Value Stream Mapping

Whenever there is a product for a customer, there is a value stream.  The challenge lies in seeing it.

Value Stream Mapping is the most essential tool to provide an understanding of how to make processes truly “Lean”.  Kaizen efforts, Reliability efforts, or any other lean manufacturing techniques, are only truly effective when applied strategically within the context of building a lean value stream. 

Most of the time, managers concentrate on the wrong things, such as the Plant Facility, Machines, and the Organization.  Value Stream Mapping focuses your attention on the main thing, the Product or more simply…

What The Customer Wants!

The benefits of Value Stream Mapping include:

• It helps you visualize more than just the single-process level, you can actually see the flow
• It establishes priorities for improvement efforts
• It helps you to see waste and the source of that waste
• It is focused on no cost or expenseable improvements
• It provides a common language to talk about the processes
• It is based on objective information
• It forms the basis of an implementation plan
• It shows the link between information flow and material flow, no other tool does this

TAG’s experienced facilitators will lead your team to develop Value Stream Maps for your facility using the following approach:

• Develop Commitment to Value and Use of the Value Stream Mapping
• Create a Product Family matrix
• Identify Value Stream Mapping Integrated Team
• Facilitate Development of ‘Current’ State Map – How things actually are!
• Facilitate Development of ‘Future’ State Map – How things should be!
• Provide Focus, Direction, Tools, & Methods to Value Stream Mapping Teams
• Ensure Value Stream Mapping Applications are based on Facts and Data not Supposition
• Develop the Value Stream Plan tied to business objectives
• Presentation by Value Stream Team to Management Group
• Conduct Value Stream Reviews – Walking the ‘Flow’ on the floor

TAG’s Value Stream Mapping Deliverables:

• Development of a Value Stream Team & Approach
• Identification of Key Value Streams
• A Plan for Value Stream Mapping
• For Selected Value Stream:
• “Current State” Value Stream Map
• “Future State” Value Stream Map
• Prioritized List of Opportunities within the Value Stream
• Annual Improvement Plan by Value Stream
• Establish the true method for Continuous Improvement

Contact TAG today to learn more about getting started with this valuable tool in your organization