Organizational charts help teams understand who manages what, clarify roles, and display company structure all in one place. But when it comes to designing these charts, teams often debate between time-tested manual tools like PowerPoint and newer, automated org chart builders. Modern builders promise to make the process quicker and more accurate, while manual design keeps you in control of every little detail. In this article, we’ll look at the pros and cons of each method, so you can pick what’s best for your team’s needs, size, and daily workflow.
Understanding Manual Org Chart Design
Manual design means creating your org chart from the ground up, often using familiar programs like PowerPoint or Excel, or for some, simply drawing it out on paper. In PowerPoint, you can add in blocks with SmartArt, drag them around, and fill in names and positions by hand. This hands-on approach works best for smaller groups or when making a single visual for a specific use.
Manual charts really shine when you want complete flexibility to fit company branding. Designers can match colors, fonts, and layouts exactly how they want, without having to fit the requirements of special org chart software. Most businesses already have these tools, so small teams can create basic charts in minutes without any extra costs or learning curve.
However, making changes to the chart as your team grows can turn into a headache. For every update, you’ll need to go in and change the information for each person, correct boxes if they become misaligned, and watch out for typing mistakes. The more people in your organization, the harder it is to maintain a clear, readable chart. With tens or hundreds of employees, tiny fonts and squeezed boxes turn updates into a huge undertaking.
Manual Design: Pros and Cons
Manual org charts can feel rewarding, but they do come with their own strengths and weaknesses.
Benefits of Manual Design:
- Full creative control — adjust fonts, colors, and structure however you want for a polished result.
- Familiar tools mean there’s no onboarding — most people already know how to use PowerPoint or Excel.
- No additional costs — these programs are part of standard office software bundles, making them budget-friendly.
Downsides of Manual Design:
- Editing is tedious — every single change must be made by hand, slowing things down and making mistakes likely.
- Hard to scale — great for a small group, but tough to maintain for mid-sized or large teams.
- Version mixups — sharing the same file can result in several “current” copies, leading to confusion.
- Lack of integration — there’s no way to link charts to HR or payroll systems, so charts can become outdated quickly.
As changes in team structure happen, relying only on a manually updated org chart can result in confusion or outdated info being passed around.
Introducing Org Chart Builders
Org chart builders are special tools crafted just for making and updating organizational charts. Think of examples like Org Chart Studio, Lucidchart, and others. These platforms help you skip tedious steps by letting you just drag and drop roles, import lists from Excel files, or even sync directly to company HR systems. With a few clicks, you can rearrange who reports to whom, adjust the layout, or invite others to help edit live.
Many modern org chart builders include bonus features like collaboration options or even show live analytics. Updating structures as team changes are made is simple and instantly visible to everyone who has access, no matter where they are.
For remote teams or businesses with staff in multiple locations, many builders also include mobile support and analytic tools, making it easy to check the chart and gain insights on the go.
The Pros and Cons of Org Chart Builders
Automated tools help make charts quickly—even for large, complex organizations—but some people wish for more advanced customization. Let’s look at what these builders offer.
| Feature | Advantages | Possible Drawbacks |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | Import your data and get a chart in minutes, not hours. | Learning the setup process takes a bit of time, especially for complicated data. |
| Updates | Automatically keeps info synced with HR or spreadsheet sources. | If your data isn’t clean, it might introduce errors. |
| Collaboration | Multiple team members can edit and share securely. | Some platforms need a subscription, adding extra cost. |
| Scale | Handles very large organizations easily, with up to 10,000+ employees. | Might feel too complex if you only have a handful of staff. |
| Extras | Add advanced features like search tools, analytics, and mobile editing. | Advanced controls can add a short learning curve. |
Some products (like Org Chart Studio) offer free options for small teams and provide one-time payment for features like PDF or image export, avoiding monthly fees.
Comparing Manual Methods to Builders
Manual and builder-based org charts are very different experiences. For static and lower headcount charts, manual methods do fine. But for growing businesses, builder tools save loads of time and keep data accurate.
| Critical Feature | Manual Methods | Org Chart Builders |
|---|---|---|
| Build Time | Requires hours for big teams | Taken care of in minutes by importing lists |
| Updating | Manual edits for every role | Drag, drop, and auto-sync repair old info |
| Mistake Risk | Higher (user errors, missed edits) | Lower (runs off official data) |
| Team Collaboration | Share files—versions diverge | Real-time, cloud links keep everyone up to date |
| Cost | Free (if software owned) | Free for smaller teams; pay as you go for extras. |
| Mobile-Friendly | Barely works on small screens | Full editing and viewing from phone or tablet |
Stats show that companies adopting tools for data visualization (like automated org chart builders) see nearly 80% improvement in how they work with and act on this information.
Meet Org Chart Studio: A Modern Org Chart Builder
One popular org chart builder is Org Chart Studio—a tool designed to make chart planning fast and flexible. On the platform, you can tap to add new people, pull them into order with drag-and-drop, and the auto-layout tool tidies up everything neatly. Spreadsheets from Excel (or other apps) can be instantly turned into charts. You can even export a tidy graphic version without a watermark for a one-time low fee.
There are no annual or monthly costs for teams smaller than 100, making it perfect for cost-conscious groups. Features like undo/redo, mobile editing, and auto-save make it superior to clunky old-school methods. Reviewers enjoying its intuitive design note that they rarely miss PowerPoint.
When Does Manual Org Chart Design Make Sense?
Choosing the manual method might work best for a micro team with less than 20 people, needing a highly customized, good-looking chart for an event or a report. Startups that only occasionally redesign org charts—or who want their unique company look front and center—will likely get by with PowerPoint or Excel.
But if your organization changes roles or reporting structure more than a few times a year, slow update times can quickly cause mixups.
When to Use Org Chart Builders
If your team is over 20 employees, with new hires happening regularly or if you have remote or distributed staff, jumping in with an org chart builder is the smarter choice. Builders streamline onboarding, make complicated updates quick, and clear up confusion around who reports to who. Dynamic charts help everyone stay informed as shifts happen.
Tools such as Org Chart Studio are affordable, powerful enough for big teams, and remove the frustrations found with manual methods—without breaking the bank.
Real-World Examples
Small Startup (Manual Design):
A team of ten puts together its staff hierarchy in PowerPoint for a fun, client-facing slide. The flexibility matches their branding at no extra cost.
Mid-Size Team (Builder):
A company of around 150 uses an org chart builder to convert HR spreadsheets into clear, current charts that survive quarterly re-structures without hassle.
Enterprise Corp (Builder):
A large company with several thousand employees relies on advanced tools for workforce analytics, mapping out departments both visually and statistically.
Combining Both:
Some teams sketch their idea manually, then move it into a builder to polish, analyze, and share broadly with live updates.
How to Decide What’s Right for You
When picking the right approach, think about your team’s size, how often you expect to make changes, and the available budget. Most growing organizations will find more value in org chart builders, since they offer visual clarity and up-to-date data. Plus, most builders start free, so you can experiment first.
For accuracy, ease of updates, and simple sharing, it’s hard to beat modern org chart builders. Old-fashioned methods are holding on mostly for very small or very short-term needs.