How do you monitor and measure the impact of value stream mapping on your process performance and quality?

Process Baseline: What is important to be aware of is the following …. There are multiple versions of the current state to map, document and be aware of … Drumroll … Here they are … The 5 versions of your process baseline: 1) What the senior leadership thinks their team is doing 2) What the people manager says their team is doing 3) What the Subject Matter Expert says their team is doing 4) What the procedure says everyone should be doing 5) What everyone is actual doing This is based on over 15 years of experience creating and improving processes.

I have used this analogy for baselining. If you are planning your trip, not only do you need to know the destination, you need to know where you are right now. The same is true for a LSS/process improvement project. Pareto charting and Gemba walks are a really good way to find out what is happening now, before you start.

- Define Metrics: Establish clear performance and quality indicators. - Baseline Data: Collect data before VSM to track pre-improvement state. - Post-Implementation Data: Continuously measure after VSM changes. - Compare & Analyze: Evaluate differences between baseline and post-VSM data. - Customer Feedback: Incorporate customer perspectives into assessment. - Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Monitor KPIs for sustained improvement. - Visual Dashboards: Use visual tools for easy tracking and communication. - Regular Audits: Conduct periodic audits to ensure VSM benefits endure. - Employee Feedback: Gather insights from teams for ongoing adjustments. - Continuous Improvement: Iterate VSM based on findings for lasting impact.

Monitoring and measuring the impact of value stream mapping (VSM) on process performance and quality involves several steps to assess the effectiveness of the improvements implemented. Here's how you can do it: Establish Baseline Metrics Identify Improvement Opportunities Implement Changes Measure Key Metrics Conduct Process Audits Gather Feedback Iterate and Continuously Improve Celebrate Successes By following these steps, you can effectively monitor and measure the impact of value stream mapping on your process performance and quality, driving continuous improvement and delivering tangible benefits to your organization.

"Measure what Matters"... as timely and relevant measurement are essential for both process control and stability as we;; as helping to "move the needle" when coupled timely and relevant feedback. A fun video to let Fred Flintstone "drive home" this point. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKXZ7dcI55k

Sometimes we need to leverage the DMADV framework versus DMAIC when tweaking a process isn’t enough and it needs a full re-design and or no process exists. DMAIC = Process Improvement DMADV = Process Design DMADV - Define, Measure, Analyze, Design, Verify

One trap to avoid is that of "improve thinking" when true "design thinking" is needed. Future state thinking demands taking into consideration existing and rapidly emerging and evolving enabling technologies, respectfully challenging paradigms, asking more exploratory "why" questions, and employing a more holistic view where your value stream (output, deliverable, product, service) fits within the whole. https://www.rpm-academy.com/post/2018/10/18/chapter-2-identifying-the-value-stream

VSM is part of the overall process improvement effort - it is not the process improvement itself. Reading (and rereading, mostly out of confusion) through the flow of this AI-generated article, the focus drifts from the value-add of VSM to the value-add of a successful process improvement effort that uses Six Sigma methods. Let's not confuse the tool (VSM) with the project.

I've found the following guidance to be helpful in the day-to-day monitoring for Special Cause Variation. Note that some of these are tests specifically for p-, np-, c-, and u-charts (the top 4, if I'm recalling correctly): 1 point more than 3 sigmas from center 9 points in a row on the same side of center 6 points in a row all increasing or decreasing 14 or more consecutive points alternating up and down 2 out of 3 points more than 2 sigmas from center on the same side 4 out of 5 points more than 1 sigma from center on the same side 15 points in a row all within 1 sigma from center on either side of center 8 points in a row more than 1 sigma from center on either side of center

Control charts can be very helpful in communicating when variation is normal/expected versus when it deserves attention (Special Cause Variation). I've found this particularly useful when communicating process performance over time to leadership. Processes will generate data that fluctuate - the key is understanding when the fluctuations and/or shifts become an indicator of something changing (and thus requiring further investigation).

These tools can be used in so many different applications. For example, I have facilitated LSS projects with injury risk reduction as the goal. Each time, we not only accomplished our safety improvement objectives, but we also improved efficiency and productivity. Learn to use these tools and you will be far more effective

I agree with Norman. I have a toolbox full of these and other tools from different methodologies that I use on a day to day basis across different applications.

Continuous improvement... not just a business imperative but essential life skills. Current state value stream mapping provides a "catalogue" of opportunities for improvement that managers/leaders can then work on to remove waste, improve flow, reduce cost, and improve quality and outcomes. These very same tools and principles can be applied to "design" opportunities... green fields... to test the design and create more robust, agile enabling processes for those future state value streams that are markedly different ("apples and oranges"?) from their current state predecessors.

After reading all this stuff, I believe it’s wise to say that you need to understand your process capacities and then compare them with customer’s demand, so you can calculate the Takt time, which is all VSM is about. If takt time greater than 1, you have a restriction issue. If not, you have some room for increasing output. It’s simple, please keep it simple ??