SIPOC + CCCC - qualityg style

DEFINING/DESCRIBING A PROCESS USING SIPOC+CCCC ANALYSIS

SIPOC Analysis can be a very useful tool to define a process (education, business, government, etc) up front prior to improvement opportunities. SIPOC is not new and has been used for many years.

I added + CCCC (defined below) to create questions to further define and understand the process with the addition of + CCCC that will provide you with critical information for presentations and learning. It is very important to answer these questions up front so that you can have as much information as possible about the process and how it affects people, other processes, union, laws, standards and departments (internal & external).

A process can be described in many ways and in different levels of detail. There are two major tools that can help you describe/define a process.

S.I.P.O.C.+CCCC is a method used to identify Suppliers, Inputs, Processes, Outputs, Customers and associated Consequences, Contingencies, Conditions and Communication feedback measures.


Flowchart provides the most detail and is the most helpful tool for describing the process.


Please CLICK on PIC S to Enlarge (click once & pic will enlarge, wait until you see
4 arrows and click again on arrows for best view), if you need a better copy please send me an Email qualityg@comcast.net.

FLOW OF CUSTOMER REQUIREMENTS VS. FLOW OF PROCESS

• You must first know what your product/service is as an Output before you can define what you need as inputs. This is true at the activity level within a sub process as well as the major/macro Process level.

• So, when information and materials tend to flow towards the external Customer requirements, work backward through the process to help determine who the Supplier will be of the inputs. Use O-C-P-I-S + CCCC.

Example SIPOC Process Meeting Questions

1. What are the key steps in this process for a typical “Sunny Day” Scenario (the way the process should work)?

2. What are the current systems/tools used in the process/step?

3. How are the handoffs handled between the activities and groups? (email, system etc)

4. What dependencies/triggers are there in performing this/these task(s)?
· When can work begin?
· When do you have to wait to do work? and why?
· What conditions need to occur for the order to get to the next process?

5. What items are required to perform the work (inputs)?

6. Who provides these inputs?

7. What do the participants of this process produce (outputs)?

8. To whom do the participants of this process deliver their outputs?

9. Describe some of the typical “Rainy Day” scenarios in this process (typical process break-downs).
· Why to they occur?

10. How long does each step in the process take, and why?

11. What performance measures are tracked on this process?

12. What controls are currently in place? (visual controls, quality control, approvals, etc)

Example - SIPOC Exercise

Click on PIC to Enlarge

More Posts on SIPOC: or Click on SIPOC ANALYSIS Label on the left sidebar for all posts.

Part I - Customer-Supplier Process: Creating Value?? - http://qualityg.blogspot.com/2006/08/quality-misc-customersupplier.html
Part II - Supplier Evaluation Program - http://qualityg.blogspot.com/2006/08/quality-misc-customersupplier_30.html
Part III - Focusing on the Customer - Which One?http://qualityg.blogspot.com/2006/09/quality-misc-customersupplier.html

Part IV - SIPOC Model & Internal Process Model http://qualityg.blogspot.com/2006/09/quality-misc-customersupplier_12.html

Updated 10/28/06

Go to this post to get a copy of my SIPOC Analysis Questions for process improvements

http://qualityg.blogspot.com/2006/10/qualitygs-sipoc-analysis-questions.html

Updated 10/30/06

Please go to my post at http://qualityg.blogspot.com/2006/10/qualitygs-sipoc-analysis-questions.html for additional questions on SIPOC Analysis.

SIPOC FAct Sheet at http://qualityg.blogspot.com/2008/04/sipoc-cccc-fact-sheet-j-man-style.html

SIPOC Defect post at http://qualityg.blogspot.com/2008/07/sipoc-defect-sheet.html

developed and owned by gmc (qualityg)