Value stream mapping is a Lean manufacturing technique designed to maximize value and minimize waste. It is a visual representation that allows organizations to identify areas of waste, inefficiencies, and opportunities for improvement.
The concept of a value stream is to bring a product from raw material to the customer, including both the production flow and the design flow. VSM encourages looking at the "big picture" rather than focusing on individual processes, which helps in optimizing the whole system.
One of the key strengths of VSM is its ability to visualize both the material and information flow within a production system. This dual focus is crucial. The mapping process involves carefully drawing out every process in the value stream, from supplier to consumer, and asking critical questions about each step.
VSM also helps in distinguishing between value-adding and non-value-adding activities, which is essential for identifying sources of waste. It provides a common language for discussing manufacturing processes and serves as an implementation plan.
The process of creating a VSM involves several key steps, including selecting a product family, assigning a value stream manager, and drawing both current and future state maps.Implementing the future state is where the real challenge lies. VSM is not an end in itself but a tool to guide improvements in efficiency. It's recommended to divide the future state map into manageable segments or loops.
VSM emphasizes the importance of continuous improvement, encouraging organizations to set specific, measurable, and challenging target conditions for processes. By consistently questioning what prevents achieving these targets and what steps can be taken to move towards them, organizations can find innovative solutions to problems that once seemed insurmountable.
References:
How to create a value stream Map. (2019, December 19). Lucidchart Blog. https://www.lucidchart.com/blog/how-to-create-a-value-stream-map
VanDenBerg, W. (2021, November 3). Value stream mapping: the search for adding value and eliminating waste. Lean Six Sigma Online Certification & Training at Purdue University. https://www.purdue.edu/leansixsigmaonline/blog/value-stream-mapping/