The SIPOC model is a high-level tool for process analysis and improvement. It provides a clear view of all key elements in a process, helping organizations understand how inputs are transformed into outputs, how different stakeholders interact, and where opportunities for improvement exist.
In EPC, SIPOC tables allow modelers to visualize process dependencies, clarify responsibilities, and streamline process improvement initiatives.
In this topic, you’ll learn:
What is SIPOC?
SIPOC diagrams represent the following elements:
| Supplier | The entity that provides input(s) to a process. |
| Inputs | All items used to produce one or more outputs from a process. |
| Process | The actual process being analyzed or improved. |
| Outputs | The products, services, or information that emerge from a process. |
| Customers | The entity that uses the outputs generated from the process. |
Example:
| Supplier | Input | Process | Output | Customer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vendor | Raw materials | Manufacturing | Finished product | Retailer |
Why Use SIPOC?
- Clarity in Process Mapping: SIPOC helps organizations clarify what goes into a process (inputs) and what comes out (outputs), making it easier to define, analyze, and improve processes.
- Enhanced Communication: By laying out Suppliers, Inputs, Processes, Outputs, and Customers, SIPOC facilitates clearer communication across departments, ensuring everyone understands the process from start to finish.
- Streamlined Process Improvement: SIPOC tables serve as a foundational tool for identifying areas of improvement, ensuring that all relevant elements are considered in process enhancement projects.
Creating SIPOC
Method 1: Creating a Custom SIPOC Table
Build a SIPOC table manually for maximum flexibility and control.
How to Define a Custom SIPOC
- Open the Edit Form
- Navigate to the Details page of the process.
- Click Edit.
- In the form, open the What is the SIPOC? section.
- Add Content to SIPOC Fields
- Hover over the SIPOC box you want to populate.
- Click one of the available icons to add information to the box:
- Link-to-object — Click the link icon to connect an existing EPC object.
- Learn how to use Link-to-object here.
- Rich text (if available) — Click the pen icon to enter text.
- Note: This option may not appear depending on your organization’s configuration.
- Link-to-object — Click the link icon to connect an existing EPC object.
- Repeat these steps for each SIPOC element you want to define (Supplier, Input, Output, or Customer).
- Manage SIPOC Rows
- To add a new row, click the + icon.
- To delete a row, click the trash button when hovering over a row.
- Save and Review the SIPOC Table
- Save & Close the form.
- Open the SIPOC accordion to view the table.
- Hover over linked objects in the table to display an overview of the object.
Method 2: Using the Map’s Inter-Process Links
This method relies on inter-process links to connect related processes. With this method, SIPOC tables display data in the Details view only when at least one IPL is created. This approach can be effective for organizations that have established processes with clear links and inputs/outputs between them, providing a structured view of how different processes interact.
How to Define SIPOC Using this Method
- Navigate to the Diagram view of the process.
- Click the Edit button to access the Diagram Editor.
- Define an IPL for both the start event(s) and end event(s) of the process.
- These will be shown as Suppliers and Customers in the SIPOC table.
- Navigate to the start event’s linked process. In its Diagram Editor, define the Inputs/Outputs for its end event.
- These will become the Inputs in the original process’s SIPOC table.
- Next, navigate to the end event’s linked process. In its Diagram Editor, define the Inputs/Outputs for its start event.
- These will become the Outputs in the original process’s SIPOC table.
- Return to the Details view of the original process.
- Open the ‘SIPOC’ accordion, and then expand the ‘Map Inter-Process Links’ sub-accordion.
- The SIPOC table will now be displayed.
SIPOC in Process Books
You can include SIPOC tables in your process books by adding the following syntax to your templates:
@@richTextSipoc:{#templaterConfig}{#subject}{#object}{nodeId}{/object}{/subject}{/templaterConfig}@@
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