Developing SIPOC Diagrams

Summary: Suppliers, inputs, process, outputs and customers (SIPOC) diagrams typically have a limited role in Six Sigma programs. This article describes a method for making them the basis of a new or expanded Six Sigma project. The SIPOC diagram is designed from the inside out, beginning with identifying the process, its beginning and end. Then outputs are identified. Next, the customer and the customer's expectations are determined. The required inputs are defined and their suppliers identified. Finally, the expectations of the process from each unit are delineated. A case study involving multiple functional groups in a large department shows how this method can be used to achieve process improvements.