Value Stream Mapping

Quick reference

• 00:05 Hi, I'm Ray Sheen.
• 00:06 The foundational tool used for
• 00:08 the Lean portion on a Lean Six Sigma project is the value stream map.
• 00:13 Let's take a look at how this technique works.
• 00:17 You may be asking yourself what is a value stream map and what makes it so special.
• 00:22 A value stream map is the direct sequence of steps
• 00:25 in the process that creates the process result, whether it is a product, service or
• 00:29 capability, and delivers that to the process customer.
• 00:33 So one of the key characteristics of a value stream map is that it always
• 00:37 ends with the customer.
• 00:39 It's almost always a single straight line flow
• 00:42 of the steps leading to the delivery to the customer.
• 00:45 It's a subset of the full process map.
• 00:47 Any loops or branches that are not in the direct line flow, are not shown.
• 00:52 Those loops or branches are not bringing value to the customer.
• 00:56 But a value stream map is more than just the flow,
• 00:59 it also includes data about the flow.
• 01:01 There's timing for each step.
• 01:03 Value added time and non-value added, such as delays, are also shown.
• 01:08 The resources for each step, people or equipment, are often shown.
• 01:11 The first pass yield shows the quality performance of each step.
• 01:15 And inventory is often tracked also to see where bottlenecks are occurring.
• 01:20 There are other potential data elements, and
• 01:21 we'll talk about them in another session.
• 01:24 Our takeaway from this point is that the value stream map
• 01:27 also requires a significant amount of data collection in the Measure phase.
• 01:32 I mentioned that the value stream map is a subset of a full process map.
• 01:36 Let's look at the differences.
• 01:38 Because the value stream map is just a straight line flow leaving from
• 01:42 the start of the process to the delivery to the customer,
• 01:45 it is directly focused on understanding the impact on the customer.
• 01:49 The process map includes all of the branches, loops, and
• 01:52 other activities that are happening within the process, and
• 01:55 therefore is more of an internal functional view.
• 01:58 The value stream map is looking at the end to end flow directed at the customer.
• 02:02 Essentially, how fast and with what quality do items race through a pipe?
• 02:06 The process map is looking at patterns of flow throughout the entire process.
• 02:11 So it's no surprise to see that the Value Stream map helps to visualize bottlenecks,
• 02:15 while the process map identifies decision points and branches.
• 02:20 The Value Stream map is looking at anything that would
• 02:23 impede the smooth straight line flow, creating waste in the process.
• 02:27 The Process Map, because of its internal functional focus,
• 02:31 is more concerned about who, what, and when for each step.
• 02:34 The value stream map has a tendency to drive more transformational change
• 02:39 because it creates a radically different way to look at the process.
• 02:42 Many times a value string map will contain only a small fraction of the steps
• 02:47 that are found in the full process map.
• 02:49 And the focus is to make those steps flow quickly and flawlessly.
• 02:53 The process map often leads to incremental changes, as each step
• 02:57 is often considered individually rather than an end to end flow.
• 03:01 Both maps are showing reality.
• 03:03 The value stream map shows reality from a customer perspective,
• 03:06 essentially the reality they feel.
• 03:09 The process map shows reality from an organizational perspective,
• 03:12 the reality of what people are doing.
• 03:15 So how do we create a Value Stream Map?
• 03:18 Well, since it is a subset of the overall process map,
• 03:21 many of the process mapping principles will still apply.
• 03:23 For instance, we'll still start with the SIPOC.
• 03:26 But in this case, we need to be sure that the last step
• 03:30 is always delivery of the process results to the process customer.
• 03:33 In my experience, I have found that the best way to stay focused
• 03:38 on the straight line flow is to start by mapping from the final step and
• 03:41 working backwards, rather than the first step and going forward.
• 03:45 Take that last step and
• 03:47 create the preceding step by answering the question in order to start this step,
• 03:51 what do I need to have received from a preceding step?
• 03:55 And then you work your way back step by step.
• 03:57 When putting in steps, include all the steps in the direct flow so if you
• 04:02 need to move an item from one work station to another, include the move as a step.
• 04:08 If you need to get an approval or
• 04:09 permission to start work, then include the approval step.
• 04:13 When trying to identify the preceding step, look places where the item or
• 04:16 information is being stored, an inventory pile up or information backlog.
• 04:21 That's often a preceeding step.
• 04:23 Just make sure you put it into your value stream map at the right location
• 04:27 in the right sequence.
• 04:29 I want to finish this discussion with the topic of the As-Is map.
• 04:34 During the Measuring phase, you're establishing a baseline of performance so
• 04:38 you can analyze the process and identify improvements.
• 04:41 And that means that the map you are creating is for the current condition.
• 04:45 In other words, the process as it is.
• 04:48 Don't map what the procedure says to do, map what people really do.
• 04:52 Don't map what manager wants you to be doing, map what is actually happening.
• 04:57 And don't immediately put in the improvements.
• 04:59 If we want those improvements to stick, we need to plan their implementation and
• 05:04 follow through on that plan in the Control phase.
• 05:07 Sometimes there are multiple processes being used, and
• 05:10 that is often the case if the process has no standard procedure.
• 05:14 Pick one of those as your standard baseline,
• 05:17 usually the one that is used by the most number of operators.
• 05:20 The other processes will provide options to consider for improvement.
• 05:24 But we need to baseline the process on something
• 05:27 in order to be able to assess the efficacy of any improvement.
• 05:31 I'll talk about data collection and data analysis for
• 05:33 value stream map in other modules.
• 05:35 But for now, suffice it to say that when collecting data for
• 05:38 each step, we'll be using the average value for time, resources, and quality.
• 05:43 Not worse case, not best case.
• 05:48 A value stream map may take days or weeks to complete.
• 05:52 But it is the foundation for
• 05:53 all improvement activities within the process flow.

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