This topic is SO important, I made a video.

I may be biased, but if you want to be more successful at work you NEED to learn the basics of process improvement.

A curiosity mindset and a willingness to learn is all you need to get started.

Here's why:

Process improvement gives you the structured tools and framework to solve problems.

If you have ever tried to make something better, or do things differently and it didn't stick.... it was most likely because your ideas needed a little more OOMPH.

And that's where Six Sigma (a process improvement methodology) comes in - strip away all the fancy terminology and hard statistics and it's really not scary (I promise - watch the video!)

It'll teach you:

1. How to correctly identify a problem (not just the symptom)
2. How to analyze the problem to identify the root cause of it
3. How to come up with solutions 
4. How to measure your work so that you have PROOF your ideas worked 

Let's dive in.

This week I am going to show you how to do a SIPOC. 

1. What the heck is a SIPOC? I thought you said no confusing jargon.

I know, I know, I know.

I want you to be equipped just in case you hear the term floating around.

A SIPOC is a fancy acronym that stands for:

SUPPLIER→ INPUT → PROCESS → OUTPUT → CUSTOMER

To give an example that isn't all theory, let's make a cup of Nespresso together:

It's a really quick-n-easy way to understand the major components of a process. You can have a 2 minute conversation with someone else and understand very quickly what causes work to start, what is needed to get work done, how is the work done, what is the outcome of the work, and who benefits from the work. 

2. Why would I need to use a SIPOC?

Though it doesn't sound like an impressive tool, a SIPOC is the foundation of any good solution.

A good solution means you've solved the right problem. 

Want to be sure you are solving the right problem? 

Start all the way at the beginning and jot down the WHAT. 

You must first understand WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON. 

Then you can fix it.

3. When would I use a SIPOC?

Anytime you need to understand how a process or interaction works. 

Have you ever sat in a meeting and thought:

• I'm not sure all the right people are in the room.
• I always find out things that cause me a bunch of extra work after a change has been made. It would be better to be included in the decision beforehand.
• Geez, this seems way too complicated. 
• Can we agree on the scope of this project at a high level?

A SIPOC helps answer these questions.

If you need more details, you can take the SIPOC and build out a more detailed process map. 

And then the fun really begins.

If you have any questions or want my SIPOC template, drop a comment under the video or shoot me an email.  

See you again next week.

Whenever you are ready, there are 3 ways that I can help you:

1. Personally curate a custom foundational resume for you here.

2. Set you up for success with the exact resume template I use.

3. Give you actionable feedback to perfect your resume with an video audit.

Cheers,

Aylin