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The six fields
| Field | Key question |
|---|---|
| Inputs | What goes into the process, such as orders, material, information? |
| Outputs | What comes out, and who receives it? |
| With what? | Which equipment, software and infrastructure are needed? |
| With whom? | Which people and competences are involved? |
| How? | Which procedures, instructions and methods apply? |
| How effective? | Which metrics show whether the process meets its goals? |
The process name and the process owner sit in the middle. Many teams add a seventh field for risks and opportunities.
Example: purchasing process
- Inputs: requisitions, bills of materials, approved supplier list.
- Outputs: purchase orders, confirmed delivery dates, supplier evaluations.
- With what: ERP system, framework contracts, order templates.
- With whom: buyers, quality assurance for supplier approvals.
- How: purchasing procedure and supplier evaluation, purchase conditions.
- How effective: on-time delivery, reject rate, purchasing lead time.
What it is used for
As a process description, a turtle diagram often replaces several pages of text. In internal audits it serves as an interview guide: the auditor goes through the fields and asks for evidence. It fits the process approach well because it makes interfaces and metrics visible.
Tips for good turtle diagrams
- Start with the output: who needs what at which quality? The other fields follow more easily.
- Name specific documents and systems instead of generic terms such as “software”.
- Give a target for every metric, otherwise the “How effective?” field stays empty.
- Review the diagram with every process change and have the process owner approve it.
Implementing it in docxpert
You keep turtle diagrams as controlled documents, for example as a table in the process description. In process management you link the process to its owner and documents, so instructions from the “How?” field are directly reachable.
Frequently asked questions
Does ISO 9001 require turtle diagrams?
No. The standard requires processes to be determined with inputs, outputs, resources, responsibilities and criteria. The turtle diagram is one of several ways to show this.
How does it differ from SIPOC?
SIPOC describes suppliers, inputs, process, outputs and customers. The turtle diagram adds resources, people, methods and metrics.
How detailed should a turtle diagram be?
As brief as possible. It should fit on one page and refer to detailed documents instead of repeating them.
Who creates the turtle diagram?
The process owner together with the people involved. That way the picture matches the actual work.