The SIPOC diagram is a six sigma tool that we use for business processes.

So, The term SIPOC stands for the supplier, input, process, output, and customers, which form the columns of the diagram.

Because the diagram does not contain much detail about the process, it is a high-level process map.

If we need to improve or change any process to a good level, we must understand the process.

But Which will be possible only when we know suppliers, inputs, outputs, process steps, and customers well.

Understand it as a high-level business process map or bird’s view.

This tool allows a good team concerning inputs, outputs, and also suppliers to improve their process and maintain proper care.

It provides all the ways as well as opportunities in the process, showing the limitations of the process.

Besides, it helps to identify a very good relationship between supplier, inputs, and process; And gives visibility to customers and their essential needs.

You can take a Christmas cracker, for example. It may be the kind of thing that has been around forever, but the invention was in 1846 by Thomas Thomas, a baker, and confectioner in London.

During a trip to Paris, he saw colorful almonds and a variety of sweets wrapped up in a lot of abnormal tissues.

It eventually turned and saw his bon-bones becoming more interesting in the Christmas run-up and Decided to import the idea to make it attractive.

What’s Inside?

So, How Do We Start?

Let’s start using SIPOC … You might be in surprise that a lot of people don’t understand the SIPOC salt device.

It’s Use In Process Design

SIPOC is use in initial process design to produce high-level visualizations of an existing undefine process. Also, a new ‘essential’ process it takes into account.

If your process produces an ‘output’, but you can’t find a ‘customer’ for ‘output’… is there a need for ‘output’?

SIPOC Model

Suppliers

The inputs used or made in this process are either provided by other processes or internally or by another party or external customer.

In the service industry, process inputs derive from other related methods. In the manufacturing industry, raw materials such as inputs can be obtained from the same company or imported from other manufacturing industries, and there are also many companies.

These are the suppliers for data- vegetable vendors, grocery stores, furniture, music systems, ingredients obtaining from various vendors’ crockery for cooking.

Inputs

All these inputs consist of X; they affect the input process and have a good result late.

Since processing always depends on the input and received as input, if your outputs do not meet the customer’s needs and requirements, you have some problem with the input or processing steps.

There may be a chance that the supplier is providing the right input. Therefore, inputs play a very important role in the process.

In the hotel industry, we often receive different inputs from different vendors. These inputs are used for a single process, which is customer service.

Process

This is the high process map of the SIPOC Diagram; This shows the entire process in just 4-5 significant steps. It provides you all the processes as manual instructions.

It gives you the framework of the process functioning. So, After receiving all the inputs, you need to decide the first step of the process.

Some restaurants or hotels believe in self-serving and some belief in customer service.

Here, the first step will be serving their customers and taking orders from them and providing them with the service as per the customer’s requirement.

Hence, The business must keep in mind their customer’s expectations. 

Outputs

After spending time on inputs and processing, your entire business depends on a single production.

Also, Outputs are end-products or end-results that come after processing and are very important for a good business.

Customers

Customers are the people you receive business, whether it may be internal or external. So, Domestic customers are stakeholders, process improvement projects run for them.

And external customers or end customers, who use the services or end product, or whether the final product decision meets their expectations.

In other words, in the process of providing the result to external customers, there are many internal handoffs.

Some of them are for domestic customers. If these handoffs are not successful in terms of time and accuracy, the result is affected.

When and how to Use the SIPOC?

The SIPOC model is very useful in many ways – concept, purpose, and practice. Since not all problems are process-related only.

There may be a chance of receiving the wrong input. It may be that output is not satisfactory due to misunderstanding or inability to express according to customer requirements.

During process improvements, some people ignore or omit SIPOC because they do not know how useful SIPOC is. You don’t have to leave it at all. You have to understand it correctly and use it.

They will not know where the real problems lie; Like the doctor treating the patient without knowing the patient’s real problem.

It answers the most difficult questions of the process; This is the reason, that before starting and ending this process, you help with its decision and its suggestions very much?

What are the significant steps involved in the process?

This gives you an introduction to the input required for the process and the expected output of the process, which can be single or multiple.

Besides, it provides you with information about suppliers of inputs. Therefore, in process improvement, you get in-depth information on the point of suppliers. So that the root causes of the issues or problems can be ascertained.

Suppliers can be internal or external, they can be improved or changed according to conditions.

Besides, it provides information about suppliers of inputs. Therefore, in process improvement, we provide in-depth information on the point of suppliers.

So that the root causes of the issues or problems can be ascertained. Suppliers can be internal or external, they can be improved or changed according to conditions.

5 ways to Use SIPOC

Visualize, understand and communicate high-level processes, SIPOC is best used to view all processes in the same light.

It helps immensely in identifying customer requirements.

Play an essential role in planning a great process to run.

Manage detailed process mapping; identify useful measures.

It also helps to understand how suppliers, inputs, and process steps are affecting customer requirements.

Steps to create a SIPOC

SIPOC should be designed with the POCIS concept. The first process is deciding the critical process steps involved in the projects.

The production of the process and the requirements of the customers must then work on the inputs necessary to implement the process and their suppliers.

Establish the name of the process that requires SIPOC.

• Decide the starting and ending points of the process; These steps should start with a verb. There is a man named Bill Peterson, who, in his writing, has assumed that they should be called policies. As a company works on policies that they tailor to some extent according to their customers’ needs, I also believe that it can be considered as policies.
• List all process steps; Then select the major process steps, no more than 5 levels. However, in exceptional cases, we can also see 8 stages.
• List the output generated after processing. It can be one or more. Once you get to know all your internal and external customers, you can create a list of outputs provided to internal and external customers. It should be written in a noun.
• Define the receiver of products or services. It can be internal or external customers.
• List the input of the process, which should also be written in a noun.
• Name the suppliers from whom the business has received inputs.

SIPOC Tool in Process Improvement

SIPOC is the key to the reform process. It is used at the same time in a defined stage to visualize the overall process, so that everyone is aware of all the elements involved in the process.

Process steps typically cause problems, with a high probability of errors due to incorrect input and supply.

Also, SIPOC gives the actual customer demand and all output, or we can call them KPOV.

Therefore, when planning a process improvement project, one should not ignore the big step i.e. SIPOC. Most of the time, it is applied carelessly, and its importance is overlooked.

Conclusion

Therefore, we can see how much SIPOC helps in understanding the overall process; This gives insight into where problems persist.

When creating a project charter at a defined stage, then SIPOC should be given importance; Since this indicates potential problems throughout the process. These issues may originate from the supplier.

They may be input issues or process steps. Based on this, we can prepare a suitable plan for improvement.

FAQs