Business Process Expert·7 min read
How to read these examples
Each example below is a five-column grid: Suppliers, Inputs, Process, Outputs, Customers. The Process column holds only the high-level steps - five to seven at most. Below each grid is a short note on exactly what the SIPOC scopes, and just as importantly, what it leaves out.
New to the technique? Start with the SIPOC guide for the definition and a step-by-step method for building one.
Customer onboarding (B2B SaaS)
What it scopes
Scopes the journey from a signed contract to a customer who is live and using the product. It excludes the sales cycle before signing and ongoing support after go-live.
Order fulfilment (e-commerce)
What it scopes
Scopes the process from a placed order to a delivered package. It stops at delivery - returns and refunds are a separate process with their own SIPOC.
Recruitment (open role to hire)
What it scopes
Scopes the process from an approved requisition to a signed offer. It excludes headcount planning before approval and onboarding after the offer.
IT ticket resolution (service desk)
What it scopes
Scopes the process from a raised support ticket to a resolved and closed ticket. It covers triage and resolution but not problem management or root-cause analysis.
"Notice how every example says what it leaves out. That sentence is worth more than the grid itself. Half the value of a SIPOC is agreeing on the boundary - what you are deliberately not touching in this piece of work."
Turning an example into action
Once a SIPOC gives you the boundary, the next move is to zoom into the steps worth improving. In the order-fulfilment example, "Pick & pack" might hide a slow, manual sub-process. Map it in detail, decide which parts to automate, and measure the before and after.
You can build that detailed map in the Crismo modeler for free, or follow the process-mapping walkthrough.
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
What is a good SIPOC example to start with?▼
Pick a process you know end to end, like customer onboarding or order fulfilment. Both have clear suppliers, inputs, outputs, and customers, which makes them easy to scope on one page.
How many rows should a SIPOC have?▼
There is no fixed number. Each row traces one supplier-input-step-output-customer thread. Four to seven rows is typical - enough to cover the process without turning it into a detailed map.
Can the same team be both a supplier and a customer?▼
Yes. In the recruitment example the hiring manager supplies the approved requisition and later receives interview feedback. A party can appear in both the Suppliers and Customers columns.
Should outputs match customers one to one?▼
Not necessarily. One output can go to several customers, and one customer can receive several outputs. The point is to make sure every output has at least one taker.
What comes after a SIPOC?▼
A detailed process map of the steps worth improving. The SIPOC sets the boundary; the process map shows the step-by-step flow, decisions, and exceptions inside that boundary.
From SIPOC to the detailed process in Crismo
SIPOC scopes the process on one page. When you're ready to model the detailed flow, map it step by step in the Crismo modeler (BPMN). Free, no signup.
Open the Crismo modeler