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Turtle Diagram Template

A one-page Word turtle diagram for a single process. The body holds the process and its owner, the head and tail hold inputs and outputs, and the four legs hold the equipment and materials (with what), the people and their competence (with whom), the methods (how), and the measures with their targets and current results.

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Who this template is for

Internal auditors preparing a process-approach audit
Process owners defining what their process needs and how it is measured
Quality engineers building the process map for an IATF 16949 or ISO 9001 system

When to use it

Before a process audit, to plan the questions and the evidence to sample
When defining or handing over a process in the quality management system
When a process misses its targets, to check each element for gaps
When training a new process owner

Standards it supports

ISO 9001:2015 4.4.1 — Determine each process’s inputs and outputs, sequence and interaction, criteria and methods, resources, responsibilities, risks, and how it is evaluated and improved.
ISO 9001:2015 7.1 — Determine and provide the resources the QMS and its processes need, including people, infrastructure, work environment and monitoring and measuring resources.
ISO 9001:2015 7.2 — Determine the competence needed for people whose work affects quality, make sure they have it, and keep evidence.
ISO 9001:2015 9.1.1 — Decide what to monitor and measure, the methods, and when to analyze and evaluate the results.
ISO 9001:2015 9.2.2 — Plan an audit programme that takes into account the importance of the processes, changes and previous audit results.
IATF 16949:2016 9.2.2.3 — Audit all manufacturing processes over a three-year cycle using the customer’s required approach, including how well the PFMEA, control plan and related documents are put into practice.

How to use this template

Name the process and owner — one process per turtle, with the person accountable for its results.
Fill inputs and outputs — list what triggers and feeds the process and what it delivers, with the customer of each output.
Fill the four legs — list the equipment and materials, the roles and competence, the controlling documents, and the measures.
Add targets and results — for each measure, write the target and the latest result so gaps are visible.
Use it to audit — turn each box into questions and sample evidence for each one on the floor.

Tip: Name documents, equipment and roles specifically, with document numbers and revisions. An auditor can sample “WI-210 rev D” on the floor; “work instructions” tells them nothing.

What's inside the template

Process (body)

Process name, owner, scope, and the processes before and after it

Inputs (head)

Orders, material, drawings and information that start and feed the process

Outputs (tail)

Product, records and information the process delivers, and who receives them

With what

Equipment, tooling, gauges, software and materials

With whom

Roles, required competence and training

How and measures

Procedures, work instructions and control plans; each measure with its target and current result

Example: a completed template

Example Turtle diagram for CNC machining of pump housings at Example Machining Co., a fictional job shop. The documents, targets and monthly results are invented for illustration.

Process

Process	CNC machining of pump housings
Owner	Machining Supervisor
Before / after	Receiving inspection / deburr and wash

Turtle diagram

Element	Entries
Inputs	Work order and traveler; castings released by receiving inspection; drawing PH-40 rev F; CNC program PH-40-OP10 rev 3
Outputs	Machined housings to deburr; completed traveler; first-piece and in-process inspection records
With what	CNC machining centers MC-2 and MC-3; fixture FX-40; calibrated bore gauge and CMM program; coolant
With whom	CNC operators trained on WI-210 (skills matrix level 3); setup tech; quality tech for first piece
How	Work instruction WI-210 rev D; control plan CP-PH40; first-piece inspection procedure; reaction plan for out-of-tolerance bores
Measures	Scrap rate (target ≤ 2.0%); on-time completion to deburr (target ≥ 95%); first-piece passed first time

Measures for September (Example)

Measure	Target	Data	Result	Status
Scrap rate	≤ 2.0%	18 scrapped of 1,200 machined	1.5%	Met
On-time completion to deburr	≥ 95%	47 of 50 jobs on time	94.0%	Not met

The math in this Example

Scrap rate: 18 ÷ 1,200 × 100 = 1.5%, inside the 2.0% target
On-time completion: 47 ÷ 50 × 100 = 94.0%, 1 point below the 95% target

How to fill in each field

Field	What to enter	Example
Process	One process that turns inputs into outputs. Too wide (“production”) and nothing is specific; too narrow (“load part”) and it is a step.	CNC machining of pump housings
Owner	The role accountable for the process meeting its targets, not the whole department.	Machining Supervisor
Inputs	What starts and feeds the process: orders, material, specifications and information from the previous process.	Castings released by receiving inspection
Outputs	What the process delivers, including records, and who receives each output.	Machined housings to deburr; inspection records
With what	Equipment, tooling, fixtures, gauges, software and consumables, with IDs.	MC-2, MC-3, fixture FX-40
With whom	Roles and the competence each needs, and where that competence is recorded.	CNC operator, skills matrix level 3
How	The controlling documents, with numbers and revisions: procedures, work instructions, control plan, reaction plan.	WI-210 rev D; CP-PH40
Measures	Two to four measures that show whether the process works, each with a target, a data source and the latest result.	Scrap rate ≤ 2.0%, monthly

Common mistakes

One turtle for the whole plant. Draw one per process. The value is in the specifics for that process.
Generic entries. Name the actual documents, equipment and roles, with numbers and revisions, so they can be checked.
Measures without targets or results. Write the target and the latest result next to each measure, so a gap is obvious.
Leaving out outputs other than product. Records and information are outputs too. Inspection records and travelers often matter most to the next process and to auditors.
Filling it in once and filing it. Review it when the process, equipment or documents change, and before each audit of the process.
Auditing the turtle instead of the process. Use the boxes to plan questions, then sample evidence on the floor: the revision at the machine, the gauge’s calibration label, the operator’s training record.

Frequently asked questions

What is a turtle diagram?

A one-page picture of a single process. The process sits in the body, inputs and outputs are the head and tail, and the four legs show what the process needs: equipment and materials, people, methods and measures.

Does IATF 16949 require turtle diagrams?

No. IATF 16949 and ISO 9001 require you to determine your processes, their inputs, outputs, resources and measures, and to audit them, but they do not name a format. Turtle diagrams are a common way to show that information, and many auditors use them.

How is a turtle diagram used in an audit?

Each box becomes a set of questions. The auditor checks that the inputs are right, the equipment is suitable and calibrated, people are competent, methods are current and followed, and measures meet targets, then follows the outputs to the next process.

What is the difference between a turtle diagram and a SIPOC?

A SIPOC shows the flow from suppliers to customers at a high level. A turtle diagram looks inside one process and adds the resources, people, methods and measures it needs.

How many measures should a turtle diagram have?

A few that show whether the process is working, usually covering quality, delivery and sometimes cost. Each needs a target, a data source and a current result.