How to Complete the Input Map

This Article is the second in a four part series to show you “How to Complete a Six Sigma Root Cause Analysis.” The series covers four tools:

Table of Contents

1 How to Complete the Input Map

The core equation: Y=f(X1, X2, X3, Xn)

The Core equation in Six Sigma is Y=f(X1, X2, X3, Xn). In order to understand our “Y” or Output, we must first define our “X’s” or Inputs. The Input Map (or Variables Map) is a tool used to define those Inputs.

Step #1: Enter the ProcessConsists of input, value-add, and output. Steps.

These steps should become the “P” (Process) in your SIPOC
There should be no more than 12 steps
If there are more than 12 steps, you should review your project scope because it may too large

Step #2: List the Process Measurable Outputs.

These are the Measurable Outputs from the Process Step
The Outputs are related with the Steps not the Inputs. In other words, I can have 20 inputs in the “Input” column with 3 outputs in the “Output” column

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Step #3: Enter the Process Inputs.

As a general rule, the Input should be no more than a 3 word Noun (not an Adverb or Adjective)
Go to Gemba, Walk the Process and take notes of all Inputs to the Process. Don’t determine that an Input is insignificant and not write in on the Input Map. We will use a tool called the C&E Matrix to sift out the Unimportant “Inputs.”

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Step #4: List the “Type” of Variable as “U” or “C”

Controllable (C): Inputs that you can adjust while the process is in action
Example: While in the process of mowing a lawn, you can adjust the height of the mower or the speed at which you push the mower
Uncontrollable (U): These are Inputs that you either can’t control or are unwilling to control (because of cost, company politics, etc.)
While mowing a lawn, you cannot control the weather as it can change from sunny to raining.

Once the Input Map is completed and the X’s or Inputs in the Process have been identified, then you can move to the next step. The next step in the Six Sigma Root Cause Analysis is the C&E Matrix where we will Prioritize the Inputs by their on the Outputs. Below is an Example of a Input (or Variables) Map with the first two steps completed:

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Conclusion

The Input Map (or X-Map) helps the project teamPerforms the process improvement tasks. to identify all the X’s (or Inputs) in the the process that could potentially have an effect on the Y’s (or Outputs).

How could the Input Map help you in your project?

3 Comments

henry on September 8, 2019 at 6:46 pm

In the Final Assy step, what will be the output in case of a decision point is present?

For example, if I have these steps:

1. Setup
2. Apply the peanut butter
3. Apply the Jelly
4. Final Assy
5. Pass sandwich to customer

The step number 5 has a decision point: the customer may require a slice sandwich into 2 halves or not. When making the input map, what is the output in the step number 5?
- Kevin Clay on September 9, 2019 at 5:54 pm
  
  Henry, The Outputs would be the measurable outputs from each decision. Remember that the goal of an input map is to track the inputs to a process so we can Pareto those inputs in the C&E Matrix and then determine their Failure Modes in the FMEA. The Input Map doesn’t care about the actual decision being made as would a process flow map.
- Taku on December 4, 2020 at 1:25 am
  
  I think you should change your last step (Step 5) to something like “Ask customer if they want their sandwich cut”. Then the input would be what they tell you as their preference, that being data or information. Then the next step (Step 6) would be to cut the sandwich (if they prefer it cut) or pass the customer the sandwich (if they don’t want it cut. In the former case, after cutting the sandwich you’d add another step (step 7) whereby you pass the cut sandwich to the customer. Note also that you can ask the customer if they want their sandwich cut at any time, from the time their order or during step 5 as you did, but that would make the process chart a bit more complex, I guess! I hope that helps.