How can you use value stream mapping to eliminate non-value-added activities in manufacturing?

The main purpose of VSM is to distinguish between value and non value added activities in any manufacturing or even non manufacturing processes. The VSM is constructed to reflect the flow of material, information or any other resources related to the manufacturing systems. The very process of developing the VSM involves the application of intellect to identify the sources of waste , Quality variation for tackling inefficient aspects of the manufacturing processes and practices. VSM is a very effective visualization tool for lean implementation.

VSM is a very good method to eliminate non value adding activities. 1st you must have a well drawn Process Map, when this is done, value stream analysis is done to check for level 4 tasks, this eliminates non value adding tasks, you do not stop here, these tasks are taken through a criticality matrix, SOPs and SWIs are then created for high critical tasks as this standardizes the process thereby eliminting reworks, delays in execution, time used to execute non-value adding task, etc and every other MUDA of manufacturing as the case maybe.

A great example: a company may promise delivery in 4 weeks from the order date, but are all 4 weeks spent working on the product or service to be delivered? Probably not. Say it takes 30 minutes to actually make the product. That’s the value-add time; what the customer is paying for. Everything else needs to be questioned. Some time may be “required” due to laws allowing the customer to cancel the sale within 72 hours. While this doesn’t add value, waiting this time prevents you from producing something that may not be desired.

VSM is a powerful tool in lean manufacturing to visualize, analyze and improve the flow of material and information which is in the production process. It is particularly effective for identifying and eliminating value added and non value added activities. 1. Understand the Current state - 2. Find out value added and non value added activities 3. Identify the Bottlenecks 4. Apple Lean principle to eliminate waste. 5. Create a future step map. 6. Implement Continuous Improvement. By systematically applying value stream mapping and Lean principles, you can identify and eliminate non value added activities in the manufacturing process, leading to increasing efficiency and improved overall value delivery to the customer.

Value-stream mapping, is a lean-management method for analyzing the current state and designing a future state for the series of events that take a product or service from the beginning of the specific process until it reaches the customer. We can eliminate the non-value added activities using VSM by analyzing each step of material handling and information flow.

Boundaries and focus are key. Without them, you’ll be surprised at the number of tangents or rabbit holes you’ll go down. By planning your boundaries upfront, you’ll save tons of time.

The Taboo boundaries! Its not a scientific term in the VSM, to be honest I have just made this up to discuss it with the quality professionals typically in the manufacturing field who I would assume are the ones who would use the VSM the most. When you are using the VSM never fall in the trap of using the same boundaries that are already in place for years within the typical manufacturing scope, you are like a prospector miner looking for gold in the down town. Alternatively think of expanding the boundaries one or two steps forward/backward, think of the kanban before the plant, think of the dispatch after the manufacturing process if it was not included. There you would find green field that is ready to be explored for the first time.

- First step is to clearly understand and deeply know your process. - Second step is to represent the process as a flow, pulled by the costumer. - Third step is to obtain process performance metrics. - Fourth step is to recognize what is value and what is not. - Fifth step is summarize the information into Value Added Activities and Not Value Added Activities

Creating a Value Stream Map (VSM) involves several steps to visually represent and analyze a process. Here's a simplified guide to help you create a basic Value Stream Map: Select the Process: Choose a specific process or value stream to map. This could be a production line, service delivery, or any other workflow you want to analyze. Identify the Start and End Points: Clearly define the starting and ending points of the process. This could be from receiving raw materials to delivering the final product or from the beginning of a service request to its completion.

In my experience it is important to have team members identified and leadership support to ensure their involvement. Team members should have knowledge of different aspects of the business/value stream for best results.

Highlighting lean manufacturing tools is valuable, yet achieving successful implementation requires a nuanced understanding of organizational dynamics and potential challenges. Acknowledging contextual variations and considering limitations enhances the comment's comprehensiveness.

Just make sure that you understand the concept of adding value va not adding value Second make sure you understand what one piece flow is It is not one individual product at a time but a unit that uses what business needs Imagine packing 1 rice grain at a time That would be impossible! you pack 1kg of rice and that kg is your one piece flow fir that business Also remember the waste many caes can't eliminated but it can be minimized Develop your flows so the goods move the least possible distance during the process that is key Make sure you account for taxkt time with S&OP so the design can be flexible for ups and downs that marker needs Create site infrastructure for flexibility (air and electricity plugs capabilities)

While each of these approaches are valid, make sure you step back to see the impact. For example, many tout one piece flow. We implemented it within out work cells, but found we needed to batch work to the cells in order to not overwhelm the people picking parts. It just wouldn’t be possible for the “pickers” to pick one unit of parts at a time and keep up with 30 work cells. It would have increased our indirect labor and thus cost to unacceptable levels. Thus we combined a bit of batch and queue with one piece flow to optimize production.

Si bien cada uno de estos enfoques es válido, asegúrese de dar un paso atrás para ver el impacto. Por ejemplo, muchos promocionan el flujo de una pieza. Lo implementamos dentro de nuestras celdas de trabajo, pero descubrimos que necesitábamos agrupar el trabajo en las celdas para no abrumar a las personas que recogían piezas. Simplemente no sería posible para los “recolectores” seleccionar una unidad de piezas a la vez y mantenerse al día con 30 celdas de trabajo. Habría aumentado nuestra mano de obra indirecta y, por lo tanto, los costos a niveles inaceptables. Por lo tanto, combinamos un poco de lotes y colas con un flujo de una sola pieza para optimizar la producción.

In common business contexts, exclusive inspection stations are often seen as a non-value-added activity in VSM. To counter, they establish in-line quality checks at crucial points, removing the need for separate inspection stations and a workforce, which eventually leads to efficiency improvement, cost reduction, and real-time issue identification, but necessitates improving line staff competency and may have the potential to disrupt each process cycle time.

One way I’ve seen the successful creation of a future state map is by “proofreading” the completed current state: as you complete your Value Stream Analysis, preferably in a group setting to allow diverse input, mark known pain points of the operation. Whether quantified or qualified, encourage production management and plant leadership to tag places in the process where they observe waste and/or difficultly in process adherence. Add your own observations here in places where kanban, single-piece flow, or other manufacturing best practices could be implemented. Then, using your notes, repeat the mapping process. Starting at the customer, work backwards to each process step, re-envisioning to address the issues noted

Hoy en día existe varias herramientas como Draw.io, excel, canva entre otros que permite dibujar el mapa teniendo en cuenta las figuras que deben ir.

Drawing the future state map in value stream mapping involves envisioning an improved state of the value stream with minimized or eliminated non-value-added activities (NVAs). Here are the steps to create the future state map: 1. Analyze Current State: Review the current state map and identify the NVAs that need to be addressed in the future state. 2. Define Improvement Goals: Set specific goals for lead time reduction, cost reduction, quality improvement, productivity enhancement, and competitiveness. 3. Brainstorm Solutions: Engage cross-functional teams to brainstorm and generate ideas for eliminating NVAs and improving the value-added activities. Consider lean principles, technology, process optimization, and employee suggestions.

4. Prioritize Solutions: Evaluate and prioritize the proposed solutions based on their potential impact, feasibility, and alignment with improvement goals. 5. Design the Future State: Using the prioritized solutions, redesign the value stream by developing a new process flow that eliminates or minimizes NVAs. Visualize this new process flow on the future state map. 6. Incorporate Lean Principles: Apply lean principles such as just-in-time production, standardized work, pull systems, and continuous flow to optimize the value stream.

7. Communicate and Validate: Share the future state map with stakeholders and gain their feedback and buy-in. Validate the proposed changes through simulations, pilot runs, or small-scale implementations. 8. Implement and Monitor: Execute the changes outlined in the future state map. Monitor the progress, measure the impact on key performance indicators, and make adjustments as necessary. Remember, the future state map should be seen as a dynamic document that evolves with continuous improvement efforts. Regularly review and update the map to reflect the ongoing progress and identify new opportunities for further improvement.

The ”future state” should often be a moving target and focus for more complex flows should be on the largest bottlenecks or sources of waste. Once the largest inefficiency is removed another one is sure to surface that can be addressed. This incremental approach often yields quicker results with less change management efforts needed.

However big a change be it (in terms of $ or savings), the realization of the benefits depends on how well it is being implemented and sustained. More often, this phase takes the most amount of time and streches the timeline of a project which might look simple on paper, as it requires collaboration between multiple teams. Good leadership to keep everyone on the same page is the key. For example, implementing a mistake proofing method in a production line will include coordinating with test/controls or any other team who might need to support to make the change, followed by changes in manufacturing instructions and training the associates across all the shifts. We might have to continue monitoring to watch out for any workarounds.

To implement and sustain the future state: Develop an Action Plan: Create a detailed plan outlining steps to transition to future state. Engage Stakeholders: Involve all relevant stakeholders in the implementation process. Training and Communication: Provide training for employees and communicate changes effectively. Pilot Programs: Test the new processes small scale to identify any issues before full implementation. Monitor Progress: Regularly track and measure performance against goals. Iterative Improvement: Continuously gather feedback and make adjustments. Document and Standardize: Clearly document the new processes and ensure standardization. Leadership Support: Secure ongoing support from leadership.

Implementing and sustaining the future state, rooted in lean principles, requires a dynamic blend of precision and adaptability. Initially, meticulous planning and execution are crucial, aligning every process with the lean philosophy. Continuous monitoring and feedback loops help refine the system, ensuring it remains agile and responsive. Equally vital is fostering a culture of continuous improvement, where every team member is not just a participant but a proactive agent in the evolution towards operational excellence. Sustaining the future state isn't a destination but a journey—a perpetual commitment to lean thinking, where flexibility and a relentless pursuit of efficiency become ingrained in the organizational DNA.

utilizar el mapeo del flujo de valor para eliminar las actividades sin valor a?adido en la fabricación: ? Comprender las causas de las actividades sin valor ? Priorizar los esfuerzos de mejora en función del impacto potencial de cada actividad. ? El mapeo del flujo de valor es un proceso colaborativo que debe involucrar a todas las partes interesadas, incluidos los trabajadores de producción, los ingenieros, la gerencia e incluso los clientes. ? Mejora continua: El mapeo del flujo de valor no es un evento único. Debería ser un proceso continuo para identificar y eliminar continuamente las actividades sin valor a?adido.

Here are some additional insights on how to use value stream mapping to eliminate non-value-added activities in manufacturing: ? Understanding the causes of non-value-added activities ? Not all non-value-added activities are created equal. Some may have a greater impact on cost, quality, or customer satisfaction than others. Prioritize improvement efforts based on the potential impact of each activity. ? Value stream mapping is a collaborative process that should involve all stakeholders, including production workers, engineers, management, and even customers. ? Continuous improvement: Value stream mapping is not a one-time event. It should be an ongoing process to continuously identify and eliminate non-value-added activities.

To eliminate waste, we need to understand the value from the non-value processes. Non-value processes are those which the customer is not willing to pay for. To eliminate waste, we must be ready to go to Gemba and observe where and what kind of non-value you have. Then we can apply the proper Lean tools that would help to eliminate those non-value activities.