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SIPOC

As a tool, SIPOC provides us with a simplified, holistic view of the process.

As well as improving your own understanding, SIPOC is particularly useful when discussing the process with potential stakeholders who may not be close to the activity involved.

SIPOC Defined

S Suppliers – Provide the inputs needed to operate the process. By providing a trigger for the process, the customer is often also a supplier.

I Inputs - These could be raw materials, information, consumable items, energy or labour needed to conduct the process.

P Process – The process is summarised into 4-8 steps for simplicity and ease of understanding.

O Output – The result of your process. This may form the input for a different process.

C Customer – The internal and/or external customers who receive your output.

Hints & Tips

  • SIPOC can help to establish the high level process
  • We can complete a SIPOC based on our own understanding of the process or in a workshop situation with our stakeholders.
  • If we have a large process with multiple internal and/or external customers we may want to consider creating more than one SIPOC to reflect this.
  • SIPOC may also be completed in reverse as COPIS, where we begin by looking at who the customers are and what they need (i.e. the Output) from your process.