SIPOC is a process mapping tool used to visualize a complete process in a macro way, identifying Suppliers, Inputs, Process, Outputs, and Customers.
Widely used in Lean Six Sigma and continuous improvement, it is ideal for quickly understanding the scope of a process, especially when there are quality issues, bottlenecks, or recurring failures.
SIPOC helps align everyone involved about “what is being done”, “who is involved” and “what are the input and output requirements”.
🔧 Meaning of SIPOC
| Letter | Meaning | Example in industrial testing |
|---|---|---|
| S | Supplier | Engineering, production, firmware, DUT supplier |
| I | Input | Product to be tested, tolerances, test sequence |
| P | Process | Test steps: initialization → measurements → validations |
| O | Output | Result (pass/fail), logs, report, measurement data |
| C | Customer | End customer, engineering, quality, maintenance |
🧩 Typical applications of SIPOC in testing environments
- Functional test process mapping (FT)
- Alignment between product engineering, testing, and production
- Preview for Kaizen, 8D, or FMEA actions
- Identification of poorly defined inputs causing defects
- Improvement of traceability data flow or operator interface
🔧 How AJOLLY Testing uses SIPOC in its projects
AJOLLY Testing uses SIPOC as a strategic modeling tool to develop, review, or optimize testing systems at all levels.
📐 Initial process mapping
- Clear definition of test system input and output requirements
- Alignment with internal customers (engineering, quality, production)
- Integration with instrumentation, jigs, software, and databases
📊 Analysis and improvement of existing processes
- Identification of failures in inputs (product, parameters, documentation)
- Tracking output inconsistencies (incomplete reports, series errors)
- Basis for reviewing test procedures and sequences
🧩 Support for larger methodologies
- Preliminary stage for 8D, FMEA, Kaizen, or Six Sigma projects
- Facilitates technical documentation for audits and ISO
- Serves as a basis for designing data flows in MES and SCADA systems
With AJOLLY Testing, SIPOC is not just a mapping framework — it is a living tool for understanding, aligning, and standardizing testing processes, used at all stages, from concept to production.