How can value stream mapping be used to measure lean performance in manufacturing?

Value stream mapping is difference between current state and future state. Current state means present way things are happening (process) Future state is improved methods after removing non value adding processes Few important outcomes Increase in margins by eliminating waste Reduce lead-times will increase volume and reduce inventory. This will result revenue growth and improvements in margins, reduction in working capital, reduction in space List is big, this is highly recommended for continuous improvements

Value stream mapping is an excellent way of determining the waste of non value added steps within a process. Implementing engineering changes was a process I participated in to perform VSM. We were measuring open to closure time and identified excessive waiting periods between the submit step to the review step and between implement and closure. We first measured the time by creating and analyzing reports of days open. I believe the statistic was 7 to 10 days. We set a goal of 2 days since we had engineering change reviews every week. The system was changed to notify the ECN facilitator of any change requests that exceeded two days.

VSM is crucial in Lean and Six Sigma, assessing lean performance and distinguishing value-adding actions. Begin with a current state map, analyse flow, and create a future state map to reduce waste and enhance efficiency. setting goals for the ideal process. Guidelines for Lean Value Streams: Takt time dictates part production frequency as per demand. Prioritize single-part production, employ pull systems for control, and designate the pacemaker process to pace all steps. Ensure consistent and even production release over time. VSM visualizes the process, identifies waste, and boosts efficiency, reducing lead time. It optimizes manufacturing by eliminating waste and improving operations.

As per Porter's proposition value stream/chain mapping is more about doing organizational internal analysis such as resource based view, core competencies and competitive advantages. So its always important to revamping the value chain system to increase differentiation. Few measurement can be: 1)Enhance customer perceptions of value via channel partners.2)Automation /Gen AI implementation to removing non value adding activities in value stream.3)Perform Activities differently Vs Perform different activities.

VSM help us in reducing the waste due to un necessary movement of wip. It helped to analyse and improve the production process, thereby increasing the productivity, delivery and customer satisfaction. In simple we can quantify the waste ,can analyse and measure it and bring up innovative suggestions to make a productive and energetic production floor

Great answers. Let me add this. VSM is an analysis tool to understand where the waste is that stops you from perfection. Ex. lead time is currently 60 days, value added time 20 min. The gap between those numbers are flow wastes, primarily Over production. To perfect focus on eliminating waste to reduce the 60 days. 1. I focus on the systems. Planning, batch strategy etc. if they are wrong they will always drive you to keep the lead time you have already. 2. Assets. I focus on understanding the improvement needs of the assets primarily to ensure that the pace maker is clear and treated in the correct way. 3. Stand in circle. Last step if needed is to do a very detailed focus on key areas to minimize waste and losses in them.

VSM can help in reducing 3Ms i.e MUDA, MURA and MURI. It can help in identifying 8 wastes in the system Transportation Inventory Motion Waiting Over production Over processing Defects Under utilisation of skills. Once they are identified it becomes a starting point to work on reducing these wastes. VSM can also help in elimination of communication gaps happening within systems by understanding the flow of information within it.

This should be a group exercise facilitated by a VSM practitioner and supported by process experts; those that know exactly how the process is executed. Start with the input and capture every step in the transformation process. Also ensure that the VSM accounts for the flow of information as well as physical flow as this will help in ensuring root cause of “waste” is correctly identified e.g. a backlog in the process could be a function of waiting for information before being able to onward process

Value Stream Mapping (VSM) is a powerful Lean manufacturing method that helps businesses understand, assess, and simplify their processes. It provides a visual representation of the entire production process, from the delivery of the finished product to the raw materials. Sorting through activities to identify which ones are valuable and which ones are not Lead Time Cycle Analysis Time Measurement: Calculating Stock Levels, Process Efficiency, and Obstacles Quantification Information Flow Visualisation, Performance Measure Assignment, and Continuous Improvement By applying Value Stream Mapping, businesses may measure and assess these components and use Lean principles to improve production performance as a whole.

VSM helps in visualizing how each step in process delivers value to customer thus helping in reducing any waste in specific areas of the process.

Vsm is good method to see where is the looses but there are tricky points whic should be considered deeply. If you find out lead time is more then expected ,you focus on overstock directly but in some extend you also focus on how to increase variety number of production thus you have to decrease the set up time but OEE get worse just becsuse of variation so you have to get action against each looses compherensively not attack directly only lead time is wortless. As a result you have to repeat your action to consider them respectively

We emphasize in many of these LI Contributions the Tools in Lean or Continuous Improvement, but efforts really should start sooner with People (at all levels) in terms of how they align on principles or value systems, especially foundational concepts like Trust and Psychological Safety. For example, in an environment where all decision making is done at the top without trust in the gemba's capacity and no one at the gemba has the courage to speak up to surface the root causes of defects, Tools such as VSM will offer little value. Lean is an inanimate object and is part of a system that starts with People who have the training in Principles to perform standardized Processes that are supported by a rich portfolio of Tools.

VSM is to reduce waste. As a 6 Sigma Black Belt, I had to do this VSM annually with A3 because once employees got merit increases if not promoted, I was asked to increase the annual volume of production with the existing headcount (meaning no new hires). To increase an annual volume, lead time had to be reduced since the cycle time remained the same. By shorten the lead time, there would be additional days to run more work orders than the previous year. Under A3 Management, numerous sustainable Kaizen with new break through in processes had to be run since operators could not expect to do the same as last year & to expect different outcomes because that would be the definition of insanity. That was my experience using VSM to reduce muda.

VSM is the best best tool to determine bottlenecks, and identify waste, provided the right data is used and a multidisciplinary team provides input.. I implemented VSM in beverage industry & get good outcome. You will able to identify your minor stoppages & elminate it prrmanently

O mapeamento de fluxo de valor oferece uma visão holística dos processos de uma empresa, identificando áreas de desperdício, oportunidades de melhoria e pontos de estrangulamento. Isso permite otimizar a eficiência, reduzir custos, melhorar a qualidade e aumentar a satisfação do cliente.

VSM is nothing but mapping all activities, movements and operations happening in your manufacturing line and then critically examine the MUDA ( the waste) in between that which is hidden and gives comfort zone to many. VSM can be applied rather should be applied to all Man , Machine , Material , Movements of man and material , Cycle time of the activity etc to get real good benefit and making the manufacturing really LEAN. And the process is not one time exercise . It has to be repeated after a fixed interval again and again as over a period of time the MUDA gets generated. This will help manufacturing to remain LEAN and efficient.

When we are mapping current and future states, it’s really important to involve teammates who are doing the job. Also involve cross-functional teams. Also, sometimes future state looks a lot better on paper. It’s always good to implement it and record results for a longer time. Having sustainable future state is more important. Also, VSM is a process which needs to be followed couple of times a year and documented to get better results.

In addition to this, We must map information flow in VSM. This plays a crucial role to make material flow efficient and transformation towards LEAN.

VSM is a tool where we list various activities performed in the supply chain from source to sink with various logistical parameters like lead time , stock , cycle time etc and optimise the same . During this process we identify Muda ( Unwanted ) and also related Muri ( overburden ) and Mura ( Fluctuations ) in process which have direct / indirect impact on in efficiencies . This process is very effective when done with paper pen and observing things at shop floor as it also helps in better understanding of process and also come up with solutions which could address the actual cause .

Theoretically VSM is done, however many times it opens up the existing improvement as action items which are already known and ose those I have experienced this many times. A change could be; 1. Measure the process cycle efficiency which ideally would be low and set a target which is 50 percentage or more reduction in nva part. 3. Create future VsM with the target in mind. 2. Review the process keeping the target in mind - this would open up area/more thinking to identify ways to eliminate wastage 3. May be your root cause analysis leads to more area than the known improvements. 4. Create action plan to achieve future. 5. Repeat the cycle half yearly/yearly. There is always a better process.