RS Glossary
Upstream and Downstream
Upstream refers to the people, systems, or processes that provide inputs to the process being studied.
Downstream refers to the people, systems, or processes that depend on the output.
- Review state
- Reviewed in POC
- Freshness
- Current
- Version
- 2
- upstream-downstream
Remember it this wayUpstream feeds you; downstream needs you.
In plain language
Upstream is where this process gets what it needs. Downstream is where its output goes next and who depends on it.
Why it matters
Friction may appear inside one process but originate upstream or create impact downstream.
Limited upstream and downstream context keeps the map useful without mapping the whole business.
Example
If customer intake does not capture service location, the scheduling team downstream must call the customer before assigning a technician.
Common misconception
Upstream and downstream are not fixed positions on an organization chart. They are relative to the process being studied, and the same team can be downstream from one process and upstream from another.
Related terms
Not connected yet.
Sources
- ISO 9000:2026, "process"process inputs generally come from other process outputs, and process outputs generally become inputs elsewhere.
- ASQ, "SIPOC+CM Diagram"suppliers, inputs, outputs, and customers around a process boundary.
Learn more
Public history
27 recorded events · 27 public summaries
Existing glossary content was moved into the unified source-of-truth structure without changing its learner-facing body.
A captured draft entered section-level human review without changing its existing wording.
Missing required wording was proposed while preserving the captured draft.
Radar reviewed the definition section for human consideration.
Radar reviewed the plain-language-explanation section for human consideration.
Radar reviewed the why-it-matters section for human consideration.
Radar reviewed the example section for human consideration.
Radar reviewed the common-misconception section for human consideration.
Radar reviewed the remember-it-this-way section for human consideration.
Radar reviewed the related-terms section for human consideration.
Radar reviewed the sources section for human consideration.
Radar reviewed the learn-more section for human consideration.
definition approved by a human reviewer.
plain-language-explanation approved by a human reviewer.
why-it-matters approved by a human reviewer.
example approved by a human reviewer.
common-misconception approved by a human reviewer.
remember-it-this-way approved by a human reviewer.
related-terms approved by a human reviewer.
sources approved by a human reviewer.
learn-more approved by a human reviewer.
plain-language-explanation approved wording became the current section text.
common-misconception approved wording became the current section text.
remember-it-this-way approved wording became the current section text.
sources approved wording became the current section text.
learn-more approved wording became the current section text.
All section gates are approved; content version 2 is now a fully approved term.
Source: vault/Glossary/terms/upstream-downstream/term.md · sha256:8f31a3a05a219fc15f26081db7f9087b69b69d23e739f9472dab5fa6caabae93 · Release: rs-glossary-glossary-team-poc-0.5.5-2026-09-02