SIPOC diagram: template, example, and how to make one
A SIPOC diagram is a one-page summary of a process. It lists the Suppliers, Inputs, Process steps, Outputs, and Customers. Teams use it at the start of a process improvement project, before anyone draws a detailed map.
Wavelength is a voice to diagram tool that turns a spoken process or a call transcript into an editable flowchart. This page gives you a SIPOC template you can copy, a worked example, and a fast way to fill in the process column by talking.
What SIPOC stands for
| Letter | Column | The question it answers |
|---|---|---|
| S | Suppliers | Who or what provides the inputs? A team, a vendor, a customer, or a system. |
| I | Inputs | What goes into the process? A form, a request, data, materials, or approval. |
| P | Process | What are the main steps? Keep it to 4 to 7 high-level steps. |
| O | Outputs | What comes out? A product, a report, a decision, or a record. |
| C | Customers | Who receives the outputs? Internal teams count as customers. |
SIPOC comes from Six Sigma and Lean. It is usually the first artifact in the Define phase of a DMAIC project. Its job is to agree on the boundaries of the process: where it starts, where it stops, and who is involved. Detail comes later, in a swimlane map or a value stream map.
SIPOC template
Copy this table into a doc or a spreadsheet. Fill the Process column first, then work outward.
| Suppliers | Inputs | Process | Outputs | Customers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (who provides it) | (what comes in) | 1. (start step) | (what comes out) | (who receives it) |
| 2. | ||||
| 3. | ||||
| 4. | ||||
| 5. (end step) |
A worked SIPOC example: invoice approval
| Suppliers | Inputs | Process | Outputs | Customers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vendors | Invoice (PDF by email) | 1. Receive the invoice in the AP inbox | Captured invoice record | Accounts payable |
| Bill.com | Invoice amount and vendor data | 2. Capture and read the invoice | Coded invoice | Budget owner |
| Purchasing | Purchase order | 3. Match the invoice to the PO | Matched invoice or exception | Controller |
| Budget owner, controller | Approval rules (under or over $5,000) | 4. Approve | Approved invoice | Finance |
| NetSuite | Payment schedule | 5. Pay on the next payment run | Payment and ledger entry | Vendor, finance |
See the full flow for this process, with the decision branch, on the invoice approval workflow example. You can open it as an editable copy.
How to make a SIPOC diagram, step by step
- Name the process and its boundaries. Write the first step and the last step. Everything outside them is out of scope.
- List 4 to 7 process steps. Use a verb and a noun for each one: "Match invoice to PO". Stay high level.
- List the outputs. For each step, what does it produce?
- List the customers. Who receives each output? Include internal teams.
- List the inputs. What does each step need to start?
- List the suppliers. Who or what provides each input?
- Check it with the people who do the work. A SIPOC that only the project lead believes is not useful.
The order matters. Teams that start with suppliers often argue about edge cases before they agree what the process is. Start in the middle.
Build the process column by talking
The Process column is where most SIPOC workshops slow down. Somebody explains the work, and somebody else tries to write it down. With Wavelength, the person who knows the process talks, and the steps appear as a diagram while they speak.
Wavelength also picks out the people, teams, and systems that the speaker names. Those are a strong first draft of your Suppliers and Customers columns. Systems like NetSuite or Salesforce often show up as both a supplier of inputs and a receiver of outputs.
When the high-level SIPOC is agreed, keep going in the same flow. Add the detail, the decisions, and the handoffs. You end with a full process map that matches the SIPOC, instead of two documents that drift apart.
SIPOC vs other process tools
| Tool | Level of detail | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| SIPOC | Very high level, one page | Agree scope and boundaries at the start of a project |
| Process map | Every step and decision | Document how the work flows today |
| Swimlane map | Steps by role | Show handoffs between teams |
| Value stream map | Steps with time and waste | Find delays and waiting time |
Common SIPOC mistakes
- Too many steps. More than 7 process steps means you are mapping, not scoping.
- Vague outputs. "Done" is not an output. "Approved invoice in NetSuite" is.
- Missing internal customers. The team that receives your output is a customer, even if they never pay.
- No owner. Every SIPOC needs one person who keeps it current.
When to use a SIPOC diagram
Use a SIPOC at the start of a project, before the team draws a detailed map. It is most useful in these cases:
- The scope is not clear. People disagree about where the process starts and where it ends. The SIPOC makes them agree on the first and the last step.
- Many teams touch the process. The suppliers and customers columns show every group that gives or gets something, so nobody is left out of the workshop.
- You start a Six Sigma or lean project. Many DMAIC projects use a SIPOC in the Define phase to set the boundaries of the work.
- You onboard a new process owner. One page gives a new owner the whole picture in five minutes.
Do not use a SIPOC to find delays or errors. It has too little detail for that. After the SIPOC, draw the detailed process map, and then add times to the steps if you need a value stream map.
When Wavelength is the wrong tool
If you only need the five-column SIPOC table, a spreadsheet or a doc is enough. Wavelength does not produce the SIPOC table itself. It produces the process flow that sits behind it, with the people and systems named. Use Wavelength when you want the SIPOC and the detailed map to come from the same conversation.
Related
- Process map template: copy, edit, and make your own
- Swimlane process map: worked example with roles
- Value stream map template: steps with active and wait time
- BPMN diagram examples: worked examples with BPMN export
- Flowchart template: copy, edit, and make your own
- Process mapping workshop: agenda, timeboxes, and facilitation moves
- Document a current state process: capture the as-is process
- Invoice approval workflow: the full flow behind this SIPOC
- For business analysts: map processes in discovery
- Resource center: process mapping resources by team
Common questions
What does SIPOC stand for?
Suppliers, Inputs, Process, Outputs, and Customers. It is a one-page summary of a process, used to agree scope before a detailed process map.
How many steps should a SIPOC have?
Keep the Process column to 4 to 7 high-level steps. More detail belongs in a process map or a swimlane map.
Which column should I fill in first?
Start with the Process column, then outputs and customers, then inputs and suppliers. Starting in the middle keeps the team focused on what the process is.
Is SIPOC part of Six Sigma?
Yes. SIPOC is a common Six Sigma and Lean tool, often the first artifact in the Define phase of a DMAIC project.
Can Wavelength make a SIPOC table?
Wavelength makes the process flow behind the SIPOC, with the people and systems named, from speech or a transcript. Copy the template on this page for the five-column table.
Every new account starts with 7 days of Pro. No card needed.