The SIPOC Method

SIPOC stands for Suppliers, Inputs, Processes, Outputs, and Customers. These are the five key components of any organizational system. It is a good way to define a system or process and break down its parts before trying to improve it.

There are many different ways that this diagram can be drawn. The simplest template is:

 

Suppliers

Inputs

Processes

Outputs

Customers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sample SIPOC

Let’s look at the example of making chocolate chip cookies:

Suppliers

Inputs

Processes

Outputs

Customers

Grocery store

Dry ingredients

Mix ingredients

Cookies!

Me

 

Wet ingredients

Put cookies on sheet

 

Joe

 

Cookie sheet

Bake cookies

 

 

 

Oven

Cool cookies