill. Repeat for each alternative and decide with the numbers in front of you. The current version remains intact.
What is an organisational what-if scenario?
It is a future structure drawn before it is made operational. It serves to answer questions such as: what happens if we merge two units, if we remove a level, if we bring in an acquisition? Headcount, direct reports and costs of the current set-up and of the alternatives are compared. The scenario does not change the real organisation: it helps you decide better.
Can the org chart show skills and performance?
It can if the data is imported from the system that manages them: for example by colouring the boxes according to a rule. The org chart does not produce appraisals or a skills map: it makes visible where the gaps are in the structure. For sensitive data such as appraisals, it is advisable to limit the view to those entitled to it.
How do you link an org chart to an HRIS or HRMS?
Establish which system is the source of each piece of data, match the export columns to the org chart fields, indicate which field identifies the person and which their manager, and define the schedule. The most common channels are the scheduled file on SFTP and the APIs; a manually uploaded file remains the simplest option to start with.
Can you create an org chart automatically from Excel?
Yes, if the sheet contains at least one identifier for each person and the indication of their manager: from those two columns the tree is rebuilt. Before uploading, it is worth checking for duplicates, non-existent managers and date formats. Dedicated software guides the matching of columns and flags errors before you confirm the upload.
How do you manage permissions and sensitive data in the org chart?
Decide, for each field, who needs to see it, and create different views for HR, managers, employees and any external parties. Compensation and appraisals are reserved for a few. Use users and groups, preferably with the company's centralised authentication, and track changes. The legal framework should be defined with the data protection officer.
What functions should org chart software have?
Import from several sources with error checking, handling of vacant positions, views for different audiences, navigation by levels, indicators calculated on the data, versions and scenarios, change tracking, access control, publication in several formats. Section 12 of this guide lists fifteen criteria to verify with a demonstration on your own data.
How do you migrate from PowerPoint, Visio or OrgPlus to a cloud org chart?
Start from the data: from PowerPoint or Visio it must be extracted into a list of people, positions and managers; from Excel or CSV it can be rebuilt directly. Then map the fields, run a pilot on part of the organisation, have it validated and launch. OrgPlus Desktop is no longer activated on new workstations; existing installations remain supported.
How do you publish the org chart on an intranet or company portal?
You can export an up-to-date PDF, to be dated and replaced at every change, or give access to the online version with a read-only user account, choosing which views and which versions to show. In both cases it is worth deciding in advance the visible fields and who is responsible for updating the page.
15. Sources
Sources accessed on 28 October 2026.
External and methodological sources
- McKinsey & Company, How to identify the right spans of control for your organization: definition of span of control, absence of a single optimal number and four factors of managerial complexity.
- CIPD, Strategic workforce planning: guide presenting a six-phase planning model and the "seven rights" model. Only the introduction of the article was available.
- Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR), text on EUR-Lex, Article 5(1): principles of processing, including data minimisation.
- Wikipedia, entry Organigramma, accessed on 28 October 2026: definition of the org chart, distinction between line and staff units, graphical representations (pyramid, flag, mixed, tree), mention of indicators such as span of control. Content reworded; the Wikipedia text is available under the CC BY-SA licence.
EcosAgile and OrgChart Agile proprietary sources
- OrgChart Agile product manuals (EcosAgile documentation): manual 0320 v2.7 of 8 September 2026, standard fields 0321 of 21 October 2026, quick guide 0330, user guide 0322, file import 0324, product support.
- OrgChart Agile: features, integrations, security, frequently asked questions.
- OrgChart Agile brochure (PDF, 17 December 2025) and HR Guide on org charts (PDF, 28 February 2024).
- Graphic diagrams in this guide (three-level example, org chart models, representations, span of control, workforce planning): original EcosAgile drawings, with fictitious data.
This guide is for information purposes and does not replace the advice of a professional on the specific case. The statements on OrgChart Agile report what is written in the product manuals and on the product website at the date indicated; features and plans may change.