How do you identify the value-adding and non-value-adding activities in your value stream?

1 What is VSM?

VSM is a visual representation of your value stream that shows the flow of materials, information, and resources along the process. It also displays the cycle time, lead time, inventory, and quality indicators of each step. VSM helps you to see the current state of your value stream and identify the sources of waste, variation, and inefficiency. It also helps you to design a future state of your value stream that eliminates or minimizes the non-value-adding activities and optimizes the value-adding activities.

2 How to create a VSM?

Creating a VSM requires defining the scope and boundaries of the value stream, collecting data on the current state, drawing a VSM diagram with standard symbols and notation, analyzing the VSM to identify value-adding and non-value-adding activities, developing a future state VSM to eliminate or reduce non-value-adding activities, and implementing the future state VSM while monitoring the results. Tools such as 5 Whys, 7 Wastes, 8 Forms of Waste, 5S, Kaizen, Kanban, Poka-Yoke, PDCA, A3, and Gemba can be used to help with these steps.

3 What are the benefits of VSM?

VSM can help you to achieve several benefits, such as improving customer satisfaction by delivering more value and reducing defects, delays, and errors. It can also reduce costs by eliminating waste, optimizing resources, and simplifying processes. Additionally, VSM can increase efficiency by streamlining flow, reducing cycle time and lead time, and increasing throughput. Furthermore, it can enhance quality by identifying and preventing root causes of variation and defects, and implementing standards and controls. Finally, it can foster continuous improvement by creating a visual and data-driven tool for communication, collaboration, and problem-solving.

4 What are the challenges of VSM?

VSM is not a one-time task, but a continuous process that requires commitment, participation, and adaptation. When using VSM, you may face challenges such as defining the scope and boundaries of your value stream realistically, collecting accurate and reliable data on your current state and validating it with stakeholders and customers. Additionally, you need to draw a clear and comprehensive VSM diagram that captures the essential details and metrics of your value stream without any clutter or confusion. Moreover, you must analyze your VSM objectively and critically, prioritize the most impactful and feasible improvements, develop a future state VSM that aligns with your strategic goals and customer expectations, balance innovation and realism, and implement your future state VSM effectively and sustainably while overcoming resistance and inertia.

5 How to learn more about VSM?

If you want to learn more about VSM and how to apply it to your value stream, there are various options available. Reading books and articles on VSM and lean processes, such as Learning to See by Mike Rother and John Shook, Value Stream Mapping by Karen Martin and Mike Osterling, and The Lean Toolbox by John Bicheno and Matthias Holweg, is a great way to gain a deeper understanding. You could also take online courses or workshops on VSM and lean processes from Udemy, Coursera, Lean Enterprise Institute, or ASQ. Joining online communities or forums on VSM and lean processes, such as those on LinkedIn, Reddit, or Quora is an ideal way to ask questions, share insights, and get advice from other practitioners. Lastly, hiring a consultant or coach on VSM and lean processes can provide feedback and support throughout the process.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?