SIPOC

What is SIPOC?

SIPOC is a visual process mapping tool that helps teams document the key elements of a business process before jumping into improvement work. The acronym breaks down to Suppliers, Inputs, Process, Outputs, and Customers. Teams typically reach for SIPOC diagrams in the early stages of process improvement projects when they need everyone on the same page about what the process involves, where it starts and ends, and who it touches.

The approach emerged from Total Quality Management (TQM) thinking in the late 1980s, though it really gained traction through the Six Sigma methodology. Most teams build their SIPOC diagram during the Define phase of the DMAIC process. This makes sense because you want to nail down project scope and boundaries before getting into the weeds of detailed analysis. The tool gives you that bird's-eye view that keeps teams, stakeholders, and management aligned without drowning in procedural minutiae.

SIPOC diagrams prove especially useful when you're dealing with complex processes that span multiple departments, trying to figure out who provides critical inputs, or clarifying who actually receives the final outputs. Mapping these five elements in a straightforward table or diagram lays the groundwork for more detailed process mapping and process improvement work down the line.

Key Characteristics of SIPOC

• High-Level Focus: SIPOC diagrams capture the essentials of a process without getting into step-by-step granularity. This makes them well-suited for initial scoping conversations.
• Five Core Elements: Every SIPOC diagram identifies suppliers who provide inputs, the materials or information needed, the major process steps, what the process produces, and who receives those outputs.
• Cross-Functional Clarity: These diagrams make it straightforward to see which departments, teams, or external partners play a role in a process, cutting down on confusion about roles and responsibilities.
• Scope Definition: By explicitly identifying process boundaries, SIPOC helps teams agree on what falls inside the improvement project and what sits outside its scope.
• Foundation for Analysis: SIPOC works as a starting point that teams can build upon with more detailed process mapping techniques like flowcharts, swimlane diagrams, or value stream maps.

SIPOC Examples

Example 1: Manufacturing Assembly Process

A furniture manufacturer documenting their office desk assembly line might identify timber suppliers, hardware vendors, and paint suppliers as key suppliers. The inputs would include raw wood, screws, brackets, finishes, tools, and assembly instructions. Process steps cover cutting, sanding, assembly, finishing, and quality inspection. Outputs are finished desks and packaging materials. Customers turn out to be wholesale distributors and retail furniture stores. This SIPOC helped the team recognize that quality issues with hardware suppliers were directly affecting the final inspection step, which led them to tighten up vendor requirements.

Example 2: Healthcare Patient Intake

A primary care practice mapping their patient intake process using SIPOC might list insurance companies, referring physicians, and patients themselves as suppliers. Inputs include patient information, insurance cards, medical history, and appointment requests. The process involves scheduling, check-in, insurance verification, medical history review, and exam room preparation. Outputs are updated patient records, confirmed appointments, and billing information. Customers include patients, physicians, and billing departments. The SIPOC revealed that insurance verification was happening too late in the process, causing delays when coverage issues popped up.

Example 3: Software Development Feature Request

A software development team might use SIPOC to map how customer feature requests turn into deployed functionality. Suppliers are customers, sales teams, and product managers. Inputs include feature specifications, user stories, design mockups, and technical requirements. The process covers requirements gathering, design review, development, testing, and deployment. Outputs are working software features, documentation, and release notes. Customers include end users, support teams, and sales representatives. Building this SIPOC diagram helped the team spot that unclear requirements from product managers were causing rework during development, which led to improved requirement templates.

SIPOC vs Process Map

Both tools visualize business processes, but SIPOC and traditional process maps serve different purposes and work at different levels of detail.

SIPOC typically comes first to establish scope, then teams create detailed process maps to dig into specific improvement areas.

How Glitter AI Helps with SIPOC

Glitter AI makes creating and maintaining SIPOC documentation considerably easier by letting teams visually capture process elements as they actually happen. Rather than trying to recreate processes from memory in a conference room, teams can use Glitter to record actual workflows, automatically generating visual documentation that shows real suppliers, inputs, outputs, and customer touchpoints.

When organizations need to update SIPOC diagrams as processes change, Glitter's screen recording and annotation capabilities let process owners quickly capture what's different and share updated documentation with stakeholders. This keeps SIPOC diagrams accurate and useful as living documents rather than dusty artifacts created once and never touched again.