Manual Operation Shape

The Manual Operation shape represents a task or operation that must be performed manually by a human, not by a machine or automated process.

What is a Manual Operation Shape?

The Manual Operation shape represents:

• Tasks performed by humans
• Manual adjustments
• Physical operations
• Non-automated steps
• Human intervention required
• Manual quality checks

According to ISO 5807, this shape indicates an operation performed manually without the aid of automation.

When to Use

Use the Manual Operation shape for:

• Manual tasks: "Visually inspect product", "Package items by hand"
• Human decisions: "Approve document manually", "Review content"
• Physical operations: "Assemble parts", "Apply label"
• Quality control: "Manual quality check", "Visual inspection"
• Adjustments: "Calibrate manually", "Fine-tune settings"

Visual Appearance

In DiagramKit.AI, the Manual Operation shape appears as:

• Dimensions: 160×80 pixels
• Color: Light red (#fef2f2)
• Border: Red (#b91c1c)
• Shape: Trapezoid with wider top

Best Practices

✅ Good Usage

[Automated assembly]
   ↓
[Manual quality inspection]
   ↓
<Pass inspection?>
  ↙           ↘
Yes           No
 ↓             ↓
[Package]    [Rework
 for ship]    manually]

• Use for human-performed tasks
• Indicate what is done manually
• Show inspection steps
• Distinguish from automated processes

❌ Avoid

• ❌ Automated tasks: "Calculate total" (use Process)
• ❌ User input: "Enter password" (use Manual Input)
• ❌ Too vague: "Manual step" (what step?)
• ❌ Software operations (should be automated)

Common Examples

Example 1: Manufacturing

[Automated cutting]
   ↓
[Manual assembly of parts]
   ↓
[Manual visual inspection]
   ↓
<Quality pass?>
  ↙         ↘
Yes         No
 ↓           ↓
[Continue] [Manual
           rework]

Example 2: Document Processing

[Scan document]
   ↓
[OCR processing]
   ↓
[Manual review and correction]
   ↓
[Approve manually]
   ↓
[Save to system]

Example 3: Content Moderation

[AI content filter]
   ↓
<Flagged?>
  ↙      ↘
Yes      No
 ↓        ↓
[Manual  [Auto
 review]  approve]

AI Prompt Tips

add manual operation for inspection
insert manual task for quality check
create manual operation for assembly

Related Shapes

• Process - For automated operations
• Manual Input - For user data entry
• Decision - For approval decisions
• Predefined Process - For reusable processes