The solution to a separation sequencing problem may be simplified or reduced if linear dependency exists among product streams. This linear dependency occurs whenever the number of product streams is greater than that of components in the feed stream. Nevertheless, if only sharp separators are involved, the cost of the optimal sequence for the simplified or reduced problem has been proved to be greater than that for the original problem. In’ the present work, the structures of all-sharp separation sequences for the original and reduced problems are examined. It has been found that the characteristic structure of the optimal separation sequence for the original problem is identical to that for the reduced problem. This has led to a simplification procdure for solving the separation sequencing problem in which the optimal sequence for the reduced problem is first synthesized and then transformed into the optimal sequence for the original problem with relatively little computational effort. The efficacy of the proposed approach is illustrated through an example.