Value Stream Seeing
Mark Preston
Lean Six Sigma Master, Author, Keynote Speaker, and Southern Sensei - Passionate about improving People, Processes, and Products. Continue: "Living Engaged Attitude Now"
Value Stream Seeing
By Mark Preston
Are you making decisions based on” Big Picture Data” or rather “Who Yells the Loudest”?
One of my favorite Lean tools is Value Stream Mapping. I want to share with you how to make the most of Value Stream Mapping and how it can help any organization. I see Value Stream Mapping as a multi layered – 3-Dimensional Spider Web that connects everything in the company. Most people do a high-level Value Stream Map that shows – Product or Service Flow, Communication Flow and Key Data for identification of constraints and opportunities. I agree that this is a great first step, but this article may help you understand the true connectivity that a value stream map can give your organization.
Let’s Start with a Foundational Value Stream Map
Definition: All the activities (both value-added and non-value added) required within an organization to deliver a specific product or service; “everything that goes into” creating and delivering the “value” to the end-customer.
Value Stream Mapping helps you:
3 Key things to See in a Value Stream Map:
After you create a Foundational Value Stream Map with the Current State, Opportunities for Improvement, Future State Map and Improvement Plan, you are ready to take the foundation to another level.
Next Overlay key Systems on your Value Stream Map?
Back in the day, we used Overhead Projectors instead of Power Point. We would lay down sheets of plastic on the light lamp and it would project anything written on the clear sheet on the wall. You could also lay a sheet on top of another sheet and layer information to project it on the wall. Think about this layering in terms of a Value Stream map. After you have completed a foundational Value Stream Map overlay key systems on top of the Value Stream map. Detail information on your different systems to describe their individual Information Flows, Process Flows and key data surrounding these systems.
Overlay systems such as:
Each one of these maps will give you vision on missing data, key constraints, balance of labor, waste in your processes and time constraints.
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I started Quality and Safety Stream Mapping over 15 years ago to focus on improvement of each system. They each provided improvement opportunities for transformation plans. They also were a great way to visualize the entire Quality or Safety System for total view. Think about if your ISO Inspector came and saw the entire plants Quality System blown up and displayed on the wall. Details and Systematic improvement could then easily be assessed.
Inspections such as Receiving Inspection, In Process Inspection and Final Inspection could be seen. All the Templates used in Quality can be displayed on one wall in the associated areas. Quality Information flow such as Quality Alerts, Non-Con Reporting, return information flow and defect reporting are just some of the things to display and learn from. Critical to Quality for Suppliers and from Customers with information on their inspection processes are also greatly beneficial.
Link key information to your Value Stream Map
Another great unknown function of Value Stream Mapping is Linkage to critical information. Think of a Value Stream Map as a Spiderweb that connects key information to ensure that it is present and updated. I link key information in excel under each column of each major process.
Information that I link to Value Stream Maps:
By linking information, it makes it very easy to see what you have, what you are missing and what you need to update.
No Better Time for Action using Value Stream Mapping than Now!!!
You have a much better chance of creating a great Annual Improvement Plan if you have a Value Stream Map, a Quality/Safety System Map and a Linked Value Stream Map. Make 2025 the year that you improve the way you improve. I will set you up for success!
Take Action!
I coach and train teams to do these maps. Reach out and I will help you see the big picture and the details that might be overlooked.
Contact me and have a great week!
Mark?
Mark Preston
A Lean Practitioner creating Culture of Excellence with an army of Lean thinkers. Lean Six Sigma Black Belt with 14+years (USA & INDIA), Masters (USA) & Bachelors in Industrial Engineering
4 个月I'm a big fan of VSM too, There's a lot you can unearth by creating a VSM.. As the authors of the book of VSM mention- The challenge lies in seeing it.