Why Use Lean Value Stream Mapping?

Lean Value Stream Mapping is a visualization tool which is used to analyze the flow of materials and information currently required in bringing products or services to particular consumers. It is derived from the Toyota Productions System where it became known as Material and Information Flow Mapping.

Value Stream mapping is a technique developed from Toyota’s Lean Manufacturing Process, which is a generic process management philosophy that helps in:

  • The identification and steady elimination of production wastes
  • The improvement of products
  • The improvement of service quality
  • The reduction of production time
  • Facilitating cost reduction.

Although often used in manufacturing, Lean Value stream mapping is also used in the supply chain, logistics, service-related industries, and product and software development. It is often compared to Motorola’s Six Sigma process mapping but it differs in three ways:

  1. Lean value stream mapping gathers and displays a broader range of information. It tends to be on a higher level (at 5-10 boxes) than the Six Sigma approach.
  2. It is used at a broader level i.e. from the time raw materials are received up to the time the finished goods are delivered.
  3. It is often utilized to identify the right focus for future projects, subprojects and continuous process improvement (Kaizen) events.

Value stream mapping is implemented by identifying a particular product, service or product family by drawing a current value stream map which shows the steps and information flows needed to deliver the target service or product. This is also done by assessing the current state value stream map and by eliminating muda or waste and implementing the future state.

This type of map is hand-drawn using paper and pencil as rudimentary tools making the mapping process very simple. It allows for easier understanding and enables quick and simple corrections. But aside from a basically paper-and-pencil drawn process mapping, there are new software-based tools that are emerging in the market. Among the available alternatives include stencil/add-ons to Microsoft Visio. This year, Microsoft added value-stream mapping tools to its Visio 2007 software.

A lean Value stream map or an end-to-end system map takes into account the product activity and the management and information systems needed to support the basic process. It shows its Lean manufacturing orientation by helping to reduce cycle time since the user is allowed to gain insight into the decision-making flow aside from personally looking into the product’s process flow.

Value Stream Mapping helps develop a future state by reducing or eliminating waste along with a plan on how to implement it and it has produced real system wide benefits to production process cost, quality, lead times, and flexibility.

Lean Value Stream Mapping examines and analyzes the materials and information flows for a value stream; these are activities needed to bring a product from raw materials stage to its eventual delivery to a customer. A value stream future state map is then created and which leads to an implementation plan.

Lean Value Stream Mapping is a very powerful and effective device for motivating and planning positive change. In Toyota, Value stream mapping is typically used in their renowned Lean method. After tremendous gains from its use, other companies have embraced Value Stream Mapping and have applied it to almost anything other than the traditional manufacturing process.