M4E #85: Value Stream Mapping
Remember M4E #77 where we talked about value added vs non-value added work? Today we will learn a simple tool that can help us determine time spent in each of this tasks in an organized manner. Find more about VSMs or Value Stream Maps in the following video from Communication for Geeks.
Time for Insights
The guy in the video talks about the symbol that looks like Bart Simpson, a funny way to name a representation of a factory that I never thought of. However, the standard for Value Stream Mapping symbols is covered by the ISO 22468:2020 standard. This international standard provides guidelines and symbols for value stream mapping in industrial engineering and quality management.
Do you know where the VSM was created? Let me surprise you… It was devised by Toyota! The term "Value Stream Mapping" itself and its widespread application in the West can be largely attributed to the work of James Womack and Daniel Jones, co-authors of the influential book "Lean Thinking," and to Mike Rother and John Shook, who wrote the book "Learning to See," which specifically focuses on VSM.
Different types of VSM exist. They include Current State VSM, which documents existing processes; Future State VSM, which designs optimized processes; and Ideal State VSM, which envisions perfect processes without constraints. Other types include Detailed Process Maps for granular analysis, High-Level VSMs for broad overviews, Product Family VSMs for specific products, Service VSMs for service-oriented processes, and Supply Chain VSMs for entire supply chains. Each type helps organizations identify inefficiencies, eliminate waste, and achieve continuous improvement.