SIPOC and Value Stream Map

Scope any process with a SIPOC, then map the current state and see where time is lost. Works for manufacturing and for office or service processes.

Start here

You do not need any experience with Lean. Work through the sections in order, and the results appear at the end as you type.

Scope the process with a SIPOC. It lists who supplies the process, what goes in, the main steps, what comes out and who receives it.
Record each step: how long it takes and how long items wait before it.
Read the results, then print the report or save it as a PDF.

These appear at the top of your printed report. All fields are optional.

Organisation or site

Improvement project

Prepared by

Date

A one-page picture of the process before you map any detail. Agree the start and end points with the people involved.

How do I fill this in?

Give the process a name, and say what starts it and where it ends.
Fill in Process first: 4 to 7 main steps, in order.
Then Outputs and Customers: what the process produces and who gets it.
Finally Inputs and Suppliers: what the process needs and who provides it.
Tip: press Enter to add the next item, and Backspace on an empty item to remove it.

Process name

Start point

End point

Process owner

Walk the process and record what you see, step by step. Rough numbers are fine to start with, and you can refine them later.

What do these terms mean?

Cycle time: How often one finished item leaves a step. If 6 items leave every hour, the cycle time is 10 minutes.
Wait before step: How long an item sits waiting before the step starts.
Queue before step: How many items are waiting there.
Takt time: The pace the customer needs. Available time divided by demand. A step with a longer cycle time than takt cannot keep up.
Changeover or setup: Time lost switching between products or jobs.
Uptime or availability: The share of time the step is ready to work, as a percentage.
First pass yield: The percentage of items done right first time, with no rework.
Value-added time: The part of the cycle time the customer would pay for. Leave it blank to count the whole cycle time.

Product or service family

What flows through (plural)

Time unit Used for every time on the map.

Available time per dayWorking time available each day.

Customer demand per dayHow many the customer needs each day.

Supplier name

Customer name

Takt timenot setWorked out from available time and demand.

Show detailed fields

These update as you type. Print the report when you are happy with them.

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Process step Cycle time is above takt Queue between steps