What is Value Stream Mapping?

A value stream is a compilation of all the actions required to bring a product through the main flow essential to every product or service, from raw material to delivery to the customer.

The goal is to identify and eliminate the waste in the process- waste being any activity that does not add value to the final product.

You know where you want to go- to the land of production efficiency where you can realize lower costs, shorter lead times, less inventory, customer satisfaction and increased profitability.

How do you get there from here?

As with any important journey, you use a map.

But first you need a map of where you are now, a "Current State map" then you can map out where you want to be in the future, a "Future State map".

Mapping out the activities in your production process with cycle times, down times, in-process inventory, material moves, information flow paths, will help you visualize the current state of the process activities and guide you towards the future desired state.

How Does the Process Work?

We come to your plant and spend a day or so reviewing a specific product/process flow, from start to shipping. We measure cycle times, count inventory; chat with operators, material handlers, production control folks and warehouse clerks.

From all this information we draw up a current state map. We compare actual cycle time to the takt time- the unit time to make an ordered part. If you are making 10 per minute and the customer is effectively only buying 8 per minute, something is wrong.

We map the material flow and the information flow because invariably production information is going to the wrong places and the needed information is not going anywhere.

We look for opportunities for KanBan- visual production clues, and Kaizan events- opportunities to eliminate bottlenecks.

Based on all the information and using ACS- (applied common sense!), a future state map is drawn up. This is a participatory process, everyone involved gets to help out, make suggestions and implement solutions.

More and more organisations with successful shop floor lean efforts are also applying VSM methods and lean principles to administrative areas. VSM provides a simple, yet thorough methodology that relies on relevant data analysis and display. It links reporting requirements, metrics, people, and lean tools to sustain improvement and promote process learning. It gives managers and employees the same tool and language to communicate.

Further Information

The above is only a brief summary of VSM. For further information about how Forward Vision can apply these techniques to help your business in the UK, please contact us via our contact page.